A Letter to Goofball's Kindergarten Teacher

 

   I think it's very important for people to make it known when they appreciate and adore someone.  Being a teacher myself, I don't think people say it enough.  So far we have been blessed with awesome people in Goofball's life.  This is a letter that I wrote for his kindergarten teacher at the end of the school year.

 

Dear Mrs. S,

               I sent my baby off to you in September - my baby who is imaginative, compassionate, funny, creative, charming and silly. I realize that he is also whiny, highly emotional and stubborn, but you embraced him, all of him, as that is your job.

               I thought that having taught kindergarten myself, I would have been hard to win over, but you made it easy for my son to fall in love with you, and even easier for me to.  You kept the lines of communication way open, answering calls the same day, and responding to notes that didn't even necessitate a response.  You set the bar high, and now all of his future teachers will be compared to you.

               When my son was having a hard time keeping his emotions in check, you didn't dismiss him as being difficult.  Rather, you set him up to succeed, setting up a program for him, pulling in additional resources and encouraging him along the way.

               I remember once, a few months back, I was hanging around a bounce house with all of the other birthday party parents, and another mother and I were chit-chatting about the one thing we all had in common: our child's kindergarten class.  I commented that even in a very large class, I felt like you really truly knew my child: his strengths, his weaknesses, and you knew exactly what tools he needed to be successful.  She sat across from me, nodding in agreement, commenting, "That is exactly how I feel."  I know that if I felt this way, and she felt this way, that all the other parents must be feeling the same way as well.

               I cannot thank you enough for this amazing gift you have given my son.  I sent you a baby and you gave me a confident and mature little boy.

               I am not good with good-byes, so I will just say this:  I only hope that in three years, as I am sending my little one on the bus for the first time, that when I zip up his Spiderman backpack filled with marble notebooks and glue sticks, I'll be putting on a little nametag with your name on it.

                                                      Love Always,

                                                     Heather (and family)