It's that time of year again. The staff lounge is overflowing with fatty, empty calorie treats in appreciation of teachers. I told my friend that the best thank you would be a bigger paycheck. Oh well.
In our staff meeting today, our head of school challenged us to write a thank you note/email to a teacher that made a difference in our life. Come on, you know we all have one!
Mine didn't come until college, and thank the heavens he came along. I still get teary eyed thinking about the impact he had on the course of my life. I wrote him an email tonight:
Hi Dr. Birrell,
Remember me? Emalei Smith? :) In our staff meeting today, we were asked to think about teachers who made a difference in our lives, and my thoughts turned to you.
Thank you for being so passionate about what you do. It was contagious, and I think I caught it! Thank you for believing in me and instilling a confidence in me I had never known. Thank you for allowing me to go to Washington DC. It was there that I fell in love with kids and with teaching. I know I wasn't that great of a teacher back when you knew me, but I really believe it was your faith in me that has led me to where I am now. I think I am finally becoming confident and "good" at what I do. I'm going on 8 years of teaching now, and I still love it more than ever. Being in your class really changed my life. I have you to thank for my love affair with teaching!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Emalei
So, come on. Do it. Email your favorite teacher. Track them down and let them know that all the hard work and little pay, in the end, really paid off.
4 comments:
My first grade teacher, Mrs. Quigley, already knows how much she is loved. But, it makes me want to get in touch with her... it has been too long.
Dr. Birrell was an inspiration to every student who I've talked to about him. What a spark he lights under your hiney! It truly is contagious.
On a side note, you WERE an amazing teacher in DC. I heard your name so many times as they listed examples of showing love and a personal commitment to our students. I'm sure you have grown as a teacher but you started out as pretty amazing.
I wrote my Home Ec teacher, Jo Klarich, 2-3 yrs ago to tell her what an impact she'd had. I subsequently had lunch with her when I was in Washington in 2007. We still stay in touch, as recently as within the last two weeks.
Thanks for the reiminder.
Hi Fabio... how did you find our blog?? Good to see you!
Christina and Don
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