Dear Teacher,
I hope you enjoy your winter break and have time to rest. I know how hard you work. I also know that my child is just one in a class full of kids. But she is my baby. She will always be my little girl. I know you are helping her learn to read, solve math problems, ask questions, find answers, and make friends. Honestly, I just hope you are helping her become the amazing person that I know she will grow up to be. I know that she sometimes makes bad choices. I know that she sometimes says she doesn't care or that she would rather be outside. I know that sometimes she clams up and doesn't share her feelings and then other times she over shares her emotions. I know that she sometimes knows how to push all of your buttons. She has had a lot of practice doing that at home with us as well!
We just hope that you see her. We hope that she is not just another name on your class list. We hope that you take the time to pronounce her name correctly and take the time to look her in the eyes when you are talking to her. We hope that when we aren't with her during the day, you are. We hope that she is just as excited on the 86th day as she is on the 1st day. We hope that she is not afraid to be herself and that you encourage her risk-taking just like we do at home. We hope that whatever emotion she is experiencing on any particular day, she feels comfortable to share her feelings with you instead of keeping them bottled up inside. We hope you celebrate her mistakes and challenge her successes. We hope you help her develop a sense of pride in who she is and who she is becoming.
You work so hard everyday and have so much responsibility resting on your shoulders. Each child in your class has an army of supporters and advocates in their corner. For some kids it's a small army of one single parent. For others, it's a bigger army of parents and extended family. No matter the size of the army, we know that all those advocates add up to a lot of pressure on teachers to help each little human become the best they can be. It's exhausting just thinking about that. And you wake up every day and welcome that exhaustion. And you probably go to bed everyday thinking about how you have to wake up and welcome that exhaustion tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.
Know that we see you working hard and we appreciate you. And we are always going to wish that our child gets your very best. Because we think she deserves the very best every single day. Thank you for caring for my kid. Thank you for helping her shine. Thank you for recognizing her potential for growth, understanding she is a kid who makes mistakes, helping her become a good human, and for loving her and learning with her through this whole growing up thing.
Happy holidays! Enjoy your winter break. Know that you are making a difference and that we are counting on you to keep going strong. Thank you for choosing this career, which is certainly a labor of love.
Sincerely,
Every Parent
Currently reading:
I finished the book I was listening to, definitely enjoyed it and will certainly take a look at that author's other titles. (My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry) I am also still finishing up Other Words for Home.
I am excited to start listening to Shouting at the Rain by Linda Mullaly Hunt.
I have a giant to be read pile that I am looking to tackle over the winter break. Don't forget about our book swap this Friday. While the students are swapping books in the gym, the adults can get in on the book swapping fun in the conference room. Bring a book, take a book, bring a pile of books, take a pile of books! Hopefully everyone will find something good to take home over the break.
Monday - Flannel and Jeans Day! Motoko visiting Mayo 5th graders, Bedtime Story @ 7:30
Tuesday - Frozen Puzzle Day! UDL PLC @ 8:00, CST Meeting @ 8:30, District K Meeting @ 3:30
Wednesday - Bling it On Day! Patty @ Team Chair Meeting, Motoko visiting Mayo 5th graders,
Thursday - "Lettuce" Celebrate Day! Liz @ Curriculum Meeting 7:30-10:00
Friday - Jammie Day! Paws Pantry, Book swap for students during specials time, book swap for staff in the conference room!
Great things I noticed last week:
- What a pleasant surprise I found on the back of my office door! 1L had created this beautiful kindness tree with so many lovely notes to me. It certainly made my day.
- The Holiday Concerts were amazing! Here's a video compilation of some of the pictures and video snippets from both of the shows...
Check it out:
This interesting video was shared with me last week. Definitely worth the 10 minutes to watch and think about what is important in education...
