From your child's high school teacher...

[Anonymous]

It’s too early to cry but this post gave me the feels .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey. It's Christmas break. Your kids are incredible. This time of year is crazy because they are REALLY showing how much they've changed and progressed. I sometimes can't believe these are the same kids I had on the first day of school.

If you sent your child to school with a gift for me, I appreciate it. Even if it's a Dollar Store mug with candy in it. Even if it's just a card. Even if it's a gift card to a place I don't use, or a pack of my favorite drink with a ribbon lovingly attached to each bottle. The thing is, seeing your high school kid shyly walk up to give me this present was the best thing ever. I love their cards. I am so lucky to be cared for by so many.

Your kids make me laugh EVERY SINGLE DAY. How are they so funny? They are also rascals and I imagine they wear you out because they wear me out in the best way possible.

If your kid's grades are behind, don't get too down on them. They matter but only to the computer. I'm not disappointed in them if they have a D. I love them as a person, they are SO MUCH MORE than their stupid grade.

Please don't make them work too hard over break. Let them sleep, relax, hang out. Enjoy that time with them; I know there's so few holidays left that they're living at home. This is why I didn't assign work over break. Be with your wonderful kids. I will miss them and look forward to when they come back in January.

Love,
Your kid's high school teacher

This is nice, but are you really a teacher? I don't think any high school teacher should be referring to grades as "stupid".

Your reference to the gift cards to places you don't use is random, too. Why even say that?

Ba humbug! Take the nice note in the holiday spirit in which it was intended. Jiminy Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey. It's Christmas break. Your kids are incredible. This time of year is crazy because they are REALLY showing how much they've changed and progressed. I sometimes can't believe these are the same kids I had on the first day of school.

If you sent your child to school with a gift for me, I appreciate it. Even if it's a Dollar Store mug with candy in it. Even if it's just a card. Even if it's a gift card to a place I don't use, or a pack of my favorite drink with a ribbon lovingly attached to each bottle. The thing is, seeing your high school kid shyly walk up to give me this present was the best thing ever. I love their cards. I am so lucky to be cared for by so many.

Your kids make me laugh EVERY SINGLE DAY. How are they so funny? They are also rascals and I imagine they wear you out because they wear me out in the best way possible.

If your kid's grades are behind, don't get too down on them. They matter but only to the computer. I'm not disappointed in them if they have a D. I love them as a person, they are SO MUCH MORE than their stupid grade.

Please don't make them work too hard over break. Let them sleep, relax, hang out. Enjoy that time with them; I know there's so few holidays left that they're living at home. This is why I didn't assign work over break. Be with your wonderful kids. I will miss them and look forward to when they come back in January.

Love,
Your kid's high school teacher

This is nice, but are you really a teacher? I don't think any high school teacher should be referring to grades as "stupid".

Your reference to the gift cards to places you don't use is random, too. Why even say that?

Because there's fights every year over whether gifts are or aren't appreciated or what to get teachers. Just letting you know the thought behind whatever you got was noted. And yes I am a teacher who is also ambivalent about grades. They're necessary for accounting purposes but they're not even top 10 of what I consider most important about school and my students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey. It's Christmas break. Your kids are incredible. This time of year is crazy because they are REALLY showing how much they've changed and progressed. I sometimes can't believe these are the same kids I had on the first day of school.

If you sent your child to school with a gift for me, I appreciate it. Even if it's a Dollar Store mug with candy in it. Even if it's just a card. Even if it's a gift card to a place I don't use, or a pack of my favorite drink with a ribbon lovingly attached to each bottle. The thing is, seeing your high school kid shyly walk up to give me this present was the best thing ever. I love their cards. I am so lucky to be cared for by so many.

Your kids make me laugh EVERY SINGLE DAY. How are they so funny? They are also rascals and I imagine they wear you out because they wear me out in the best way possible.

If your kid's grades are behind, don't get too down on them. They matter but only to the computer. I'm not disappointed in them if they have a D. I love them as a person, they are SO MUCH MORE than their stupid grade.

Please don't make them work too hard over break. Let them sleep, relax, hang out. Enjoy that time with them; I know there's so few holidays left that they're living at home. This is why I didn't assign work over break. Be with your wonderful kids. I will miss them and look forward to when they come back in January.

Love,
Your kid's high school teacher

This is nice, but are you really a teacher? I don't think any high school teacher should be referring to grades as "stupid".

Your reference to the gift cards to places you don't use is random, too. Why even say that?

Because there's fights every year over whether gifts are or aren't appreciated or what to get teachers. Just letting you know the thought behind whatever you got was noted. And yes I am a teacher who is also ambivalent about grades. They're necessary for accounting purposes but they're not even top 10 of what I consider most important about school and my students.

Thank you, teacher, for saying that about grades. My son brought home a D on a math test this week, and he got a big hug and encouragement from me, not disappointment. He has dyslexia and will struggle in school but he's going to be awesome out there in the big wide world when he's "graded" on who he is and how he can make the world a better place. For now, he and I deeply appreciate teachers like you. Merry Christmas!

[Anonymous]

I love and appreciate my kids teachers from the bottom of my heart. Especially the HS teachers. My kid loves all his classes for the first time since he went to 9th grade. The subjects, the teachers and the peer group has been steller - even if the work has increased. I love how HS teachers start to treat their students as almost adults and the class discussions are valued. I love that the classrooms are filled with students who want to be there and every one has found their levels and interests (at least I hope so).

