Dear Teacher on the Last Day of School

As the school year winds down, it's always amazing to think about how far your students have come, the things you've experienced together, and what the future may hold. In the last episode of season 1, Martha shares a heartfelt open letter from students to teachers.

Transcript

An open letter from your students.

[Upbeat music jingle]

Welcome to episode 20 of Primary Paradise Teaching.

DEAR TEACHER AT THE END OF THE YEAR

Dear Teacher,

The school year is winding down to a close, and whether or not I’ve let you know it, you’ve become a very important person to me. You’ve acted as more than just my teacher over the last nine months, and our time together has helped chart the course of the rest of my life. In addition to my teacher, you’ve been my stand in mother, my nurse, my counselor, my encourager, my protector from the big, scary adult world, my cheering section of one, and my friend.

I may not know that you’ve spent countless hours thinking about me, my academic growth, my future, my social well being, my struggles, and my individual needs as a human, but I will remember the smile on your face when I finally “got it”. I’ll remember how you could make me feel like a million bucks with a “high five” a “nice work” and a hug.

I never realized how much time and effort you put into planning every single lesson during our 180 days together, but I’ll never forget that really neat science experiment, that silly song you made up to help us remember those new vocabulary words, and, of course, that day we got to eat treats and learn at the same time.

It may not have always been easy for us, teacher. I know sometimes I showed you my very worst. You see, I couldn’t explain some of the complicated thing that are happening in my life and head that I don’t fully understand. So, I might have acted out and lashed out. Big feelings in little bodies are just so difficult to deal with. But, even in your frustration, you responded in love and tried your best to help me. I’ll never say thank you for that, but you showing me love when I needed it most will have an impact on my ability to love, trust, and show compassion and empathy in the future. It has helped mold me into better person, and will have more impact on my life than any academic lesson ever could.

I’ll never know just how tired you are at this point in the year because you’ll never let it show. You will continue to love my my classmates and me until that final bell rings on the last day.

As you give me one last hug before you send me on my way, I’ll hug you as tightly as I can with my little arms wrapped around your waist. I’ll tell you that you’re the best teacher ever. I might tell you I’ll miss you so much, and then I’ll run off happy as a clam to the freedon summer has to offer. I won’t realize that you’re going to continue to think about me and wonder if I’m okay during the break, but that final hug will be one last reminder of the way you made me feel all year long.

I may not see you ever again, and you may never know what I become, but in 10 20, 30 years from now, as I reminisce about my past, your name will come up. I’ll smile and chuckle and share some of my favorite experiences in your classroom. For just a moment, I’ll remember how you made me feel and wonder what happened to that teacher who made such a huge impact on my life when I was just a child.

Love,

Your Students