To all the elementary teachers out there:

Congratulations, you survived another school year! I sincerely hope you enjoy every free minute of summer. Because as a parent who has volunteered a time or two in the classroom, I know you need it. In fact, I really don’t know how you do it every. single. day. In my opinion, good teachers are superheroes.

I say this not because children are terrible. I actually find most rather fascinating, but also incredibly demanding of time and attention. How one person can manage to make a room full of kids feel heard, special, and important is beyond my comprehension. After three years of experience with different teachers, I’m starting to understand just how valuable a great teacher is.

My two boys just finished preschool and first grade. My preschooler had the good fortune to be taught by the same teacher who taught his older brother. She is exactly the kind of woman who you would handpick to introduce your child to the world of academics. She allows them to be imaginative and playful, she is patient, and most importantly she is incredibly kind. She also takes time to speak to you if she has individual concerns or simply to tell you sweet stories about your child from the day.

My boys didn’t start preschool until they were four. Their only babysitters had been close family and friends. Leaving them with someone I didn’t know intimately was challenging to say the least. But from the very first day (granted they were able to meet her and see their classroom prior to starting) both boys were completely comfortable.

I never had to battle tears or pleas for me to stay in the classroom. If I had, I would have totally crumbled. I barely held it together as it was; even the second time around! Fortunately, not only were they comfortable the first day, but for the most part, that sense of comfort and excitement for school lasted throughout the year.

My boys are probably like many typical kids their age-getting them to tell me every detail from their school day is damn near impossible. I have to really dig to get anything more than, “It was good/great.” or “I painted today.” They’re like little miniature versions of my husband and it absolutely makes me crazy. If not for the communication of wonderful teachers, much of the happenings of my sons’ school days would be a mystery to me.

There have beens days when one son or the other has been picked up and they are their usual silly selves. Had it not been for an email or a conversation with a teacher, I would have had no idea that one had a really hard time focusing, or the other was unusually sensitive with his friends that day. Knowing things like this help me to be a better parent, and help my sons be better students and people - knowing they have a team of adults who care for them and want to see them thrive.

If you are a teacher and happen to get my child, know that I will be that parent that communicates with you regularly. Sorry, not sorry. I will also be there to support or help out in any way possible. I have had nothing but positive experiences with this so far, and if you get to spend the majority of my child’s day with him, I’m going to have to be able to talk to you. I know that you are all just human at the end of the day; and I don’t expect perfection from you.

I know there might be quite a few moments when my child makes you want to pull your hair out, and for that, I can only promise that I will do my part in guiding them to be kind and respectful little humans. But they are not perfect either, so I hope you can keep that in mind, too.

If that doesn't work, you’ll probably get a really nice end-of-the-year gift. Silver linings, right? But truly, more than anything else, I hope you can show my child (and every other child you teach) that there are good people out there who can teach them, care for them, and help them when mom and dad aren’t around. It takes a village to raise a well-rounded individual. Thanks for being a part of our village.