A love letter to my favorite professor

Dearest Keith,

We have been apart for over three weeks now, and I can barely stand it. Yes, the semester has ended, but I never dreamed that your kind Sunday night emails would end as well. I sat in my childhood bedroom during this winter break and wondered where you are and what you are up to.

I can see you in sunny Arizona, visiting your folks in Phoenix. Or perhaps you are spending time with your daughter in Colorado, the two of you exploring the streets of Denver, and of course seeing the new Star Wars movie. All these little things I know about you are puzzle pieces I’ve put together, blurbs during lecture I took mental note of, yet you are still a mystery to me.

That is the thing about college professors, isn’t it? We students spend so much time with you, yet barely know you. We like or dislike you, not based on you as a person in the world, but as a teacher in a classroom.

This doesn’t seem fair, but it is exactly how the institution of education is designed. You opened my eyes to the oppression everywhere, even at school. Teachers, from the time we are small, dominate a classroom. They stand while everyone else sits, they speak while others remain silent, they are the focal point of the lesson. In your classroom, however, the dynamic is completely different… it is completely Keith.

The first day of class was sweltering and the air conditioner in the window of our small room in Science Hall didn’t seem to be doing its job. You waltzed into the room all smiles and understanding and asked, “Is it cool if we leave the lights off?” A resounding “yes” came from the 10 of us sitting at rectangular tables, all facing each other.

What happened next was more refreshing than a cold glass of water in this heat. Instead of setting up a computer at the front of the room and pulling up some cookie-cutter Power Point, you took an open seat at the table with the rest of us and just started a casual conversation. All of your lectures to follow played out the same way, and for that, I thank you.

Keith, you made me feel empowered and capable. I was able to come to thoughtful and intelligent conclusions without the answers being spelled out for me. The intellectual independence you ingrained in me is the best lesson I have received. And you gave more gifts too! Not necessarily the most eloquent fragments of knowledge, but truthful bits from your head and your heart.  I was moved when you ended lecture one afternoon by saying, “You have to realize that people fuck up. And that you fuck up too!” So profound.

I am so glad I opted to take your course, although Geography 301 was not required for my major. The passion you possess for the subject and your compassion for other human beings is unparalleled. Never once have I witnessed a professional educator praise their students as you did. I fondly remember when you handed back our midterm exams, exclaiming how incredibly intelligent you thought we all were. Whenever I am struggling academically, I think of you and instantly feel better. Only you have that affect on me…it must be love. I will never forget the valuable lessons I learned in your classroom, Keith. Thank you.

Yours truly,

Ashley