To Ms. Diskin:
Where do I start with this letter? It was just like it was yesterday. I remember I had just moved roughly two hours away from my hometown in Short Hills, New Jersey. I didn't know what to expect moving to the overwhelming and grand state of New York. What would the people be like? Would my new teachers like me? Would I make friends in school? The numerous questions I had kept on circling through my head in a vicious cycle.
Honestly, I was scared of what was to come. Although, you changed everything for me. And, thus, you made me realize that everything was going to be OK in the end. You were there for me each and every step of the way. You are the reason why I strive to not only become a teacher, but to become a leader in the foreseeable future.
I was (and still am) an individual who deals with her learning issues on a daily basis. Whether it's my ADHD or my weaknesses understanding math equations, school in general comes extremely hard to me, and to grasp various concepts is something I struggle with an immense amount. You taught me how to push through. You taught me that everyone struggles, that it's a part of life.
Thank you so much, believe it or not, for those practice worksheets on how to write script letters, or I would be lost to this day if someone asked me to sign my name on a simple receipt! Although college is an amazing time and I have made such strides over the course of my lifetime thus far, to this day I still message you with all the stress I deal with in accordance to my academics, and you always have the right thing to say in order to keep me in a calm and stable state.
Beyond the academics, you are there for me to vent to when someone or something is bothering me in life. Your kind words, and nonjudgmental mindset is something that I have and always will appreciate. An enormous smile arises out of me when I see that you have responded to my small posts online to you in regard to how much I miss seeing you and how I would love to spend time and catch up.
One of the key highlights of this year was meeting up with you over winter break, talking about my future plans, and even going out of your way to explain to me how getting a job as a teaching assistant works. You always have my best interest in mind, another thing I appreciate more than words can describe.
You have always been someone that I have, and still do, look up to. You are someone who genuinely cares about her students and their successes both inside and outside of the classroom.
You want to see everyone achieve their goals, and you are never out to make someone feel bad about themselves. You are a patient and extremely understanding woman. These are traits that I have picked up from many influential individuals in my life, but you have most definitely made a significant impact in this aspect. I hope one day when I hopefully begin to teach, that I can be just like you. I hope that my students will be as appreciative for me, as I was and still am for you and all that you have done.
When I think of you, I think of a rather warm and welcoming soul. When I didn't know anyone, you took me under your wing. You sat my class down the first day I got there in a circle on the carpet, where everyone said their names and a fun fact about them. I remember wearing tie-dye forest green, light pink and white "So-low" pants, when those were still in style, and saying that my fun fact was that I was from New York.
I mean seriously, what else was I going to say at age 7 and had just moved? You helped me make instant friends, and ones who I still keep in touch with. You wanted to see me happy and content within your classroom. Thank you for giving me the confidence to branch out and meet new people now on my own as an independent young woman.
So, lastly, I would like to leave you with this. I hope it warms your heart, as much as it does mine, that you have made such a large and positive impact on me. The fact that you are my inspiration to become an educator and help children when I am done with college is something that is truly amazing. And, as Bob Talbert once said, "Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best."
Thank you so much for all that you have done!
Sincerely,
Ally
