To my former high school teacher that I aspire to be one day,

I never realized how much of an impact you made on my life until I walked back through the doors 2 years after I graduated.

After I graduated I never thought I would return to high school, I never expected to walk through the front doors again. But, when I did I was greeted with warm smiles and welcoming hellos. It was then I realized I never truly thanked you for making my four years of high school so memorable.

Thank you for inspiring me to be a teacher and never doubting my potential.

You always pushed me to only ever give 110% with everything I did whether it was my math quiz or decorating the halls for homecoming. You showed me what it meant to find potential in every you meet.

Thank you for treating me as an adult.

Because of you, I learned what it meant to be respected and how easy it is to show respect to everyone. You allowed me to learn and grow academically and professionally. It showed me you respected me even when I did not deserve that respect.

Thank you for creating a learning environment I wanted to be in.

Because of how much you cared about your students I wanted to come to school (most days). You made an effort to encourage learning in a way that made it fun. You made your rooms warm, welcoming and safe. Even today (2 years later) your rooms still feel as welcoming as they did when I was a student.

Thank you for becoming a teacher.

I feel so blessed to have gotten to experience your classrooms. As I am learning being a teacher is not easy. Thank you for sticking with the ups and downs of education. I appreciate the fact you chose to create an environment that was inspiring. You have dedicated your life to changing the lives of others and there are no words to describe how much I appreciate you for that!

Sincerely,

A former student