In writing these letters to former students, I want to provide a glimpse of my classroom and inspiration for yours.

Dear Former Students,

What do I hope you remember about me?

I hope you remember smiles and hugs. I worked hard to make our room a safe and happy place.  Even if I was having a bad day or you were having a bad day.  I hope you know that I always loved you.  I hope it showed in what I said and did.  Each one of you was (and is) special to me. You have a personality and gifts that make you unique.  I tried to help you find that best part of yourself.

All those beautiful new school supplies…

I also tried to help you get along with others and learn to share.  We pooled all of our school supplies.  That was initially hard for some of you. You had never had 24 perfect crayons all of your own. As a teacher I had learned that shared supplies last longer. I didn’t want anyone to feel left out.  We avoided arguments over possession and cleaning up. Most importantly, it is hard to share so we worked on that first. When you are grown up, there is plenty of time to possess all by yourself.  But I hope you will always remember to share.