Dear Teacher: End of the year letters to high school teachers

Dear Mr. M,

My son will be starting college in the fall as an Environmental Science Major with a Minor in Art. Over the past 2 years you’ve shown him the connection between the world of science and that of art. Not just that, you’ve also shown him that through science and humanity all things are possible, all things inspire, all things are important – as long as it is based on truth and knowledge and understanding. You showed your students that being curious is a good thing. You opened up worlds full of possibilities mixed in with those cold hard facts and formulas that they must learn (or else.) You’ve made a difference, not just for my son but for hundreds of teens. They will change the world – and that is a good thing. Thank you.

Dear Ms K,

All year long I had to hear my daughter complain about you and about your class. Every evening she would describe the Bedlam type conditions in a room full of insane psychopaths and deviants and sex fiends. And there you were trying to be warden for these kids. Yes, there were a handful who wanted to be there and wanted to learn. Their grades might not reflect the fact that they did learn. At the same time my daughter was complaining about you and your curriculum she was also bringing up topics for discussion such as the comparison of presidential speeches or mythology or poetry. She talked about the books she claimed to hate reading (you have very different tastes.) The more she talked about you the more I told her that you were an amazing woman for teaching that class full of horrible monsters every single day. And you got through to kids. They don’t know that yet.

One of my most popular blog posts was written about you. It was called Thank You For Pissing Off My Teenage Daughter. I could have emailed it to you but I thought it was better not to. You might have taken it the wrong way. But that said, thank you for staying in the battle and for educating your students – even the monsters.

Also, please don’t edit this letter. I know it is making you hurt due to my fast writing and lack of correct grammar today. I know I have no excuse. Just thanks for sticking in there for the kids who want to learn. Thanks for trying to get through to the kids who don’t want to learn. That is all.

Dear Mr S,

Thank you for taking over from a marginal strung out teacher mid semester and taking over another out of control class full of rude young people. My daughter thanks you too. You told the sexist kids to shut the F up and you tried to keep control in the class. I swear I don’t know why you teachers are put in such a battle zone. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that you’ve done an amazing job. I told the principal that she needs to hire you on perminately. She’d be a fool not to.

Dear Ms A,

My children have not only learned another language from you – they’ve learned another culture and a new view of the world. Thank you for bringing Spanish alive for them. Thank you for making the class more than memorizing. Thank you for making a different kind of grammar interesting. They don’t just know a different language, they know that despite the language that we’re not that different from each other.

Dear Mr. J,

My child hates math. But she likes you and has requested to have you as a teacher for math next year. She said you’re the best teacher according to the students her age. She hated you at first but then she realized that she really just hated math. I appreciate the communication and resources you’ve shared with the students and teachers. The fact that my otherwise A student didn’t fail your class is a good thing. Maybe next year she’ll shine. Just a note: Some kids need a little extra coaching from the teacher because they never “get it”. Hint hint.

Dear Mr. G,

The Night Coach post is not about you. In all seriousness the kids adore you. Good job. You’ve gotten them up off of their butts and maybe helped build some life long fitness habits.