Day 12-To Teach is To Touch Lives Forever

Many of you who know me, know that I just completed my very first year of teaching. It was an incredible year, which I will always remember. I learned lessons that no college class could have ever taught me. My students ended up being the best teacher I could've asked for. I don't have anything to compare to, but listening to other adults in the building and working with my students, I was told and somewhat believed that I had a "challenging" class. Like every teacher, I had students with varying abilities and it was a challenge to meet the needs of each student. I also had some behavior issues in my class. But, I made it! 

Toward the end of the year I started to get pretty emotional. I just couldn't comprehend that I had worked so hard with these students and established such a great relationship with each of them, and now they would be leaving, and I would be getting a new class. This is still something I am having a hard time understanding, but it's all part of the cycle. I remember when I decided to major in Elementary Education, my mom telling me that teaching was one of the few professions where you were allowed a fresh start. She explained that after a year of work, you could see the impact you had on each student, see how you helped, and then start all over again and how rewarding it truly is. I'm not sure I understood exactly what she meant until the end of this school year. I remember looking at each of my students on the first day of school and thinking to myself, "Are they sure I can handle this?" "Has there been some sort of mistake?" "Am I old enough to teach these kids?" and many other similar thoughts were rushing through my mind. By the end of the year I looked at each of the students and saw the growth that had occurred. This growth would have occurred with or without me, meaning the physical change, but I also saw an intellectual change a personal growth. I started hearing my students quoting things I had said throughout the year. It was such a rewarding feeling! One of the sayings that I said throughout the year was, "I can have all of the confidence in the world in you! But, if you don't have confidence in yourself, then who will?" By the end of the year I could start the quote out by, "I can have all of the confidence in the world in you! But,....and my students would repeat the rest of the quote to me. So neat.  My students gave me a memory book for an end of the year gift, and in it were all of these things I had said throughout their year, and all of these activities we had done that they remembered! I was so honored, and right then I realized how much of an impact teachers make on the lives of students.


On the second to last day of the year, I handed each student in my class an envelope. I wrote my address on the board and told them to write this down on their envelope. I explained that I wanted them to write me a letter. I didn't care when it was, they could be in high school, college, whenever they thought to write it, I was okay with it. I then explained that my address was not to mapquest it and drive to my house, of course I got some laughter out of this, but it was to write to me and give me updates on what and how they were doing. 


Well, today I received my first letter! It was a post card from Milan. One of my students had told me she was traveling there this summer and actually left on the last day of school. I had told her she would have a great time and Italy is truly beautiful. I can't describe the feeling I got today as I sat down for breakfast and my mom handed me a post card. I read it, and thought it was a post card from one of my mom's students (they always write to her!). As I'm reading it all I can think about is why none of my students have written to me yet, but I continue to read it and smile. Then I look at the addressee and wait--it says Hannah Kennedy. I then glance back at the top and it says Ms. Kennedy--not MRS!!! Wait a minute! This post card it to me! I of course go back and re-read the whole thing and I get teary eyed. How sweet?! One of my students is in Italy and decided to write to me!?!? She updated me on everything she saw and how beautiful it all was. She started the letter out with, "You were right Ms. Kennedy Italy is beautiful!" WOW. I don't know how big my smile must have been. It made my day. No need to wait for the rest of the day to happen and to blog about this later, because right now it doesn't matter what else could happen in this day, because this is all that matters to me. I am so happy. I now admire all of the teachers in the world and every little thing they do to build the foundation for a child. I can only hope to be this teacher someday for a student. 


After receiving this letter, I began to think about all of the teachers that had an impact on my life. How are they doing? Would they remember me? Should I write to them? I started brainstorming teachers throughout grade school, high school, and college that made an impact on me. I'm putting myself in their place--would I like to hear from a previous student of mine and how and what they are doing in their life? YES! I would want to hear all about what they are up to. I've decided to select one teacher from grade school, high school, and college. I'm going to write them a letter and tell them how and what I am doing. The only challenge I foresee is finding the right person, with the right address. I will accomplish this task by the end of the summer. 


Have you thought about your favorite teacher? Why don't you write to them and tell them how you are doing? The ball is in your court.

The post card

Here is what she wrote, I had to white out her name--but isn't she sweet??