Teachers come into children's lives for a brief time period. They build relationships, they nurture, they care, and then, yearly, they move on to a new batch of students, and have to build new relationships. It must be a difficult task, losing touch with students they care about, connecting again with new budding minds. Teachers are transient in our lives, but the good ones leave a significant and lasting impression.
Since I started working for the Ministry of Education five years ago, I have been constantly steeped in effective practices of educators, and am frequently reminded of the teachers that had such an important influence on my life. None had so great an impact as Mr. Caldwell. I have wanted many times to say thank you, and after several failed efforts to find him online, I decided that if I couldn't say thank you directly, I would write him an open letter. I hope that somehow it finds its way to him.
Dear Mr. Caldwell,
As children, we are almost universally unaware of the impact the people around us are having on us. It isn't until later, until adulthood, when we can see with clarity what was done for us, and what it meant. Teachers have the power to inspire young people, to help them choose their path, to show them that someone believes in them. You did all of these things for me.
On Thursday of last week, I co-chaired an all-staff day for my Division at the Ministry of Education, on the topic of Student Well-being. The overarching theme of the day was the power of relationships, and the power of the teacher as a caring adult in a child's life. As I listened to the key-note speaker, talking about the importance of making children feel valued and heard, understood and supported, my mind went, once again, to you, and I wished once more that I could thank you for being an amazing teacher who did everything right.
You taught my sister Michelle before you taught me, and my father said that you were the first and only teacher in all of his years of parenting to give his home phone number to his students and their parents. Michelle had struggled a bit in school prior to your class. One teacher even went so far as suggesting that she needed extra tutoring. You noticed that Michelle liked math, and you encouraged her, and built her up, and made her believe that she was smart. By the end of grade six, you nominated her for the Wellington County mathematics award, which she won, which brought her immeasurable pride. Your belief in her engendered her belief in herself, and eventually, she went on to study math at the University of Waterloo.
When I became your student, you noticed that I was a writer. I wrote for fun and pleasure, and often shared my new stories with you. I re-read them as an adult, and let me tell you, they were pretty brutally bad (although to be fair, I was 10-12). But, you wrote comments in the back of each of them (because I had created a comment section). You read them on your own time. They weren't part of your job, but you read them and encouraged me. You made me feel respected and valued and special, which in turn helped me believe in myself and my abilities. You selected me to attend 'Author Author' without any kind of classroom competition for the right to go (which totally angered my friends, I might add), and in doing so, you honoured my passion and efforts. I continue to write, both for work, as a policy analyst, and as a hobby.
Dr. Jean Clinton spoke on Thursday about the importance of kids who have adults whose eyes light up when they come into the room, who truly care about them. She talked about the importance of teaching children self-efficacy, as well as self-esteem, and how building a relationship with a child helps their brain develop much better. A supportive and caring teacher lowers the cortisol levels in the brain, reducing stress, which makes children more prepared for learning. After the talk, we discussed alternative theories of education, including the idea of continuity of a teacher in a child's life. I told them about you, and how you taught me in multiple grades, and as such, you were able to develop strong relationships with your students. I'm so glad that I had a truly caring and excellent teacher for those multiple grades. I think my outcomes may have been different in life, otherwise.
Mr. Caldwell, you made me feel heard, seen, and respected. When so many teachers seemed to see us as kids, you saw us as people. You treated us with integrity, you built us up, and helped each of us see our own unique gifts. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being an amazing teacher, and for helping me become the person I am today.
With heartfelt thanks,
Ashley
