You were the only teacher who reached out to me after I left school when my brother died to finish from home.

You were also the only teacher who still believed in me, while the others seemed fine with me either dealing with things on my own, or falling through the cracks.

You took my writing seriously, and were passionate enough to take extra time to individually work with me to write my college essays. You even gave me a very personal letter of recommendation.

You didn’t walk into school bringing nothing to the table, expecting students to meet unreasonable expectations, writing off the ones who were struggling. You met students where they were and exemplified what a teacher should provide to students: guidance, individual interest, and a feeling of equality instead of authority.

It may have been a natural instinct as an English teacher, but the impact of your actions were great. Things would potentially be very different if you hadn’t taken that initiative for me. Other teachers weren’t willing to work with transition (which was allowed by the school), and made things a lot worse. You continued to show humanity and understanding while I was finishing your class and after I wasn’t your student anymore.

As the daughter and granddaughter of teachers, I thank you for that. You understand the important parts of your position, and I was lucky to have you at that crucial and difficult time in my life.

Best,

Avery