To my student

tough times

I had a tough day at school. Like many others, like many of my colleagues around the school, around the world. I wrote a letter to the four kids with whom I’ve struggled with for over a year now. It was more a catharsis for me than any serious attempt to change some very set patterns. The more I wrote, the more I felt the need to cut the words. At the end – these lines emerged:

I am at your service

I am a gift to you society has paid for

(but I am not a thing and I am not yours)

I don’t ask for or need you to like me

(I have other people to do that)

I care more about the person you become than the grade you achieve

I know things you don’t and I’m happy to share them with you

 

I also know that nobody wants to be trashed, abused and ignored

You don’t

I don’t

Your teacher

Image via lifehack.org

2 thoughts on “To my student”

  1. Thank you.
    I am really enjoying digging through your blog posts – in my second round of teaching after years off with my family I find myself thinking very deeply about the impact our profession has. Both ways.

  2. Thank you Nicole. You are absolutely right about the impact we make. Mostly unseen but there, always. Best wishes with your teaching!

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