TCT’s The Countless Thanks: Mr. George

To my 2nd hour Honors English 10 class:

Thanks to Madi for your kindness, compassion, and curiosity, Carson for wanting to grow as a speaker and writer, Payton for being my favorite Vincent and then not and then favorite and then not, Liv for consistently giving me all you have, Chris for quick and decisive answers that show understanding and intelligence, Abby for sharing your mesmerizing poetry and quietly leading others without even knowing you’re doing it, Katie for always being ready with a thoughtful and thought-provoking answer, Everett for caring so much that you composed your own song, Rasraj for making a great first impression and then living up to it, John for showing everyone that being the new kid in town can be fun and inspiring, Kamdyn for always being first to the Zoom and first to the room, Nick for proving that teenagers love to  think deeply about life and consider their place in it, Max for your unassuming confidence and talents as a listener, Maddy for always smiling and staying positive about everything, Ariba for the warmth and kindness that everyone around you feels immediately, Frankie for pushing through and sharing your struggles and victories, Lydia for making everyone around you feel like the most important person in the room, Megan for your reliability and for leading, thinking, and smiling every single day, Ali for consistently and unknowingly spreading happiness with your personality and positivity, Katelynn for matching your talent with your effort, Sophie for two essays and endless comments that show intelligence, effort, and unbelievable potential for success, Ellie for caring enough to write a note that made my year, Crandall for your unwavering kindness and diligence, Maggie for being a bright spot in everyone’s day, Serena for being a student that I can always count on, Syd for your selfless and optimistic persona and sneaky sense of humor, and Veronica for how positively you impact everyone around you (including me) with your upbeat and energetic approach to everything.

To my 3rd hour Honors English 10 class:

Thanks to Sammy for dominating on the tennis court and in my classroom, Trevor for sharing your spray painting talents on my ceiling tile, Sam for showing so much growth since week one as a writer, speaker and thinker, Abby S. for your maturity and depth of thought in your speaking and writing, Emma for your focus as a listener, your energy as a student, and your kindness as a friend, Lucy for working and working but still having fun and smiling constantly, Kate for your maturity in how you approach everything we do (and the fun sense of humor!), Annie for loving to learn and your kind words about others, Sammy D. for your toughness and persistence in the face of adversity, Hayley Brown for raising your hand and making your points in a collegiate way, Nate for your powerful reading during The Crucible and for focused improvement in your writing, Kamilah for opening up and showing everyone your intelligence and talents, Tara for your loving personality and for making a special trip to my room to say goodbye on the last day of in-person school (that meant a lot!), Abby C. for being truly amazing as a student, person, and friend but still acting like you don’t know that you are, Harsaajan for always being ready to share a story or an idea, Sarah for letting me talk you into taking my class and then excelling in every aspect of it, Ian for being so kind to everyone you meet, Elizabeth for your depth of thought and collegiate writing, Ava for not getting frustrated with me calling on you nearly every day (because you always have great answers!), Kaylin for starting a ceiling tile tradition that will last for the rest of my career, Isaac for wanting everything to be perfect and then working hard to make it happen, and Lucky Lucy for always smiling and sharing your talents as a pianist, writer, speaker, and thinker with the 10th graders around you.

To my 4th hour Honors English 10 class:

Thanks to Ellory for the depth of analysis and full effort in every project and paper, Lauren for always giving me your best and coming back for a second ceiling tile, Gracie for caring so much about doing the right thing, Dayna for sharing your love and passion for animals through writing, video, and storytelling, Ava for your infectious smile and quiet confidence, Celine for working on your writing and seeing it pay off, Mia for laughing at all of my dad jokes and lifting up everyone in the room every day, Allison for always doing the right thing in class and in life, Amant for your insightful comments and willingness to discuss and learn, Paige for your unwavering commitment to learning, figuring things out, and thinking beyond the basics, Marissa for always being ready to share your ideas, Allie for being a leader in my room regardless of which hour it is, Sam for our daily fantasy football conversations (I’m still losing), Katya for making everyone else feel loved every single day, DeLaina for your sense of humor and all the great discussions about video games and going outside, Val for caring enough to make the playlists everyone loves, Omar for pushing yourself academically and athletically, Liam for sharing your stories of transcendental trips into the woods, Max for making my class important to you and for the insightful comments about literature, Will for sharing your personal writing with me (let me know when you’re ready to publish!), Delaney for talking hoops and always asking how I’m doing with that fun-loving smile, Abby for consistency, charisma, and commitment, Kenz for pushing yourself as a writer and seeing immediate results, and Summer for always asking the right questions even though you already know almost all of the answers.

To my 5th hour Honors English 10 class:

Thanks to Ally for leading without knowing you’re leading and for just “getting it,” Nick for giving me a story I’ll tell for years to come, Katy for unknowingly making everyone around you happier with your kind words and smile, Maya for your hilarious sense of humor and willingness to share in every discussion, Jordyn for stepping up as a writer and speaker, Ellie for the laughter and friendly persona that make my days better, Mady for asking about my weekend, asking about my neighbor, asking about my stress level, and just always asking, Grace for wanting to learn and proactively putting in the time to improve, Lara for caring so much about everything I teach and everything you work on, Katelyn for that smirk, laugh, smile, and snicker (it spreads to everyone else every time), Sarah for having the biggest heart and the smallest ego, Tori for caring so much and staying after to figure it out, Topher for making my days more fun and eventful, Lauren for deeply caring about those you love and making everyone around you (including me) smile with you, Addi B. for keeping up while you were gone and letting me share in your triumphs and challenges, Gavin for your sneaky intelligence that becomes obvious when I call on you, Nic for being so interesting to listen to and for sharing your ridiculous writing ability, Ella for always being so engaged and interested (teachers LOVE that), Shannon for my first-ever in-car Zoom parent/teacher/student conference and for always staying on top of things, Ben for sharing your ideas with me and making me think, consider, and learn, Addy S. for your bubbly personality and energy that rubs off on everyone around you, Kyra for giving everyone else around you the spotlight without realizing that you deserve to be front-and-center, and Daniel for a jaw-dropping presentation that changed six lives that day.

