letter to teacher – Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

This is it! Can you feel the excitement? There is electricity in the air. The sun is brighter. The colors are more vivid. The world just seems right! It is a new school year!

This is what you live for. This is what you do. This is who you are. You are a teacher!

Seriously, what better time of the year is there?

Your classroom looks amazing. You and the other teachers at your school are buzzing about all of the wonderful new ideas you have had and learned about over the summer. You have fresh supplies in your room…and not a pencil is missing yet!

Administration is happy. They are presenting the new goals and thoughts about school culture. PD makes sense right now! You have heard quite a few times about how awesome your plans for the year are. You feel supported completely (not that you aren’t later in the year…it just feels like more support now).

Oh, and I have failed to mention the students!

If they aren’t in your classes yet, they soon will be. They are ready. They are excited to be back. They can’t wait to meet you or are very happy that you are their teacher. They are expecting great and wonderful things. They want to learn right now! Aha moments are happening all over the place!

And the parents love you. They know you are going to make a difference in their children’s lives. They are ready to help from home and support what is going on in your class. They are happy to give their children over into your care (because they have a fresh understanding of what it is like to be a teacher because the kids have been home all summer).

Everyone is on the same page!

This is the sweet spot for us, Teacher. This is our time to shine. Enjoy this time. Take it in. Savor it.

The memories of now are what will help get you through the slump that comes later…but don’t think about that. Just bask in the glory of now!

Build those relationships with the staff at your school. Share your new strategies and plans. Help out another teacher in working through what they want this year to look like. Write some notes of encouragement to yourself and others for later in the year when it is not so great.

And take every possible moment that you can to connect to those new students of yours. It is worth it. Don’t let trying to get too much content covered here in the beginning get in the way of that. It is the relationship that matters. Build it now while it is the best time for it. The soil is ready. Plant the seeds of connection so that you will have something to expand upon and grow later.

This is your time, Teacher.

This is your moment.

Let your awesome shine!

And, Teacher, you are awesome! I truly mean that. You are an amazing teacher, and this is going to be the best year ever for you! Keep on reaching those students and making a difference! Oh, and keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

PS…I want to close with a video that was share with me. It was created by Remind (something I definitely want to tell you more about later because it is even more awesome than I thought!). This video captures what I was trying to say today in an awesome way. It really shows what being a teacher is all about…especially here in the beginning of the year. Please share the video…it so needs to go viral! Teachers need the encouragement from it and the world needs to see what being a teacher really means. Enjoy!

Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk, Perseverance, Reason for Teaching, Reflection

It’s Grow Time

Posted on January 2, 2015January 2, 2015 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Happy New Year! And so a new one begins, huh? I am not sure what this school year has been like for you so far, but you have a fresh start to the second half. What are you going to do with it?

I can’t help but think of a new year as a seed. It is something that is up to you on how it will grow. Like I teach my students whenever I teach my unit on plants, seeds stay dormant until they have the right conditions to grow.

I moved into my current classroom and curriculum three years ago. In one of the drawers, I have many as a science teacher, I found a bag of beans. I had no idea how old they were and decided not to use them….until this year.

This year, I went a little “grow crazy” during the plant unit and tried to plant as much as I can using the big grow light set-up we have. I remembered those seeds. I did the germination in a damp paper towel thing, and despite the age of the seeds, they still germinated!

I planted them, watered them, and let time and nature do the rest. As I said, I grew several things all at the same time. I was disappointed that, though many things flowered, nothing came to fruit…or so I thought.

Another teacher came to observe in my room and we got talking about my plants and how the plants flowered by nothing else. He knows a lot more about growing than I do, and he started looking through them. And he found something…on the bean plants. He found little bean pods. Not only did they grow, they produced more seeds! I was disappointed in the size until some students and I started looking through the plants and we found large bean pods! It was a cool moment for this science teacher who is bad at growing stuff!

(c)DearTeacherLT2015 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher)

Though the beans were who-knows-how-old, they were still dormant and waiting for the right conditions to grow.

