To My Son’s Teachers :: Thanks For All The Things You Do

To My Son’s Teachers,

I don’t know how you do it. I hear the same thing as a high school teacher, but seriously–how do you do it? How do you wrangle all those little ones? I know this is the end of the year, and you have a million things on your plate with literal days left until summer, so I will keep this brief.

Thank you for the art projects.

I have kept every. single. one. I can’t believe his hand has grown this much in a matter of months! I also want to know how you managed to get him to sit still long enough to create that painting, or was it a multi-day project? Doesn’t really matter because my art wall and heart are both full.

Thank you for the emails and newsletters.

Yes, I am the parent who first skims the newsletter looking for a picture of her kid. But then, I actually do read the thing. I appreciate knowing what you’re teaching in the classroom because it gives me specific questions to ask him on the way home–questions beyond “what did you eat for lunch today?” I know the newsletter is not something required of you, and I want you to know that I loved receiving each one.

Thank you for the celebrations.

Fall Festival, Christmas Party, Muffins with Mom, End of the Year Peace Party. Thank you for all of it. I know the days of cute assemblies are limited, so I am soaking up every moment. Thank you for going above and beyond–these programs aren’t required in your curriculum, yet you do them anyway for the parents and the kids. There are no bonus checks for teaching a group of five-year-olds how to sing multiple songs on cue with choreography, but there should be. Seriously.

Thank you for keeping me involved.

For every list of requested donations, I signed up.  When we volunteered to bring plants for the class garden, my son was so excited to tell me where they were planted. After we sent a donated book, he was so happy the day it was read in class. These small opportunities helped me feel involved, especially as a working mom.

Thank you for loving my kid and keeping him safe.

How do you do it? How do you make sure he plays so hard and has so much fun he doesn’t want to go home? How do you make him feel so loved in a classroom where he is not the only child? How do you find time to teach him his alphabet, handwriting, reading, and being an overall good citizen of the classroom? How can I possibly tell you thank you for such a great year?

Thank you for everything.

Jaime Mackey
Originally from Florida, Jaime has lived in Southern Louisiana for most of her life (so, that makes her a local, right?). She currently resides on the Northshore with her husband and son and teaches high school English. An enneagram 5, you'll most likely find her doing hot yoga solo, on her phone researching a random topic or sitting in the comfort of her home with coffee and a book within an arm's reach.

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