To my 6th hour Writing for Publication class:

Thanks to Jessie for not telling everyone that you’re a much more talented writer than me even though it’s obvious to both of us, Brynn for finding a way to stay in Room 140 this year and then changing everyone’s lives with your words, Saniya for 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time, Mia for yep, making everyone’s day better this hour, too, Hannah for your kindness, smile, and willingness to push yourself as a writer, Kiera for sincerely caring so much about my class and The Central Trend, Jadelin for being so friendly, happy, and positive regardless of the situation, Sofia for letting me have a plan without telling you the plan, Grace for showing off your talents as a writer with Jambalaya and Life Behind the Curtain, Coco for forcing me (in a nice way) to consider my (lack of) style, Topher for the sock war (I’m up 7-5), Rylie for making us all cry with I Still Remember, Masyn for wanting to do so well in all aspects of your life and taking the necessary steps to make that happen, Addy for your genuine and loving smile and personality, Paulina for putting up with me begging you last year to take Writing for Publication, Eva for quietly and quickly becoming one of the top writers in the room, Angelina for the graceful and powerful backflip in front of the entire student section, Meggie for your kindness, compassion, positivity and huge heart, Sarah for letting me be a part of your successes, Liza for always stopping by for Zoom office hours and for being as kind and selfless as anyone I know, Syd for being a great storyteller in person and in writing, and Jack for just being a great dude who makes everyone feel better about their day.

To my FHC Sports Report staff:

Thanks to Thomas for being one of the nicest young men I’ve ever met, Mason for your passion for your team and your friends, Louis for the cool fantasy football stories, Tate for being a friendly neighbor and a motivated and motivating student (you’ve made me a better teacher), Gwen for consistently setting the standard for the ideal staff member, Adam for volunteering and taking on more responsibility, Jake for the interesting stories about the Bulls, Syd for being so strong (your shoulder), consistent (your writing), and creative (FX and The Central Trend), Owen for understanding my point of view, Mac for 19 stories and the cool “What Happened” series, Joe for turning in 12 quality stories this fall, Justin for the solid wrap-up on the JV tennis season, Arthur for the story that led to me drafting Antonio Brown for my fantasy football team, Pierson for 15 strong stories and putting in your time, and Zoe for persevering, dreaming, and letting me be a part of it for the past several years (Go Thunder!). 

To my The Central Trend staff:

Thanks to Allie for asking about my weekend and truly caring about my answer, Veronica for all of the quality, behind-the-scenes work you’ve done for me and TCT for the past two years, Kelsey for your growth as a writer, thinker, and leader, Lauren for sharing your sense of humor, your talents as a dancer, writer, thinker, and Googler of daily random facts, Emma for your reliability, trustworthiness, organization, talent, and commitment, Soph for your dedication to The Central Trend and for quietly emerging as a leader, Lydia for your consistent and reliable contributions and approach over the past two years, Nat for your toughness and intense desire to change lives with your words, Linus for sharing your unparalleled talents as a writer for the past two years, Avery for sticking with me and TCT and always coming through, and Savannah for your creativity, depth of thought, and willingness to take a risk.

To my FHC Sports Report editors:

Thanks to Erv for rising up to take on the challenge of leading others and doing it with consistency, understanding, focus, and talent, and Matthew for always being willing to take on another task and for being one of the most impressive leaders I’ve worked with in 27 years of teaching. 

To my TCT editors:

Thanks to Lynlee for understanding my point of view, sharing your point of view, educating me on so many topics, and doing so with grace, humor, kindness, and empathy, all while leading and motivating 35 students who think the world of you, and to Abby for being a shining light in so many people’s lives—including mine—because of your willingness to focus on everyone but yourself; your people count on you and you consistently provide love, motivation, and inspiration.

And, special thanks to…

Alex and Rachel for making a point to stop by to say hello most mornings, Grace, Olivia, and Emmalyn for the morning visits that always make me laugh, Holly for your positivity and care every time you visit, Owen for always stopping by to see how my day is going and to talk about the NBA, to Daniel for your thoughtful email that made my day, Gunnar for keeping in touch, 

To my family:

To Meg for 25 years of wedded bliss (for me) and for always putting the wants and needs of the three men in your life before yourself, and Jordan and Tyler for making me so proud to be your dad and allowing me to stay by your sides as you both pursue your dreams.

And, to my English department colleagues: 

Thanks to Kristin for taking on new challenges with a smile, John and Tony for the camaraderie and stories and friendship (it really means a lot to me), Anne for being the right person at the right time in the right place, Tobin for willingly teaching anything and everything, Sarah for setting the tone by giving the freshmen a positive and interesting experience in their first year, Lisa for excelling and motivating through multiple challenges, Robbin for your loyal and long-term friendship with Meg and me, and Kelli for being my “roommate” on the other side of the portable wall for a few years and always seeing the big picture during the little challenges.