If you know a teacher, thank them!

Today was Little Bear's last day of first grade and he was heart broken. In the car on the way home he told me, "I'm really sad school is over. I love my teacher and I don't want to leave her." Then, as an afterthought he says, "But Mom, I do want to be home with you having fun for summer. I just am really going to miss my teacher a lot." This kids loves his teacher. She is really wonderful and has been a huge blessing.

Our lives have been in a constant state of transition and upheaval since we moved. We moved here eight days into kindergarten; school had already been in session for over two weeks here. The movers lost our stuff so we lived in a mostly empty house for about ten days.

Then, my husband, Papa Bear, started work. Before we moved Papa Bear's schedule was nice. He worked early in the morning and was home before 5 o'clock most days. He had weekends off. It was great. We were blissfully ignorant about how much this move would change everything.

After we moved the work trips started. He had not been away from us over night in more than three years and now he was gone a lot. When he is home, his schedule is crazy. He works long days, leaving home before 5am and not returning until 6pm. Then, there are the times he is on the night shift. Our lives have been crazy and unpredictable.

Little Bear's teacher has been one of the few constants in his life these last two years. She has been supportive and encouraging. She has taught him a million and one things. She taught my baby to read. She had him tested and placed in the gifted and talented program. She was hard on him, and he needed that. She empathized when he was sad because Papa Bear was out of town again. She provided one more added sense of stability when my son felt like everything in his life was changing repeatedly.

Little Bear's teacher was not only supportive emotionally, but she taught the kids so much and did it in fun ways. They did really cool projects; they made things from loop planes to catapults, and made solar ovens to cook s'mores. They read books, did math and science, played games, had picnics. They learned to get along with other people. They learned that they cannot get away with anything even when they think no one is looking.

I have always known teachers are worth much more than they are paid. These last two years, I have really realized how much a good teacher means to a child. They can help heal a child's sorrows and bring them joy and courage; they help them grow in intelligence and wisdom and character. If you know a teacher, thank them, pray for them, support and encourage them. I do not know how they do the job they do, but I know I will be forever grateful to Little Bear's kindergarten and first grade teacher.