There’s no denying that teachers are difference-makers. Be it positive or negative, teachers are the ones that alongside parents help mold our children.
I have always known this. I think back to all of the teachers I’ve had over the years: the good ones and the not so great ones that shaped my decisions growing up; the ones who pushed me; the ones who showed me love, but also gave me real-life examples of how to show love to everyone no matter the circumstance; and the teachers who could see my potential even when I could not.
I knew teachers were important, but then I had my own children.
As a mother to young babies and toddlers, it seems like the worry of teachers and school systems is far away until it isn’t. Time sneaks up on us so quickly. I never knew the worry one could feel about sending their babies to school until now, leaving them with someone else for a few hours each day. Will they love my babies like I do? Will they see the potential I see? Will they push them, encourage them, and show them through examples of love and kindness?
Then something magical happens. Your child is placed in a classroom where everything just clicks. You feel so comfortable while your child is there. The worry fades, the school year goes by, you see your child bloom and thrive. This was me this year. My family was so blessed with two wonderful teachers who felt like they became family. We laughed together, we worked through issues that came up as a team, and the boys learned so much.
The school year has come to a close and I find myself emotional.
“What is wrong with me?,” I wondered as I flipped through the end of year scrapbook on the last day in the school parking lot while crying. We will be back at the same school next year. My boys are thriving here. Why am I so upset?
Then it hit me.
I did not want the change. I was worried. Will next year bring the same great experience? Will these new teachers help my children grow positively like their teachers did this year?
As a mom, I didn’t want to let this year’s teachers go.
The fear of change for my children had gripped me for the first time. The feeling like I didn’t have 100% control of a situation.
Of course, I know life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it. I know next school year will be great. We will work to make it great, just as we did this year, but as the school year closes, I want to say this to all of the teachers who have made a difference in a child’s life this year:
As a mom, I see you and I thank you. The work you do does not go unnoticed. Thank you for putting a mom’s heart at ease as she drops off her entire world at your classroom door. Thank you for the endless hours of prep and work to shape our next generation. Teachers are true heroes in society. We thank you.
