To All My Students,
You aren’t perfect.
If I’m being honest, sometimes you got on my nerves. I probably got frustrated with you at least once or twice – for some of you it was quite a bit more than that. Then again, you probably got frustrated with me, too. There may have been times when you did dumb stuff. Most teenagers do. You probably turned things in late (or not at all). Maybe you missed a performance or skipped my class a time or two when senioritis set in. Maybe you were the kid who talked through every rehearsal, or the one who walked in late every day, or who never brought the music to class.
Those things don’t stop me from caring about you. You still matter to me, more than you know.
We care about the things we work for. The more effort we put into something, the more precious it becomes. I put more effort into teaching you than probably anything else.
When you struggled to grasp a concept, I struggled to find the best way to teach it to you. When you said you were overwhelmed, I lost sleep thinking through ways to help you feel successful. When it seemed like you weren’t engaged, I revamped my lesson plans to make them more interesting. I read books, created assignments, went to conferences and took classes all to help you learn more and become better. Teaching you is what I think about when I go to bed, when I get up, when I’m driving in the car.
Do you know what makes all that work worth it? You.
There have been many, many days that I could barely drag myself to school in the morning. There were days that I felt like death but still stood up in front of my class with a forced smile and fake enthusiasm. Almost every one of those days I left school feeling better than I walked in. Why?
Because after just a few minutes of seeing you, talking to you, I feel better. You make me smile. You give me hope. Your enthusiasm is contagious. You are clever and funny and kind. You surprise and amaze me with your talents and abilities. You lift my spirits, over and over again.
That’s why from the moment you walk into my classroom, I claim you as my student and you will stay my student forever after. Some of you I only get to know for a few months. Some of you stay in my classes for several years. No matter how long you are in my class, I always wish I had more time with you. After you leave my class, I still think about you and wonder what you’re doing. It’s always a treat to have past students come visit me and tell me about their lives.
When things get hard and life becomes a struggle, remember that you matter. You have family, friends, coworkers, and teachers who care about you and who have invested a lot into your happiness and success. I am one of them. You matter to me. When you doubt your worth and wonder if anything you do makes a difference, I’m here to tell you it does. You will change the world. You’ve already changed mine.
Sincerely,
Ms. Thorup