In August 2000, I began sixth grade. For some, this is the start of middle school; for others, the end of elementary school. For me, it was the end of an experience.
See, I went to a magnet school with only three grades, 4th-6th, and I was in a program that saw me with the same teacher all three years. Ms. Turner is still one of my favorite teachers, we're even friends on Facebook. She was a true personality, a queen - literally, instead of a pointer or a ruler to, uh, point out things on the whiteboard, she had a stuffed glove covered in glitter with a deep red velvet cufft, the handle of which read, "QUEENIE." So close were we, she even got me an audition with a local high school for a part in their production of Mame; I was offered the role of Young Patrick on the spot, but it was canceled before rehearsals even began (it was said the teenage main cast had behavioral issues).
Of my writing, she was a great encourager, editor, and critic. She streamlined my fiction but also tried to set me free from the confines of conventional storytelling. I remember once when I turned in a direct Star Wars parody for a creative writing exercise, she told me it was funny, clever even, but so structured, I had missed the point of the exercise, which was to let the pen roam and the mind run free, that is, stream of consciousness. Funnily enough, it was also her class that taught me the importance of outlining before writing, though that was the standard for the grade. Still, it was her personal touch, the notes in the margins, the praise for some aspects, the tsk-tsks for others...look, every teacher I've had encouraged my writing, but she was the most instrumental in shaping it.
August 2000, then, was the beginning of the end of an important chapter in my life. This would be my last year with her. Middle school brought more good teachers, and high school still more (including a drama teacher who showed me how to translate what I learned to playwriting, directing, and producing).
Funnily enough, my two rewatches are about the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year:
