An Open Letter To Parents

Dear Parents/Guardians,

     As I sit here, reflecting on my first parent-teacher experience, I want to share the following thoughts that have been infiltrating my mind more and more. First, I would like to thank you for sharing your children with us:
- for allowing teachers to have the opportunity to be a part of their lives...
- for allowing us to witness their personality and appreciate their quirks...
- for allowing us to be there on the good, bad, and out-right crazy days...
- for allowing us to be a part of their development (academically, emotionally,
  etc)...
- for allowing us to be there as they experience new things...
- for allowing us to be the ones that are there when you can't be...

     Secondly, I would like to say that there nothing that teachers want more than for your child to be successful (in all areas of their lives, not just in our subject-area). Everything that we do, day-in and day-out, is to assist us in making sure that our students are not only learning the content of our subject but are learning necessary skills to be life-long learners and be successful in whatever situation they chose to pursue.

     With that in mind, it breaks our hearts to have students who struggle in any of these areas. To have a student who is struggling in our subject area, who is not reaching their true potential, or who is maybe experiencing a difficult time in their lives, are not situations that bring us joy by any means. It seems, however, that there are students and parents/guardians out there who believe exactly the opposite.

    I recognize that there are an infinite number of possibilities that can explain why your mindset is as such. I ask you, however, before you enter the classroom with an attack plan, please try to recognize that the person on the other side of that desk wants your child to be just as successful as you do...