I got a really sweet thank you letter from a student today.

No, this is not a brag post. It’s just that this kid touched on some things that I think most teachers would find relatable. This is my first year as a high school teacher, and I can’t say things have been going great. I’ve struggled with classroom management, and I’ve been working really hard to improve that. This student was able to see that I’m trying, and that I’m being listened to more often now than I was before. Plus, I got a little bit of a nice compliment from the kid. So, hey, I thought I’d share.<br><br><br>Here’s the letter. I’m changing names.<br><br><br>Dear Mr. Smith, <br><br><br>This morning I thought about writing you a list of everything positive I can remember about you. I want you to know all the good things you’ve done this year. <br><br><br>First, the assignments. You’ve been really good at giving us the right amount of work. We all talk about how the math homework is usually tedious, but I’ve never felt that way with your assignments. I feel like they prepare us for the tests without being too easy or too much.<br><br><br>Second, being nice. You’re a great teacher. But you’re even better at being a nice guy.<br><br><br>Third, things you’ve said. You always try to find the bright side of things. You don’t always have to be nice to us, but you are. You’ve said things like “I know some of you can hear me, and I appreciate that.” or “I know not all of you can do this yet, but I think some of you can.” You’ve also said things like “I’m not going to babysit you all period. I’m going to teach you.” Sometimes it’s hard to focus in your class, but it’s a lot harder when other teachers just let us talk and play games instead of do the assignment. You don’t leave us alone and just sit at your desk; you walk around and check on us and make sure we’re all on track. <br><br><br>Fourth, your patience. In the mornings, some of us have a hard time getting started. You never get upset with us. You never take our lack of motivation personally. <br><br><br>Fifth, your sense of humor. What happened to Mr. Raider this morning? I think he was happy to have that experience as a bad joke teacher. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for Mr. Johnson. <br><br><br>Sixth, your leadership skills. You’re not like some teachers who say “I’m not going to tell you again” and then proceed to tell you again. You’re always calm and patient and firm. <br><br><br>Seventh, test teaching skills. Your tests are really good. You make sure we understand everything before a test. You don’t test us over things we don’t know.<br><br><br>Lastly, things you didn’t say. There are some things that we do that you find out about from other teachers. Some of the things we do might upset you, but you never bring it up. You just let us move on. <br><br><br>I thought about giving you this letter today, but I was going to wait until the end of the year. Then I thought that you probably get a lot of letters at the end of the year, so giving you this now would make it stand out more. <br><br><br>Sincerely,<br><br><br>Amber