Best of Dear Teacher/Love Teacher – Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

It is Monday. The start of a new week. It is a fresh beginning. You have arrived at the dawning of something that has never been before…this week.

Sometimes a new week of teaching can feel like coming to a big city for the first time. It is overwhelming. You know about the city and know where you need to go, but stepping on to the sidewalk can make you have to catch your breath at first. It is big. It is here. It is real. You have never navigated these streets before, and now you are here walking them. It can be a bit much, but you keep walking. You keep going. You find your way. You make it through. You make it possible for yourself to get better and learn the places you need to go. You press on until it is not a big deal anymore.

A new week can be very similar. You know what is coming up. You know some of what to expect from the week. You also know that there are new challenges that await that you haven’t been made aware of yet. If it is a big week, like state testing or something of that sort, it is even more daunting. You go over in your head what you need to do, where you need your students to get to, and all that you have to get done. Now it is Monday morning, and you are about to step into those streets. You have to brace yourself and make yourself keep walking.

Deep breath, Teacher. You’ve got this. Step out. Keep going.

You greet the week with all that you have. You have done this before. You have conquered other “big city” weeks. This one will be no different. You will do what you need to do. You will get your students where they need to be. You will take everything in stride and keep walking. You will keep going. You will survive.

This week has nothing on you.

Nothing.

Big cities are awesome. Weeks can seem awesomely daunting. But you are awesome-er. Your awesome is bigger than the biggest city and the most difficult weeks.

You’ve got this.

Step out.

Keep walking.

(c) DearTeacherLT2013 You may use this image only if you link back to this blog and give credit to this blog. This note will be available soon at the Dear Teacher TpT Store. Find notes like this one by following the link.

You are awesome, for real! You are amazing because you do keep going. You know what your students need and you get them to succeed. You are making a difference. Keep walking and keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Today’s “Greatest Hits” are messages that I have enjoyed creating for us. I say us, because sometimes I go back and look at them/read them for encouragement and inspiration, too. I started making the picture notes as a way to send a second message at the end of each day near the end of the school year. I know now that I can’t sustain two posts a day, so the picture messages are weaved into the daily messages.

What has been so much fun is finding new ways to make them. The phrase “There’s an app for that” has never been truer for something! I have found online and tablet apps that let me make fun picture messages to brighten our day or to encourage us.

Because I have started to write a little message along with the picture notes, I have decided to break the “best of” into two lists. Picture notes with no extra message and picture notes with extra messages. Check out as many as you have time for and enjoy!

Just a Picture Message

An Apple for You Because You Are Awesome! (the first picture message)
A Quick Note at the End of the Day (first hand-written note)
Week’s End Note (this was the first “outside of the box” hand written note…really fun to make…gave the post-its to a teacher at my school and she still has it!)
Day’s End Encouragement (the Playdoh note…the picture at the top of the post…really fun to make…my son helped me!)
The Empty Cup (one of the most popular picture notes, and my favorite)
Downhill From Here (really fun to make, too)
Day’s End Encouragement Note (another of my favorites, I put this picture on the post yesterday)
Desktop Time Machine (another of my favorites)
One of the many reasons you are AWESOME… (fun to make)
Encouragement for the tough days… (I like this one!)
Day’s End Poem (a poem for you)
Friday Freedom…Go home, Teacher! (another fun one to make and one of my favorites)
The Writing’s on the Board (yep, this was fun to make, too)
Scraps of Teacher Love (popular one and I loved making this one)
The Thank You Note You May Never Get (this is one of the most popular posts, in the top three)
How Are You Awesome? Let Me Count The Ways… (the last one in my classroom for the year)
A Personal Note to You, Teacher (a letter I wrote to you)
Always a Brighter Tomorrow (after my hiatus)
Wake of Awesome (this is probably in my top five…I have linked to it in posts a lot)
Teacher Superpowers – Super Vision (I really loved making this one!)
As You Face a New Week, Remember… (using a popular internet meme)
Yeeeaaah Buoy! (another one in my top five)
Teach with Ferocity (lesson from a lion)
The Sky is Not Your Limit (the most recent without an extra message)

Picture Note with Extra Message

New Day/New Week (the first picture note with an extra message)
Big Like New York (New York as a metaphor)
Teacher Superpower – Differentiation Control (pancakes and differentiation)
Apple Influence (Apples and your Influence)
Creativity and Cap’n Hook (lessons from Captain Hook)

Which ones are your favorites? Why? Why don’t you go share some of the links? 🙂

You are awesome! I hope you are having a great week! You are making a difference! Keep being awesome and keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

Repeat PS from Monday and yesterday…I have an idea. I want to compile stories about teachers who have made a difference in peoples’ lives. It can be a story or a “Dear Teacher ___________” thank you letter. I want to share them on here and maybe in a couple of other ways (possibly a book). If you are interested, email dearteacher@outlook.com and put “Teacher Story” or “Teacher Thank You Letter” in the subject. Thanks. I am excited about this project! (I will post more details about this soon, but please send your story/letter if you can!)