1. Your kids become “our kids”!
Every school year brings fresh new faces to sit in our classroom. And every year we feel the same way – your kids become “our kids”. We love them, wants what is best for them, think about them when the school day is over, worry about them…… When you hear a teacher referring to the kids in the classroom, you will hear that very teacher calling them “my kids”. We truly feel that way. And just because you leave our classroom to move to a new grade doesn’t mean you stop being “our kids”. Once “our kids”, always “our kids”.
2. Sometimes, we make mistakes.
Like all humans, we are just that…. human! Sometimes, we make the wrong call. We will occasionally make a grammatical error in an email or newsletter we send out. Sometimes, our voices may raise because we get frustrated too. You will not agree with everything we do, but we always have your child’s best interest at heart.
3. We don’t have an expense account.
Did you know that most teachers spend $2000+ every year of their own money on their classroom? No, we don’t have an expense account. But we want our kids to have amazing lessons, remember the fun things we teach, and have fun along the way.
4. We don’t get paid over the summer.
One of the most common things we hear as teachers is, “You are so lucky! You get your summers off!” Yes, that is true, but we don’t get paid over that break. Most teachers that I know are contracted for 185ish days. Those are the days we are paid for. Yes, summer is amazing to spend with our families though!!
5. We love breaks just as much as the next guy!
When you hear a teacher say they are excited for summer break, or Christmas break, or spring break, etc…… It has nothing to do with us not loving your child. We love those breaks because we can spend them with our own families. We are not saying “I can’t wait for summer to get away from your child!” In fact, most teachers give up parts of their summer to continue their training through conferences to be best prepared for the next school year. And we spend countless unpaid hours before the school year starts getting our classrooms ready! But we do love the break…. The break from being on a strict schedule every day. The bathroom breaks whenever needed throughout the day. The break to spend at home and recharge.
6. We can’t just be sick.
Even though we do occasionally get sick, we don’t just get to lie in bed and be sick! Sick or not, we have to have lesson plans ready for our kids coming that day! Many times an hour or two before the day starts, you might spot a super sick teacher driving to school, getting everything out and ready for a sub, and driving back home.
7. We get first day jitters too!
Most teachers I know can hardly sleep the night before school starts! We get excited to meet our kids and parents! We are nervous that something might go wrong or a detail might be forgotten. We definitely feel those first day jitters!
8. Kind notes mean the world to us.
Unfortunately, our day is not all filled with rainbows and hearts. Some days are hard, like really hard….. Believe it or not, we get many unkind notes and emails every year. And while we try to develop thick skin, it so hurtful. But let me tell you about something you can do to bring joy to your child’s teacher. Write them a kind note or email. This takes minutes to do, but it will make our day. Most teachers keep a file of kind notes. That way, on those not so great days, we can whip out a kind note to remind us why we teach!
May the beginning of your school years be blessed! Send prayers up for those teachers in your lives. We will be doing the same thing for “our kids”!
