Make your teachers proud

It is a delightful moment for every teacher when students acknowledge and appreciate the contribution of their teachers towards their progress and achievements. Students often express their gratitude in multiple and unique ways. The fervour increases at Teacher’s Day celebrations when they participate in skits with great enthusiasm, write thoughtful speeches, sing melodious songs and put together engrossing dance programmes to make their day special. A few also paint beautiful artwork and craft lovely cards that the teacher could keep as mementos long after the student has graduated from the class. This Teacher’s Day, one such teacher has drafted a letter for her students. She explains how her students could express their love and respect for her, not just on Teacher’s Day, but how they could continue to express their gratitude to her throughout the year and even long after they have graduated from her class and their school.
My Dear Student,
Do you remember your first day at school? Maybe you don’t because you were too little. Your parents felt a range of emotions from being excited to feeling nervous. They were excited to see you in your tiny school uniform looking all smart and cute; with dreams of the day when you would be all grown up and adult, flying out of their nest to achieve dreams of your own. They surely felt butterflies in their tummies at having to leave you at the doorstep of your new school all by yourself, amid several kids and with a teacher whom neither you nor they had ever met before. They surely worried endlessly till you returned, and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw you running back into their arms with a smile as bright as sunshine and with stories of your first day at school. Your first day at school was certainly amongst one of the most memorable days for your parents, and certainly a life-changing experience for you.

But did you know that there was a teacher who was equally thrilled to see you on your first day of school? She had been planning this day and the rest of her sessions and the semester with you weeks in advance. Just like your parents gushed over arming you with all the things that you would need in your school like a lunch box, water bottle, school bag, uniform and endless other details. Your teacher had been planning her class, her lessons, her crafts, her timetable and endless other activities just to ensure that you would enjoy learning and doing the various activities that she had planned for you all throughout your semester. Did you know? No matter how many times she may have previously welcomed tiny kids to her classroom on their first day of school, no matter how many times she saw those kids grow a year older and turn into students who graduated from her class, every year would continue to be special to her in her own way. Do you know that she could do it all over again with the same energy and excitement year after year in a heartbeat?
Your first day at school was certainly amongst one of the most memorable days for your parents, and certainly a life-changing experience for you. But did you know that there was a teacher who was equally thrilled to see you on your first day of school?
Did she tell you that she still remembers your giggles and your cries? Did she tell you that amongst the various memorable teaching experiences with you, her favourite would always remain the day when you gradually let go of your fear of leaving your parents behind and had begun to trust and love her? Did she tell you that her heart skipped a beat when you mistakenly called her “Mumma”, and that you made her day exceptionally happy when she realized how excited you were to see her after your long summer break? Did she tell you that her heart always swelled with love when you tried to hug her with your tiny arms, when you made those cute and colourful cards for her, even when you came to visit her after you had graduated from her class and even when you remembered her or messaged her long after turning into an adult?
Your parents hoped to see their little baby grow into a knowledgeable and wise adult with a reasonably developed Emotional IQ. Do you know who they relied on to teach you all these valuable lessons and with whom they placed their trust into moulding their precious baby into that gem of an adult? Yes, indeed it was your teacher. Did she tell you that she silently shouldered the responsibility of raising you into a responsible citizen of tomorrow along with your parents?
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Prof. Sherene Aftab is a passionate counsellor and enthusiastic lecturer. Her expertise lies in the areas of personality development, career and relationship counselling and stress management. You can reach her at lifeskillsmadeeasy@yahoo.com