What the Best Teachers Taught Me
Of all the years I spent in education, my time as a second-grade teacher holds a special place in my heart. There is something wonderfully special about seven and eight year olds. They are curious, imaginative, resilient, and still believe almost anything is possible. The children I taught during those years became some of my greatest teachers.
Every summer, I would say goodbye to my students, hoping they would remember at least a little of what we had learned together. Then, years later, something wonderful would happen.
Former students would come back to visit.
They would be 17 or 18 years old, getting ready to graduate from high school. They had grown taller, their voices had changed, and many of them looked almost like strangers. But as we talked, they would often say the same thing.
"Second grade was my favorite year."
Every time I heard those words,
I smiled.
Not because they remembered me, but because they remembered how it felt to belong.
It didn't seem to matter whether they had been the student who always raised a hand, the child who struggled with learning, or the one who sometimes found school especially challenging.
What they remembered wasn't a spelling test or a math lesson.
They remembered the friends they made.
They remembered the art they created.
They remembered how they felt.
They remembered feeling welcomed.
They remembered feeling accepted.
They remembered that someone believed in them.
Those visits taught me something I have never forgotten.
Children may not remember every lesson we teach, but they rarely forget how we made them feel.
Over more than 30 years in education, I've worked with children from many different backgrounds and with many different learning needs. One lesson has remained constant.
We never really know everything a child is carrying with them.
There may be challenges at home, worries they haven't shared, or learning differences that make school feel harder than they let on.
That is why I have always believed that every child deserves to be met with patience, kindness, and the belief that they can learn.
Today my classroom looks different than it once did, but that belief has never changed.
Whether I'm working with a student who is learning to read, building confidence after a difficult school year, or discovering that they are capable of more than they imagined, my first job is always the same.
To help each child feel seen.
To help each child feel valued.
To help each child believe in themselves.
One Last Thought
When children feel safe, understood, and encouraged, wonderful things can happen.
Reading skills grow.
Confidence grows.
And sometimes a child begins to see themselves in a whole new way.
Those are the moments that remind me why I became a teacher in the first place.
Warmly,
Kathryn
Ready to Learn More
If you're concerned about your child's reading, spelling, or written language skills, I'd be happy to talk with you. Together, we can discuss your child's needs and determine the next best steps.