When I was little, I spent endless hours playing “school” with my younger sister. I dreamed of becoming a teacher. Part of this may be because I’ve been surrounded by teachers my entire life -- my mom, her friends, her co-workers, my aunt, my uncle, and pretty much everyone I have ever associated with. However, a large part of my dream of becoming a teacher was fueled by the many teachers I had while growing up. I would like to send out a special thank you to these wonderful teachers whom I have learned so much from.
Thank you for making learning fun. It takes a great teacher to incorporate fun and learning into the classroom at the same time. In your classroom I had fun learning math, the thing I struggle with most, because you incorporated food into the lesson. I had fun learning about Newton’s Laws of Motion because you incorporated hands-on experiments. I had fun because of you.
Thank you for always being energetic. You filled the classroom with energy even on Monday mornings. Dancing around the room, jumping up and down, and using an enthusiastic voice always got my energy levels up.
Thank you for setting high expectations in your classroom. The high expectations you set for me and every other student in your classroom has allowed us to become successful individuals. It is because of you that I now set high expectations for myself and my students.
Thank you for not favoring me. I can say with complete honesty that I was never favored for being a teacher’s daughter or principal’s daughter. I may have been labeled the “teacher’s pet” my senior year, but this certainly wasn’t because you favored me.
Thank you for caring outside of school. You attended my volleyball games, speech meets, band concerts, and so much more. When you missed an event, you always asked how it went. When someone in my family was ill, you asked how they were feeling. You let me know you cared about my life outside of school.
Thank you for pushing me outside my “box.” Until I had you as a teacher, I was shy and didn’t stray from my “normal” self. However, you forcing me to play the ever-so- awkward bench game, give speeches to my classmates, and participate in morning wake up pushed me outside of my normal “box.” Because of you, I have widened my view on so many things, and I am excited to help get my future students outside of their “boxes.”
Thank you for guiding me through college. I’ve been in college for four years now. Some of you haven’t taught me since I was in elementary school. However, you have still played an important role in my college career. You’ve given me advice when I needed it most. You’ve welcomed me back into your classroom to teach your current students. You’ve congratulated me on my success so far. You’ve been with me every step of the way, and I am so thankful to have had you as a teacher and role model.
My dream of becoming a teacher is now my reality. When I walk across the stage to get my diploma on May 14th of this year, I’ll remember how you helped me reach this huge milestone in my life. I can only hope that I will be an inspiration to my future students like you have been an inspiration to me. Thank you for all you have done. I couldn’t have done this without you.
