Tis the Night Before School Starts: Dear Teachers

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Dear Teachers,

Tis the night before school's start.  Backpacks are packed, pencils are sharpened, lunches are chilling and our three little people are in bed snoozing earlier than they have in months.  A corner is turning, and though I’d like to squeeze in a few more weeks of summer, a new school year is before is.  It’s bittersweet.   I’m thinking you feel the same way. 

After years of various versions of preschool and home school, we have three excited children entering public school this year.  And just so you know, we're all in, ready to partner up and step bravely toward agendas and homework assignments.  A learning adventure awaits, right?

You, teacher, are caught in the middle.  You frequently sit in meetings hearing about Common Core standards, time-lines, testing, paperwork, and the latest teaching techniques, but then you also sit on a rug surrounded by a class of expectant small people who don't care much about any of those things.  

It’s YOU they’ll love.  The funny voices you’ll use for book characters, the way your eyes will light up when their answers are correct, and the way you’ll make them feel smart and creative.  They’ll love when you shut the door on school district expectations and act silly with your class.  It’s the way you’ll make them feel, and how you’ll teach them true love of learning.  That’s the stuff of great teaching.  It’s much bigger than standards and scores, but you already know that, don’t you?

You are going to be busy, torn and stretched.  Your classes are large and expectations of you might feel overwhelming. Know that we have big heart for the position you are in and gratitude for the role you play.   We trust that our children landed in your hands for a reason. 

We promise to partner with you and help where we can.  We'll read your newsletter and send in more glue sticks or Clorox wipes when you need them.  We'll try hard to sign all the papers, make sure homework is complete, study for spelling tests, smile at you at Open House, and come in to help when we can.  If we can cut, staple or copy to free you up to focus on planning, let's make it happen.  Also, plan on a few apples, some kid art and some chocolate landing on your desk as well.   We want to remind you again and again that the work you do is valued greatly by this family. 
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Our three kids have much to learn from you between August and May.   

We want them to master math facts, learn letter sounds, find Georgia on a map, identify facts in a paragraph, spell correctly, fall in love with characters in great books and compose complete sentences.  We hope they’re captivated by the hands on wonder of science and captured by history's stories.  

But this might surprise you. We really don't care much about pushing for three levels above grade level in reading or perfect scores on math tests.  We hope their prepared for those pesky standardized tests, but their rank compared to their age groups really doesn't matter much to us. 

Mostly?  We care about their hearts.

We hope they’ll obey because it’s right, not because there is a plastic treasure in a prize box. 

We hope they’ll be honest when they mess up, and not hesitate to apologize. 

We hope they’ll clean up to help you, not because you had to ask.  

We hope they’ll befriend the new kid and the ignored, and share their snack with the kid who forgot his.

We hope they’ll stand in front of the class and be who they were created to be, unafraid to be silly, creative or serious.

We hope they’ll learn that mistakes are part of the process, and perfection is not possible or expected. 

We hope they’ll be brave and try new, scary things. 

We hope they’ll get to make messy art, listen to beautiful music, experience the pleasure of hard work, and get sticky fingers from making crafts. 

We want them to be little, playing chase on the playground, giggling at class jokes and adding smiley faces to their drawn suns.   

We hope they’ll learn to be unshaken when left out by classmates, confident in who they are and Who made them. 

We hope they’ll love putting pencil to paper, not inhibited by the need to be perfect. 

We hope they’ll get lost in worlds found between the pages of well written books.

Away from the guidance of mom and dad, we hope they’ll not waver in their understanding of right and wrong. 

And yes, more than anything, we pray that they'll love the Lord with all their heart, soul and mind, even when at school. 

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I must tell you that our beginning of the year gumption might get sidetracked occasionally by our at home craziness.  This family is a mix of prepared and forgetful.  We promise to do our best, but we'll need grace here and there. 

Also, as much as we'll be intentional and present, we are not helicopter parents.  We believe in consequences.  If the kids fuss over completing assignments or forget to pack a folder, we might step back and let them experience the ramifications.   They are great kids, and we trust you’ll just love their extra special selves, but they are as flawed as their parents.  Don't be afraid to give them feedback, tell us of their weaknesses, or suggest we work on something.    

One thing we can promise.  Just as we’ll be praying over our kids and their school days, we’ll also be praying for you.  Every day, all year long, by name, we’ll pray for you.

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Tomorrow morning they’ll heave their pink, purple and blue backpacks over their shoulders and head your way.  They’re taking steps away from us this August, and taking steps toward independence.  We’d like to wrap them up in bubble wrap, or hold them so tightly that all this growing up would slow down.  But as much as we'd like to prevent summer from ending and time from passing, it is with joy that we watch them changing, blossoming and walking through new doors.   

Thanks in advance for standing smiling and waiting on the other side of that schoolroom door. 

Sincerely,
Their Parents

PS:  We sometimes run late.  Sorry in advance.  Oh, and they might miss a few days.  We've got a thing for road trips.