November, 2019
She pushed us to our fullest, challenged us, was funny, understanding, nice, and welcoming. She had high expectations of us which in turn gave us room to raise our expectations of ourselves and grow as writers and responsible students. She did not take the easy route out, and constantly showed us the nuance, symbolism, complexities, and deeper meaning in literature.
S. Salem
It is rare that you find a teacher who the whole class respects and is fond of but does not create a barrier between them as students and does not act overly strict. It is rare that a whole class would respect a teacher but not because the teacher is too easy and wishy-washy and unproductive. Allison did a stellar job of being fun but not silly, engaging but not entertaining, professional but not cold or patronizing. We respect her not out of fear but out of admiration and utter reverence.
L. Cohen
As a final note, this is what [this IB class] has taught me: to recognize everything and how it makes up me. This is something that couldn't be taught to me any other way. This class has opened my mind to a world of different ideologies and has allowed me to see what causes ideologies to clash. Thank you.
R. Utz
Ms. Finn is the type of educator who gives students the realization that they can and will succeed. Like a football coach, I trust that she will give me just as much energy in my education as any other student.
E. Reinoso
Dear Ms. Pinto,
I'm going to miss you and your class so much, because you're the best English teacher I ever had. Every day, I look forward to your class, since it's always very interesting, and full of fun (the jokes you make..hahaha). Through your class, I really
think my love for English blossomed. Also, I truly appreciate how kind you've been to help us with our essay anytime. I wish you could teach us again next year. I don't want to leave!
Sincerely,
G. Cheung
Dear Mrs. Finn,
I truely want to thank you for everything you have done for me this semester. You had faith in me when I didn't; you seem to have faith in everyone, no matter how awful their first writing assignment. I can look back now and see that you were right: everyone can improve as a writer, and , while not everyone can have that amazing " running down the halls to show everyone" paper, I hope I can come back one day with one in my hand and show it to you...You have more enthusiasm for teaching than anyone I have ever met. You give off an energy that makes me want to learn...
You have inspired me and made me a better writer and person. I realize this is not one of the best written letters, or your first or last thank you note, but I want you to know you sparked a fire in my writing I have never had before, and I don't want to ever lose.
For lack of better words, Thank you,
A. Bush
I just want to say that I learned more than just English in your class. The way we discussed things helped me to be aware of the reasons behind my beliefs, morals, etc. There was a day when I just sat down and decided that my attitude towards homosexuals was wrong. I have kept all of my papers; sometimes I reread that email you copied for us, from your friend Nick. The other day, I was thinking of that magazine page you put on the board that said something like "Knowing the rules makes her a good musician....Breaking them makes her a jazz musician." It's kinda funny how sometimes I get frustrated and want to tell my [new] teacher "that's not how Ms. Finn did it!"...oh the good old days."
R. Martin
You made class fun without even trying. But more importantly, the work...I actually liked it - particularly the free-writes (which is basically what I have turned this "letter" into) ... your class was my favorite. I feel as though I got the most out of it, academically as well as personally in terms of self-evaluation. I know my final grade didn't exactly reflect that I learned much of anything, but my apathy to do major projects and procrastinating like FEMA are bad habits that I am trying to kick.
O. O'Connor
It wasn’t until junior year that I rose out of my academic self-esteemless funk. I walked into my AP Lang class, taught by Ms. Finn, who had taught my brother, and braced myself for that inevitable statement, “You’re Jordan’s sister!” But surprisingly, no such statement came. After our first essay assignment was graded, Ms. Finn called me up to her desk. She told me that she had seen my writing from other classes, and this was not my quality of work – it was elementary, and did not reflect my talents. I shrugged it off, not caring, until she looked at me and said sternly “You are not Jordan ’s sister. You are Hayley, so start acting like it.” From that moment on, I realized that I am both “Jordan’s sister” and Hayley, and I needed to make these classifications something to be proud of. The familiar feeling of determination and perseverance came over me, and I knew I was ready for the challenge.
H. Fixler