A letter from May 5th, 2021

Dear Future Self, I am almost positive that you are still teaching, since it is what you have wanted to do ever since you were a little girl. Don’t tell me you have forgotten about the little brown haired girl sitting on her bedroom floor, lining up all her “Students” (stuffed animals and occasionally my little brother), to get them ready to learn with you as the teacher. At that very time in your life, you knew you loved the idea of being a teacher. Fast forward to high school, now you’re taking the proper courses and finishing up your internship to earn your 99 hours to finally be certified to do what you love! That fall, you accepted your first job as a Pre-K assistant teacher (just until you officially turned 18). Since then, you have been a lead Pre-K teacher ever since. You’ve made it through every tough drop off, every crazy nap time, every hug, every tough behavior issue, and every graduation. Watching those “babies” you had all year, walk across the stage, shake your hand, receive their diploma, give you one last hug and move on to kindergarten. What an amazing feeling that I hope you never forget. Fast forward to May 2021, you are almost 9 months pregnant with your first child of your very own. Your sweet daughter who you can’t wait to teach and instill all these same values and knowledge into. You hope she will be proud of you in 5 years, keep up the good work. You are an amazing teacher, never lose sight of what you believe. As a teacher, I aspire to always provide a welcoming, safe, nurturing environment for my students to learn in. I want every student to feel like they belong in my classroom, in order to do that I make sure I foster personal relationships with each child and keep track of their personal lives as well. I also strive to keep strong lines of communication with the parents and make sure they feel welcome and included as well. I write and send home monthly newsletters that explain what we are learning about, events coming up, as well as how they can help at home. I strongly believe in parent teacher communication and have observed how it really benefits the students. I also think it allows to children to feel more comfortable in my classroom when they see their parents talking to me and even coming in and participating in certain activities. It really builds a strong line of trust all around. Also, I want to remind you to always be patient with each and every child in your care. You never know what’s going on in their personal lives, be kind and patient. I believe this is so important. Remember that child you had in your first year teaching who ONLY listened and responded to you because you showed him compassion, patience, and spoke to him with respect instead of yelling (like your co teacher did)? THAT is why it is essential to be patient with children, the end result is always better. Children need our patience and guidance, especially at such a young age. I don’t think you will ever get to a point where you feel “stuck” or “bored” in your career, but if you do.. just remember how many times you’ve felt defeated in life. Then you come into the classroom and those sweet little smiles and boogey fingers come over and hug you, and magically all of the outside world disappears. Remember of how a child’s face lights up when you remember to ask them “How did your soccer game go this weekend?”. Remember their face when they finally grasp that sight word they’ve been struggling with forever. Thats all you. Every single bit of it. You love that feeling, even sitting here now you are tearing up writing this letter. That is how passionate you are about what you do. Don’t ever give up on yourself or those children who need you. You’ve got this! Love, Your very, very pregnant self on May 5, 2021.