To My Fellow Educators,
For those of you who are in New York and the Tri-state area, the new school year is right around the corner.
Like…we’re talkin’ Monday, here.
For those of you who teach elsewhere, you’ve probably been back to the grind for a few weeks now.
But, no matter where your classroom is, this letter is for you.
Recently I was out with my two best friends. We’re trying to make more time for one another, and when you factor husbands, children, and careers in the mix, that can sometimes prove to be difficult.
But alas, we are making an effort – and we succeeded! A night out on the town.
Just us.
The ladies.
And it was great.
It was a night of dinner and drinks, and unending laughter.
At one point when we were at our chosen restaurant/bar establishment, a former student of mine waltzed in.
Naturally, I had a panic attack, and immediately put down my martini. And then a plethora of ridiculous thoughts went through my head:
OH MY GOODNESS THEY’VE FOUND ME.
OH MY GOODNESS I CAN’T SEE MY KIDS IN PUBLIC.
OH MY GOODNESS I CAN’T SEE MY KIDS IN A BAR!!!
Irrational. I had a moment of being absolutely irrational. There was absolutely no reason to ignore my student. As horrifying as it was, he was perfectly legal to be in the bar/restaurant. (Yes, I started teaching that young.)
And so I did.
I called his name.
And as old as he had become, for a brief second, this kid was 16 again. And I was still his teacher.
MINNNNNNNNNN!!!!!! He yelled. How ARE YOU?! He exclaimed.
Great, I said. Now tell me about what’s you’re up to…
He went on to tell me about his military career. How excited he was. How much success he was getting…
…and it took all my energy not to start crying. You see, this student was one of my first kids in the Alternative High School program where I once worked. I had been given a job, teaching students from grades 9-12 English and Theatre. They were the students that people didn’t know how to handle. They were the ones that adults just pushed in the corner, hoping they would keep quiet.
Like many of his classmates, my student had come from a broken home. No parental support. Personal bouts with drug and alchool abuse.
There were so many days that this student of mine came into class broken. Sad. Defeated.
There were so many days he came to me wanting to quit and throw in the towel — to give up on dreams and settle for a life he didn’t want.
And now, here we are, years later…
He’s talking about promotions he’s getting with the military, introducing me to every friend he’s meeting out that night.
It’s Min, guys. She’s the greatest. She helped me out so much.
It’s crazy to hear such things, even all these years later.
See, I never thought I was doing anything special or extraordinary — I just thought I was doing what was right. What was needed. What a teacher should do.
So, my fellow educators, I write this letter to you, as you’re coming on a new school year, to remind you of certain things…
…sometimes, it feels like teachers, (and guidance counselors and social workers and school psychologists and principals) are public enemy number one. This is nothing but misdirected blame. Unfortunately, you are in the position of being an easy target. This does not make you the enemy, not for one moment.
…there will be bad days. And that’s OK. Being a teacher does not translate into adopting a Mary Poppins persona 24/7. Teachers are people too.
…the Common Core is the devil. We all know this. The whole country knows this. One day, the folks on Capitol Hill will get with it.
…you are not defined by your scores. You are not defined by anything that the APPR sets out. You are more than a number, and like we tell our students, you cannot be fit into a box.
…hold onto the moments when teaching happens. When the students get it. When you make that connection with a kid that is far greater than anything that you would’ve learned in grad school. It’s those tiny moments of wonder, of trust, of growth, and of compassion that shape the generations of tomorrow. And guess what, you did that. You are shaping the future of this country. And yes, in this country, it is all too often a thankless job. But I promise you, your worth, your mark, and your dedication does not go unnoticed. There are students who recognize that they would not be where they were in their adult lives had it not been for your guidance, your love, and your teaching.
Have a wonderful year, and don’t let the haters get you down!
Live, Love, Learn,