Whatever the reason may be, my child enjoys his school day and for that I want to send a big thank you to all teachers like OP. I also know that they don't expect thanks but appreciate any expression of gratitude. For us, having teachers like you make it easy to show gratitude. My shy HS student should have handed you a card this week. I had offered to take it to school and put it in the mail cubbies for each teacher, but he decided to give it to his teachers. He will come across as shy and awkward because he will likely be the only one who hands you a card, but indulge his lack of grace/smoothness, he is awkward at home too when he wants to give us a hug or show his feelings!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey. It's Christmas break. Your kids are incredible. This time of year is crazy because they are REALLY showing how much they've changed and progressed. I sometimes can't believe these are the same kids I had on the first day of school.

If you sent your child to school with a gift for me, I appreciate it. Even if it's a Dollar Store mug with candy in it. Even if it's just a card. Even if it's a gift card to a place I don't use, or a pack of my favorite drink with a ribbon lovingly attached to each bottle. The thing is, seeing your high school kid shyly walk up to give me this present was the best thing ever. I love their cards. I am so lucky to be cared for by so many.

Your kids make me laugh EVERY SINGLE DAY. How are they so funny? They are also rascals and I imagine they wear you out because they wear me out in the best way possible.

If your kid's grades are behind, don't get too down on them. They matter but only to the computer. I'm not disappointed in them if they have a D. I love them as a person, they are SO MUCH MORE than their stupid grade.

Please don't make them work too hard over break. Let them sleep, relax, hang out. Enjoy that time with them; I know there's so few holidays left that they're living at home. This is why I didn't assign work over break. Be with your wonderful kids. I will miss them and look forward to when they come back in January.

Love,
Your kid's high school teacher

Thank you. You made my day!
- HS kid's parent

[Anonymous]

That sounds nice, but I just want you to grade DD's final that she took this week and post the grade so I know whether or not to punish her since she failed last quarter.

[Anonymous]

That sounds nice, but I just want you to grade DD's final that she took this week and post the grade so I know whether or not to punish her since she failed last quarter.

It's the teacher's holiday, too. Don't be a jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That sounds nice, but I just want you to grade DD's final that she took this week and post the grade so I know whether or not to punish her since she failed last quarter.

Yeah lemme stop enjoying my break to do work and ensure that you can make your daughter's life hell over break.

I'll pass lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That sounds nice, but I just want you to grade DD's final that she took this week and post the grade so I know whether or not to punish her since she failed last quarter.

It's the teacher's holiday, too. Don't be a jerk.

I wasn't a jerk all first quarter when I didn't know she was failing. And I wasn't a jerk at the end of the first quarter when I found out she had and I had to spend two hours at school meetings discussing options that included kicking out of school and transferring her to the school for druggies and f**kups. I wasn't a jerk all of second semester when I set my alarm 40 minutes earlier than I needed to get up for work to make sure DD was getting up early enough to get to school on time. I wasn't a jerk when I repeatedly talked to her about her assignments and helped her carve out time for friends while still getting work done.

Now I want to know if all my hard work paid off. How freaking long does it take to run scantrons and enter scores for the kids who are teetering on the edge?

[Anonymous]

High school teachers expect holiday gifts and cards from their students?

[Anonymous]

Thank you. Please don't be afraid to tell me if my kid is being disrespectful though. i only have a few more years to make sure my kid is a good human before sending said child off to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High school teachers expect holiday gifts and cards from their students?

No. None of us expect anything but some kids bring presents and it is exactly like OP describes. I had one girl shyly walk up to me at the end of class today after everyone left to give me a nice card. I had another student cry because they scored a D on a test and was worried she would never be able to go to college. There are a lot of things more important than grades. I agree with everything the OP said. Happy Holidays to everyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey. It's Christmas break. Your kids are incredible. This time of year is crazy because they are REALLY showing how much they've changed and progressed. I sometimes can't believe these are the same kids I had on the first day of school.

If you sent your child to school with a gift for me, I appreciate it. Even if it's a Dollar Store mug with candy in it. Even if it's just a card. Even if it's a gift card to a place I don't use, or a pack of my favorite drink with a ribbon lovingly attached to each bottle. The thing is, seeing your high school kid shyly walk up to give me this present was the best thing ever. I love their cards. I am so lucky to be cared for by so many.

Your kids make me laugh EVERY SINGLE DAY. How are they so funny? They are also rascals and I imagine they wear you out because they wear me out in the best way possible.

If your kid's grades are behind, don't get too down on them. They matter but only to the computer. I'm not disappointed in them if they have a D. I love them as a person, they are SO MUCH MORE than their stupid grade.

Please don't make them work too hard over break. Let them sleep, relax, hang out. Enjoy that time with them; I know there's so few holidays left that they're living at home. This is why I didn't assign work over break. Be with your wonderful kids. I will miss them and look forward to when they come back in January.

Love,
Your kid's high school teacher

Best thing I've read all day. Well done/said, sir/ma'am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. Please don't be afraid to tell me if my kid is being disrespectful though. i only have a few more years to make sure my kid is a good human before sending said child off to college.

I usually don't have to. I talk to the kid myself and we work it out. The beauty of having a relationship with your students. They get it.