Dear Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Today is your first day of school, again. Though, I know today really isn’t your first day. You have been at inservices enhancing your teaching methods. Those inservices, which use up your precious classroom time. A time you use to get your classrooms in order. Figure out your desk arrangement and where to sit your new, eager learners even though you nothing about them. A time you use to decorate your walls, bulletin boards and chalk boards. This, I know, is no easy feat. But you’re creative, you’ll have no trouble. Your walls and boards will be adorned with bright colors and all things educational. Regardless of the all meetings and inservices, your classroom will be open, ready, and eager for new learners.

Those inservices that use up your precious planning time. You get very little of it in a normal day. So little, in fact, that you often have to come in early and stay late in order to be fully prepared. Not only do you need to determine the lessons to be taught, but you need to find the best method of delivery. Capturing and keeping a student’s attention should be an Olympic event. There are meetings to be attended. There will be papers to be graded and report cards to be done. There will be phone calls home and notes written. There will be concerts to prepare for. But for now, it’s all you can do to just be ready on this first day.

I have a dream that one day teachers will be the role models elite athletes have become. Kids will want to collect teacher cards, not baseball cards. A teacher’s rookie card will be worth thousands. Especially those who have dedicated your life to teaching. Year after year, you return with the exact same enthusiasm and vigor your new students bring with them on that first day. One day, it will be teachers like you who land million dollar contracts. One day.

So, as you start your first day with new group of children, remember, one of those children is mine. He might be a bit stubborn. He might gravitate toward a behavior slightly less than ideal while following others doing the same. He may loathe writing. But he is our child and we love him dearly. Meanwhile, we will remember the extra, unpaid hours you put in. We will remember he is not your only student. We will remember that chances are good you have your own child you would rather be with instead of working.

Here’s to a great first day and to a great year ahead! And that glass of red this evening to unwind from this hectic, crazy, exciting day.

Sincerely,
A parent who understands

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