Letter to My Kids’ Teachers

Dear Teachers,

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate what you do for our children. And I hate the fact that you do this important work for a small percentage of the pay you deserve. I hate that, in addition to preparing our children for further education, adulthood, college, and careers, you also have to worry about standardized tests and job security and school shooters. I mean, seriously. In what kind of world does this make sense?

And yet, I am falling behind on my commitment to you. I can’t keep up with the emails and the volunteer requests and the donation requests. I don’t respond in a timely manner. I haven’t been able to stay on top of my kids and their assignments and I haven’t managed to teach them to be responsible enough to keep up with their own work or get enough sleep every night or practice regularly.

You are there for us every day.

I keep failing you.

I’m so sorry. I will try to do better, but, to be honest, I’m struggling with the little I’ve managed to keep up with, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to do better.

It’s not because I don’t care or don’t notice or don’t appreciate what you do; I do care and I do notice, and I am eternally grateful.

So please accept this feeble apology and please don’t judge me too harshly.

Thank you, thank you, thank you forever.

A school assignment from one of my kids (dated March 15, 2016, but mostly still true). Translation: “My favorite food is bananas. My favorite thing to do is sing. I do a lot of talking.”