Why did I share this story?

Teacher, you may have had a rough school year. Not much may seem to have happened for you or your students. You may have seen nothing but seedlings so far…or worse, you just see empty soil.

Do not give up!

You have a fresh start coming up!

Your seeds may still just be dormant.

You just need the right conditions for growth!

I do not know what growth or the right conditions look like for you, but you do. What will it take to make that happen? What do you need? What do you need to focus on?

Stop whining about what is going wrong this year and work on what is going right! Give yourself and your students the light, water, and nutrients needed for growth! Reflect, regroup, and regrow!

You can do it!

You know what it takes!

You have what it takes!

It time to get growing!

It is grow time, Teacher!

You are awesome and I know you have what it takes to get things growing this year. You are an amazing teacher. You are making a difference. Don’t give up! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Thank You!, You Are Awesome!!!

A Little Reminder

Posted on December 27, 2014December 29, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

I hope that you have had a restful, resetting break so far! I really do.

As the business of Christmas settles down I know that thoughts of school are starting to creep back in. I know this is true because you are a great teacher.

This is why I am writing to you today. I want to say thank you. Thank you for being a great teacher. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your creativity. Thank you for you!

You are amazing!

You are a gift to your students.

You are a gift to education.

You are a gift to the world!

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

You are awesome. You are making a difference. Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk, Perseverance, Picture Note, Poster/Graphic, Reason for Teaching, You Are Awesome!!!

Ordinary Teaching Makes Extraordinary Teachers

Posted on October 15, 2014October 15, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

I don’t know what kind of day you have had or week you are having, but I want to encourage you. Keep doing those every day things that you do. The every-day adds up. It is the day-to-day that builds into your awesomeness.

You don’t hear “thank you” enough. So let me thank you.

Thank you, Teacher. You do what needs to be done. You are changing the future one day at a time. You are awesome! Never give up! Keep on teaching and turning the ordinary into extraordinary!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note from Student, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk, Perseverance, Picture Note, Poster/Graphic, Thank You!, You Are Awesome!!!

(Unspoken) Words from Your Students

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

You are amazing. You know that, right? You give your students what they need before they need it. Almost like magic!

You work hard. You make choices for the best that students disagree with. You are patient. You are kind. You are nice. Even when you don’t feel like you can be.

You will seldom be thanked…especially by the toughest of students.

They will appreciate what you have done and are doing…one day.

They do not always have the words now to tell you.

So…this note is for you. Here are the words (unspoken) that your students aren’t ready or can’t say yet. They are still true.

Take them to heart. Be encouraged. Let a smile rise to your lips. It is okay. You can feel the pride. You deserve it!

Don’t give up! Do all that you do and keep doing it well. Keep on teaching, Teacher! You are AWESOME!

Love, Teacher

PS…Pass this one one to a teacher that you know needs to hear this! Also, please comment with a story about a time a student has been able to thank you for your hard work for them. 🙂

Cheer Up, General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Note to Teachers, Picture Note, Poster/Graphic

What You Are Today…

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

(c)DearTeacherLT2014 (You may use the image if you link back to the blog and/or give credit to Dear Teacher/Love Teacher)…oh, and I made this using http://www.piktochart.com…check them out, too.

General Inspiration, Hope for Teachers, Mondays, Note to Teachers, Picture Note, Poster/Graphic, You Are Awesome!!!

Big City Monday

Posted on March 24, 2014 by 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

General Inspiration, Get Psyched!, Handwritten Note, Hope for Teachers, Note from Student, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk, Picture Note, Poster/Graphic

An Infographic Note from your Students

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

If your students could make you an infographic note of your influence and the difference that you make, I think it would look a lot like this.

I hope that you realize how much you mean to your students, even though they can’t tell you yet. You may never know your true effect, but you are changing lives and futures. Keep fighting. Keep going. Keep teaching!

