I was very apprehensive when my daughter headed off to a large high school of nearly 3,000 students. Now, three full academic years later, I wish I could go back and tell myself that she’s going to have a wonderful experience, in large part because there are may wonderful educators that she would have along the way. I can’t do that, but I can tell those high school teachers how much I appreciate them. Here’s my letter to them that I wrote during Teacher Appreciation Week but that is true every single week of the school year.
Dear High School Teachers,
You deserve more than Teacher Appreciation Day, or Teacher Appreciation Week, because you show up every single day — to a classroom full of teenagers.
You handle the roller coaster ride of adolescence times 120 (or more) students and you help them navigate the twists and turns while making sure they know the the finer points of calculus, physics, Shakespeare, or the Constitution.
While covering complex curriculum, you also instructing teens on character and what it means to be a good human who makes good choices.
As a teacher of teens, you know that they are watching you closely as they figure out who they are and how they will navigate the larger world in the years to come, although somedays they can’t think past the next five minutes, let alone the next class or the next assignment.
You show how one can have standards and expectations while also maintaining a sense of humor and compassion for others.
As a teacher, you impart wisdom and share not only on the knowledge of your topic but also what it means to have morals, integrity, courage, and heart.
Not only do you teach, you also coach, counsel, cheerlead, and challenge. In short, you love your students, in your own way.
For all of that and for all the late nights, lesson plans, department meetings and everything else that parents do not see first-hand, I am, and always will be, exceptionally grateful. Thank you.
Sincerely,
A Thankful Parent
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