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Vodkamom
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I am a teacher, a writer and a very busy mother of three. I graduated from University of Oregon with a degree in Journalism, and then from San Diego...
 
 
 
 

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From One Teacher to Another: Take Care of My Most Precious Cargo

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Students Going to School

As another school year quickly approaches, I wanted to send a heartfelt message to this country's teachers. Okay, I am a teacher, and yes, I get excited about the new school year, but I am, first and foremost, a mom. My message to you is not from the teacher, the friend or the co-worker, but from the mother of the child that will be in your class next year. I am sending you my most precious, precious gift. My children. Let me tell you about them.

My child is the little girl who sleeps with the bathroom light on because she is a little afraid of the dark. My child is the girl who makes sure that the windows are locked at night, just in case. My child is the girl who worries if her clothes match, because the other children will make fun of her if they don’t. My child is the girl whose smile and laughter brighten our lives, but who just can’t keep her mouth shut at school! My child is the girl that no one wants to be friends with because she’s a tattle tale. (Mom, I am just following the rules!) My child is the girl who might be a little sad at school because she lost her only grandpa last year. My daughter is the girl who is afraid to come to school because the other girls tease her and tell her she is too fat. My child is the girl who tripped over the recycling bin, and fell face first on the floor in front of the boy she had a crush on. My child is the girl who collects insects in the summer, identifies their tracks, does science experiments in her room, but hates to read.

My child is the boy who loves to do mental math, but refuses to read a book. My child is the boy no one wants to be friends with because he plays house. My child is the boy who will climb on the roof, fly down the hill on his bike, climb WAY too far up the tree, but is afraid to participate in class. My child is the boy who forgets where he is sometimes, and picks his nose in class. My child is the boy who puts the little orange cones on his chest and pretends they are boobs for all his six-year old friends. My child is the boy who is mad because another boy told him he loved him. My child is the boy who didn’t want to come in from gym, figured it was an emergency, and peed in the woods. Yeah, the gym teacher caught him. My child is the boy who is a little bigger than the other children, a little younger than the other children, and thinks he’s stupid. My child is the boy who still likes being tucked in at night, and wants a good night kiss.

What do I need from you? I need you to make her feel she is special, and an important part of the classroom community. I need you to understand that it is okay for her to make mistakes, be wrong, and that a B is okay! I need you to help her along when she stumbles, fumbles, and makes a fool of herself in front of her friends. I want her to wake up in the morning and be glad that she has something to look forward to, school!

What do I need you to do for me? I need you to tell me what my child is doing at school. Newsletters are great! Believe me, they do not remember anything they did during the day! It might be nice if you give me a call sometime, even if my child is not in trouble. I need you to tell me that no, my child is NOT gifted, but she’s a hard worker, and I shouldn’t be contacting the learning enrichment teacher at home.

Basically, I want you to be all that you are -- enthusiastic, motivating, risk-taking, kind, empathetic, understanding, loving, humorous and compassionate. Most importantly, I want you to please, please

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Sarah@workplayeatdream 5 pts

I love this post. I, too, am a mother and a teacher. I recently wrote about how much more acutely I understand the need for kindness now that I have a child in school (http://tinyurl.com/2ffolzv). Your words are such a great reminder that every student is someone's child.

I write about balancing career, fun, food and daydreaming at http://workplayeatdream.blogspot.com.

TwistedStitches 5 pts

Kudos to you!

Mel~ Is a mother of three wonderful children and a writer/blogger at http://www.mytwistedstitches.blogspot.com

TwistedStitches 5 pts

I LOVE this! What do other teachers think of this as well?I think it is a great idea.

Mel~ Is a mother of three wonderful children and a writer/blogger at http://www.mytwistedstitches.blogspot.com

Beverly Flaxington 5 pts

This is beautiful! When my soon-to-be 6th grade son was going into a looping class (3rd/4th grade), the teacher asked us to write a letter about our children to her so she could get to know them before she had them in class. I sat at the kitchen table one night and wrote something very similar to what you have here. I cried all through it thinking about my wonderful son. The teacher was so touched by it that every single interaction we had for those two years, she would refer to that letter and how much it meant to her. I wish every year the teachers would ask us to write about our children. Maybe they would be a bit more compassionate throughout the school year if they knew more about these little souls.

---

Beverly Flaxington

Author, Understanding Other People ( http://www.understandingotherpeople.com/ )

LionessWoman 5 pts

Even though both my children are grown and done with school by now your post brings me back to the time when i had to offload them on our dysfunctional education system. I still remember the anxiety that came with back to school time. Great post and a great reminder to teachers about the importance of their jobs.

Lioness Womans Club http://www.lionesswomansclub.com

Planet Mom 5 pts

Vodkamom:

Wow. What a great reminder for all who are about to untether our "precious cargo" and send them off to the Land of Books and Pencils. What a terrific way for teachers to peer inside the minds of parents, too. Nicely done!

My "precious cargo" will be entering the fourth grade this year (so I'm not quite as filled with angst as I used to be), however your piece reminded me of how I felt when my twins began kindergarten--so I posted "The Learning Curve" on my blog again. Read it here (http://wp.me/pMTcP-eG) if you happen to have both the time and inclination.

Thanks again for the lovely article. :-)

Planet Mom
www.melindawentzel.com ( http://www.melindawentzel.com )

Alejandra Awad 5 pts

My daughter will start Preschool in September and I have so many mixed emotions and reading your post brought them all to surface.

Alejandra Awad

http://www.formomswithlove.com

j_gumieny 5 pts

So perfectly said! I will have a first grader and a kindergartner this year and find that the thought of having two of my little ones away at school all day leaves me feeling less than excited. The house is crazy when we're all together all day but feels so empty in their absence!
J
www.gfinkfamily.blogspot.com ( http://www.gfinkfamily.blogspot.com )

teacherchat2334 5 pts

I am a teacher, but not a mother. However, I absolutely love this blog post. I will put it in my classroom near my desk to remind myself of how important my students are and how multi-faceted my job is every day. Thank you for entrusting me and the rest of the teachers in this world with your children. We are forever grateful.

vodkamom 5 pts

I still cry when I read this and I wrote the damn thing.

xoxoxox

lisanoel03 5 pts

what a perfect post. I am preparing this morning to send an actual email to both of my boys teachers to introduce myself and them. Although I am NOT a teacher, I've felt that it HAS to help them to know a little about them and our family to be that much more connected to them. Who knows if it really makes any difference but so far we've had amazing teachers who've gone above and beyond for us.

Melissa Ford 5 pts

I bawled so hard reading this -- thank you for writing it. I am so emotional about back-to-school.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).

JennaHatfield 10 pts

I am not a teacher. But this post made me kind of weepy. I loved it. Love it.

Contributing Editor Jenna Hatfield (@FireMom ( http://twitter.com/FireMom )) blogs at Stop, Drop and Blog ( http://stopdropandblog.com ) and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land ( http://thechroniclesofmunchkinland.com ). She is a freelance writer and newspaper photographer.