Story by Julia Gildersleeve
Copy Editor

My favorite class last year, as a freshman, was Profe HB’s Spanish ½ class. It might have stemmed from how I enjoyed his methods of interactive teaching or how I excelled in the subject, two reasons that ironically were related. His classroom was so inviting, and I always looked forward to my sixth period, his class.

Throughout the year, I had been keeping up my Duolingo streak by completing Spanish lessons to make sure I stayed on top of my game in Profe’s class. Well, realistically, some days I just did a quick chess or music lesson.

At the end of the year, Profe revealed how he was planning to leave our district for another job as a teacher elsewhere. Our class was absolutely devastated.

Early in this year, my friends and I sent an email to Profe expressing our sadness about him leaving us and how we were so grateful to have had him. However, it was immediately replied to with a district email, annoyingly reminding us of how he’s completely out of reach.

After Profe left, I started to consistently complete Spanish Duolingo lessons to try to replicate the positive experience I had in my Spanish ½ class.

This year, I have Ms. Suarez for Spanish ¾ in the same classroom that Profe taught in. Her decorations are completely different in personality, similar to her distinct teaching style. Despite being in the same room, my experience has been completely different.

I began to realize how the magic of Profe was leaving me, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Duolingo quickly morphed into just keeping up my streak instead of using it effectively as a tool to complete actual language lessons. I even started several courses such as chess, music, Hawaiian, German, and Chinese. However, the detriment to being overly ambitious was that I didn’t get far in any of the courses.

I lost sight of my original goal of maintaining my Spanish skills and passion for the subject, inspired by Profe. 

The constant notifications reminding me to do my lesson began to feel exhausting and unpleasant, the opposite of the feelings that I was trying to evoke in the beginning. The feed regularly announced my friends’ achievements, and even those of people whom I had not friended.

I was trapped in the course and overwhelmed, and just desperately missed my freshman Spanish class.

I came to the ultimate realization that nothing will revive or help me relive my brilliant experience in Profe HB’s class. I wish I had cherished the experience more, as corny as that sounds. 

Nowadays, even when coming from a genuine place, apps are tailored to be distracting and addicting. In my case, I couldn’t resist straying from my initial goal and tending to my streak instead.

So, I have learned my lesson, but I admit that I’m obligated to continue my streak. It’s unfortunate that I can’t reach Profe anymore.