The Last Day of Third Grade

A letter to my oldest daughter's third grade teacher.

Dear Mrs. P,

Thank you for this amazing year. I was nervous, I must confess. Every single day of last summer, S asked me "Mama, did the teacher letters come yet? Did I get Mrs. P? I HAVE to get Mrs. P. She is the best." And all summer long, I prayed for her to get the teacher that would make 3rd grade work. 2nd grade was hard - we transitioned to a new home, a new school, a new teacher all in the middle of the year. I desperately needed 3rd grade to work, and to work well, for her. She's a sensitive girl, my now 9 year old, and I know after this year, you are all too aware of her nature.

I was afraid that if she DID get you as a teacher, you'd never be able to live up to her expectations. Not because you are not a fabulous teacher - I know first hand that you are. Rather, she had you on such a pedestal, that I thought she would be disappointed - that 3rd grade would never be what she dreamed it could be with you. And I was afraid that if she DIDN'T have you, she'd hate 3rd grade from day 1 and it would be a long, ugly year. Not a great option either way, really.

Sitting here this morning, I am delighted to say all my fears were unfounded. Every last one of them. Not only did you live up to everything she had imagined, you far exceeded all those expectations that she held. You helped her to have a fantastic year in 3rd grade.

You encouraged her when she was unsure of her ability in certain subject areas. (Math, anyone?!) And you convinced me to let you push her harder than I thought she should be pushed - that you could get her to love math. To stop hating math homework. To look forward to it, and to believe in her innermost heart that she WAS good at math if only she'd stick with you. Thank you for that conversation we had last fall. Thank you for telling me there would be a few ugly days but you could see the light at the end of the tunnel. You were right! Most days now, she is sitting down for math homework without a fight or a grumpy word. She is excited to tell me when she's done well; when she's mastered a concept. And she can whip out those multiplication tables like she's known them forever. Thank you for seeing the potential there - for making sure that we kept her in the accelerated class and for being willing to watch it so closely. For knowing the fine line between too hard and not enough, and for walking it every day. Thank you for helping her believe in herself.

Thank you for knowing just how to handle her emotions that sit so close to the surface. For hugging her when she was sad. For seeing when she needed that. Thank you for helping to develop her confidence to speak in front of people. I have never seen her excited to present a poster in front of her class before, until you. Thank you for encouraging friendships. She has come a long way since her quiet, tentative shy moments at the beginning of the year. Thank you for teaching her to be kind. Thank you for encouraging her to show compassion and for teaching her to work through issues with her words. Thank you for fostering her curiosity and for stretching her imagination.

Thank you for teaching her, for loving her, and for making third grade everything she needed, even when I didn't know what that was.

Love,
One very grateful mom