Recently I was surprised by a blast from my past in the form of an email from twitter. A student from one of my first classes had stumbled across our "Wet Floor" joke which led him to this blog. From over 30, yes, THIRTY, years ago, he reached out and said "Thank you" I haven't stopped smiling. He made my old memory churn over and I could remember where he sat, who his friends were and then realized I remember the "good ones". Thank you @lesgray
Ah, the good ones, students and teachers alike. I remembered Mr. Griffiths from my high school chemistry days. I went back to visit him when I was accepted to my PhD program in chemistry. I thought about every teacher I had ever had who had made a difference in my life. I've left it too late to offer my thanks to many of them. My elementary school teacher, Mrs. Wakefield, whom I adored, was one. She told my parents not to allow me to go into teaching because it was a "thankless profession". I am so glad I did not follow her advice. After exploring all the other options available to me, I knew I only ever wanted to teach. It isn't for the money, or the hours through the school year, it is for the students. The delight when they "get it", the connections we make throughout the school year and for the occasional "thank you".
No teacher expects thank you gifts, what profession does? This makes the letters, emails and visits we get mean so much. They give us the impetus to keep going forward, to do more for our students.
I
work with some amazing people, teachers who go the extra mile for their
students again and again. To each of them, on behalf of their students,
who if prompted would say it themselves, I say thank you. Have a great
summer, you deserve it.
