Dear student teacher,
As your mentor teacher, I would be
remiss if I didn’t end our year together with some words of wisdom as you make
your way into the “real world.” This was
not the ending that any of us had planned, and yet, here we are.
Let me start in saying that the work
that you did this year made an impact on our students. Although our time was cut short, you made a
difference in the lives of our students. Whether it was a funny book, a memorable
lesson, or heartfelt discussion, you will be remembered.
Some things have been on my mind
about the ending of this year and I wanted to share some thoughts that I have
about our year together.
You got to know our students on a
personal level. You took the time to
listen to them, hear their stories, and find out their likes and dislikes. You connected with each one of them to find
out what makes them tick and how to engage them in learning. You adapted your lessons to meet their
individual educational needs. This made
it all the more heartbreaking to have such an abrupt end to our time
together. You didn’t get to carry out
all those fun lessons that you had planned.
You didn’t get to see them as end-of-the-year learners. You didn’t get to experience the entire depth
of the learning process from beginning to end.
You came in as a quiet observer in our classroom and transitioned to a
leader and teacher before our eyes.
Where you should have been showered,
in those last days of May, with handwritten notes from students, thoughtful
coloring pages and gifts to start your own classroom, instead you were sent
quietly and alone to collect your belongings in an empty school. An empty
classroom. There was no fanfare. No
tearful goodbyes. No final hugs. No last days of school as their student
teacher.
While I am sorrowful for the way
that this school year and experience ended for you, I also have to remember my
role as your mentor. I have to reflect
and point out what you have learned from this experience. What WE have learned.
You were able to witness and be a
part of a transition in education that we have never seen in history.
You had a front row seat to see how
a collective of educators, staff, administrators and community can come
together in a time of crisis to meet the needs of our children and families,
whether it was books and supplies, food, technology resources, or a shoulder to
cry on.
You got to experience an immense
amount of pride for our profession as educators as we shifted to online
learning with little or no training, planning, or resources, all in a matter of
days.
You were able to get involved in
learning how to stay connected with your students and families when we couldn’t
be physically close.
You got to practice how to conduct
online learning meetings with children that are not accustomed to using
technology in this way.
You were able to see our community
of teachers take action to make sure that our students’ educational, social,
and emotional needs were being met.
You learned how to participate in
online groups, virtual meetings, and social emotional pick-me-ups that brought
us together as a school and community.
I could sit here and rattle off all
the things that you missed out on due to school closures, but I think we should
focus on the bigger picture and the lessons learned. While you may not have been able to finish
out the school year like all the student teachers before you, you have been
gifted with a once in a lifetime experience. You have learned a lesson about
the humanity in teaching. That is, how
we care for our students, unite as a community, and give from our hearts;
because that’s what teachers do.
I wish you the best of luck as you
begin your career in education. I am
confident that you will take all the things that you have learned this year and make
an impact on a whole new group of students in your community. Just remember, we will never forget you and
all the things that you taught us.
Your mentor,
Mrs. T
You have matured as a writer, a teacher and a woman. This is not a criticism of who or what or how you were before. It is an observation of how much you have grown, how your world view has expanded, and how your own observations have become deeper, more expansive, more thoughtful. Keep writing, love.
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