Dear teacher,

I see you learning new technology. Spending hours watching training videos, practicing the platform. Frustrated when it doesn’t work quite right, trying to troubleshoot for your students. 

I see you working all hours of the day. More than you ever have before. Meeting with kids, making new lesson videos, grading assignments. Emailing and emailing some more. 

I see you smile as you meet with students over video chat, hoping they don’t see how sad you really are.

Trying to engage every student. Praying they are learning.

I see you wanting to be in your classroom. To see the children’s smiling faces. To be able to hug them. To be able to teach how you do it best. Missing every day you’re not there. 

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I see you holding back the tears as parents lash out. Yelling that kids need to be in school. Complaining you’re not doing your job. Feeling defeated and unappreciated. 

I see you struggling, but never giving up. Trying to be a positive force in a world so filled with hate. Smiling when you want to cry.

Determined to do the best you can.

I see you at the end of the day, falling into bed exhausted. Worried you’re failing your students. Thinking about the children who are quiet or never seem focused. 

I see you wake up every morning and do it all again. Because of your love of teaching, because you care about every one of your students. Because being a teacher is rooted in your very being. 

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Dear teachers, I know it’s hard to hear us right now. The ones who support you. The ones who think you’re doing amazing. The ones who appreciate everything you do.

Listen carefully and you’ll hear us though others are trying to drown us out. You are our heroes, our children’s mentors. We are singing you praise you so much deserve. 

We see you, and we think you’re phenomenal.