First of all, I want to tell you something I know for a fact you don't hear enough: thank you.
I know that lately, so many articles have come out and so many policies have been put into place written by people who really don't know a lot about your job. They don't write the lesson plans, they don't pay money out of their own pockets to buy supplies for their classrooms, and they certainly don't go above and beyond to make sure their students have the best education possible.
You do.
As a student and daughter of a high school teacher, I'm sick of people who don't teach in a classroom trying to tell you how to do your job. I'm sick of people saying that a student not passing is your fault. I'm sick of them overworking yet underpaying you. I'm sick of seeing them take you for granted.
I'm sorry that you don't feel like many people appreciate you. I'm here to tell you that I do.
Thank you for all the extra hours you spent with me after school, walking me through chemical equations and paper formats, over and over again until I could do it own my own. Thank you for every time you let me eat lunch in your classroom because I needed someone to talk to. Thank you for sponsoring clubs and honor societies with enthusiasm, even though it added one more thing onto your already very full plate.
You did what no one asked you to, not because you wanted recognition, but because you wanted your students to do well. But your dedication goes beyond caring about academic success.
You went out of your way to make sure I knew that my voice is powerful and important. You made sure to tell me I was capable of doing anything, and for the first time, I believed it. You taught me to own up to and take responsibility for my mistakes, and to never give up on trying to fix them.
Thank you for taking the time to teach me life lessons not included in the curriculum. Thank you for going above and beyond in every which way. You've made me a better person and more successful adult.
Thank you for everything,
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.
