School Daze

September is rapidly approaching as well as the beginning of my second year away from the classroom as a teacher. My husband teases me about getting ready to go set up my classroom, which I traditionally started on the closest Monday to the 15th of August. But, honestly, there is not the slightest urge on my part to return to the classroom.

On the other hand, there is a tradition which I do look forward to continuing. For the past seven years, every August I send a letter of encouragement to those students I have taught who have graduated from high school. Through the years I have lost a few who have moved and left no forwarding address. Each year I hear from many of them. Sometimes there are gaps of a few years between replies. Often there are letters thanking me for the encouragement and telling me how much they look forward to hearing from me in August and at Christmas when I send a greeting their way. These letters and cards are sent the old fashioned way, by snail mail.

Those who know about this tradition of mine are amazed, saying they never had a teacher who did that. Why do I do this? The answer is simple. Through the years of my teaching career I came to realize that many of my students had no one tell them, "I believe in you." I have always and will always believe that each human being is unique with talents and experiences no other human can exactly duplicate. Success is possible for every human being but the key ingredient must be present: knowing that someone besides themselves believes in them.

Sometimes in the hurry of our very busy lives we forget to verbalize to those we love how much we appreciate them for who they are and support them in whatever they choose to do. Say this simply to the one you love without conditions or spoken reservations. We all need to make a habit of not only making affirmations to ourselves...out loud...but also make these affirmations to our loved ones on a daily basis as well.