Simple gesture
It only happens once or twice a year, but a note like this from a former student reminds me why being a teacher is such a great job.
There are days when the work is discouraging, draining, frustrating...and nights when I wake up thinking about a student who is struggling.
So the occasional thank you goes a long way towards keeping a positive outlook.
In this case helping a student move from Web Publishing I at Tri-C to grad school in Communication Planning and Information Design at Carnegie Mellon University is a pretty big deal.
I'm thrilled to be part of this success, even though my role is relatively minor. Any student succeeds (or fails) because of what he/she does. No teacher—no matter how skilled or diligent—can make this happen. What we can do is encourage, prod, support, challenge, and share what we know.
When good things happen, when you see a spark that you helped ignite glow brighter and brighter, you feel like you earned your paycheck. The thank you note is a very welcome reminder that someone noticed.
[ Visit Loretta's website that helped her gain admission to CMU ]
