Dear Me,

Last week, I had my students write letters to their future selves. The instructions were to write two paragraphs: academic goals for the year and personal/social goals for the year. Yes, I had to spend a good twenty minutes explaining what these words meant. On the last day of school, we would open our letters and see if we had met our goals.

I was copying this idea from my college days, where as a freshman I wrote a letter to myself that I opened right before graduation. And if we are being honest, I felt that this was a great quiet activity for the end of the day. (First week back = rough stuff.)

Then I read the letters.

And then I was reminded of why I love being a teacher.

I will be the first to admit that sometimes I throw the "Teacher Pity Party" (commonly referred to as the TPP.) You know, the "I get paid so little, I work early/stay late, I am on WHAT?! committee, I have to go to WHAT?! on a SATURDAY!?, I have so much paperwork, pretty sure a child just headbutted me" blues.

But then you see a child's honest and rare thoughts. Their dreams of "I dont want to go to the prinsipil anymor" and "I think my techer likes me. I hope she always likes me."

There were serious goals- "i want to be better at sosil stodes."
There were funny goals- "One goal I have is pass the CRCT but that will be easy for me."
There were gross goals- "I want to remeber to brush my teth evryday."
There were non-goals/random information/I did not understand the assignment- "I have 16 feshs. I am 10. I am shy."

All photos courtesy of Pinterest

Nonetheless, what a reminder of the job I, as well as all teachers, have. It is indeed, an awesome and important job. And no need for the TPP today.