Most of you don't know me yet, but I will be your special education teacher this year. I'm sure you've already heard some things about special education. I'm sure classmates have made hurtful comments about special education, or about you leaving class to get extra help. I know words hurt. I know it's not as easy as "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me." So, I will tell you that I can't always be there to tell those kids that those words are inappropriate, unkind, and completely unacceptable. Instead, I will tell you this. You are beautiful. You are resilient. You may not understand certain things in school as well as your peers, but you have talents and gifts in other areas that surpass any of your limitations. You may be very artistic, or articulate, or athletic, or maybe you're really funny, or kind, or thoughtful, or a listener, or compassionate. Maybe your musical, or theatrical, or a dancer, or a leader. I could go on and on. Remember your strengths. Remember your gifts. Remember that all of us (including your peers) have limitations. We can choose to let those limitations define us and hold us back, or we can choose to understand our limitations, and figure out what we need to do to overcome them. I urge you to choose the latter. You are not defined by your disability or your limitations. You are defined by your character and by who God says you are and how He knit you together.
People will tell you you can't do certain things, or that you'll just have to accept that you're not going to ever be where your peers are. Don't believe them. They are wrong. You can do ANYTHING if you work hard and trust in yourself. Let's prove them wrong together.
I want you to know how much I care about you. Even though I haven't met you yet, I am already thinking about you. I am already thinking about how I want you to feel when you walk into my classroom. I am already thinking about what your family is like and how I can support you, and them. I am already thinking about how to make every minute of my time with you intentional. I am already thinking about what makes you smile, what you love to do, and how to incorporate those things into my class in a way that makes you feel known, understood, and valued.
I want you to know that every lesson is carefully thought through and prepared. I want you to know that every time I plan a lesson, I think about every child in that class. "What do they need? How can I make them feel supported?" I want you to know that I wake up at 3 in the morning thinking about the lesson that didn't go so well yesterday, or about that one student I am just having a hard time reaching.
I want you to know that I am a person. I have a real life. And I have real feelings. And even though they always tell us as teachers not to take things personally, I still do, and probably will for as long as I teach. Not because I'm too sensitive or haven't developed thick teacher skin, but because I really care about you, and hate when I feel like I have failed you. I want you to know that I discipline you not to make you feel bad, but because I care too much and love you too much to let you settle for anything less than what you are capable of. And I want you to know that even when you are upset with me or don't want to have anything to do with me, I will keep pursuing you. It will probably annoy you sometimes, but I will keep loving you.
I want you to know that I care about you succeeding academically, yes, that you'll make great gains in reading and math... but I care more about what kind of person you are and will become. More than being academically successful, I want you to be someone who loves people well, who works hard, humbles yourself constantly to become better, to be compassionate, to contribute to your community and world in a way that is glorifying and beautiful to Jesus.
I want you know that even if you do not believe in God, that I will pray for you. That I will always ask God to protect you, and that you would know of his heart for you.
I want you to know that after this year, after you move on, I will still think about you all of the time. I will still think about what you are doing, where you are, and if I did as much as I could have to help and support you as a teacher. I will wonder if I taught you the things you needed to know and if you are applying them in your life. Most of all, I will wonder if you felt cared for and loved and known in my classroom.
All of these things, I want you to know.
Love,
Ms. Erin
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