You are so so awesome! Please remember that you are today. When the going gets tough, awesome is still awesome…and you are awesome! Keep on teaching, you amazing Teacher! Oh, and share this with another teacher that you think could use this message today. Pass on the encouragement!

Love, Teacher

PS…I am working on a better format of the picture. This is the best I could do this morning because of scanner issues. Sorry!

General Inspiration, Note to Teachers, Pep Talk

Quick Note

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Today is your day. Do what you need to do. You know what your students need. Do what is best for them.

Need to change your plans? Change them.

Need to adjust a teaching method? Adjust it.

Need to change how you are dealing (or not dealing) with a certain student? Make that change.

Do what you need to do today.

You’ve got this!

You are a teacher!

You know what to do.

Do it!

Do it today!

You are awesome. You’ve got this today. Be who you need to be. Do what you need to do. Never forget that I believe in you! You are making a difference, keep doing what you do! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

General Inspiration, Note to Teachers

Added Dramatic Humor Daily (ADHD)

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Dear Teacher/Love Teacher

Dear Teacher,

Sorry for the sparsity if my communication with you lately. I have wanted to write. I have wanted to communicate with you. I have needed to try to talk to you. But there has been so much going on.

How are you? How is the school year? How is everything going? Did you get a lot of snow?

Things have been crazy. Not that crazy is anything outside of normal for the life of a teacher. Actually, I guess I should say that things have been normal. For me only one thing has changed. Perspective. This one change has set my world into a temporary spin, though.

In December (I think), I finally came to terms with the fact that I have ADHD. I have not been officially diagnosed, but I now know it is the truth of my reality. I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (a name for my thinking style that I find completely offensive, but more on that later).

I have been fighting accepting this for years. Everyone was far more sure of it than I was. I do not know why I fought it for so long. There is nothing to be ashamed of. However, I felt like it was accepting a lesser lot in life to accept that I have it.

This self-diagnosis has changed a lot for me. I was pretty sure that I was not “normal” before, but now I am quite sure of it. I do not think like most people. I struggle to stay focused on one thing at a time. I do not have a typical train of thought (it is more like a system of zip-lines). I am not like most people.

I have ADHD. I probably am not thinking what you are thinking. That is it. It is a reality. I have to deal with it. In some ways, so do you.

I am sharing this for two reasons. One is that I want explain about the absence of new posts to the blog. The second is that I want to explain why the topic of ADHD my pop up here from time to time.

Coming to grips with my ADHD has taken up a lot of my thinking “free space.” When I have time to blog, I really have not been able to focus on what I would like to write about. A part of ADHD is the ability to think about more than one thing rather deeply at once (which I see as a strength and not a deficit). I used to be good at that. It is one of the reasons that I was able to write so much here before. I could balance everything in my life and still have extra room in my brain to open one more “app” and be able to write something thoughtful here. Now that app-space is taken up by my analyzing how everything I do could be a part of the “disorder.” Sometimes I can not help what I think about. This is one of those times.

So, that explains that for you. 🙂

Now on to why I might mention ADHD from time to time. Accepting that I have it and analyzing why I do everything that I do has taught me A LOT about teaching. It has also taught me a lot about my students. I now have a special connection with some of my hardest case students because most of them share the diagnosis of ADHD with me. I have been able to understand them better. I have been able to see their strengths and weaknesses. I have been able to help them better work with themselves and start to control their thought life better.

There is something cool about that, though.

I have found that if it works for my ADHD students, it works for all of my students! It has been a really cool progression over the last couple of months. I really want to share some of what I have learned.

In closing, I want to ask you to be patient with me. Please don’t give up on the blog! I will be back. I will get back into the swing of things soon. Hopefully, as I come back from my ADHD journey I will bring back some helpful thoughts and ideas to help you be a better teacher.

I hope that all is going well for you! I hope that you have been able to recover from the missing school days if you have had a slew of them like me. I know that you are probably doing great. You know why? Because you are awesome! Please keep being awesome! I know you will because you are amazing! Keep on teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: