Dear Teachers, Thank You for All the Extra Things You Do at Christmastime

Dear teachers,

I know this time of year is especially crazy for you. The weeks leading up to winter break are full of extras.

There are festivities to invite siblings, parents, and grandparents to. You know how important that kind of family involvement and support is, and you’re so often the one who fosters it.

There is crafting and present-making to ensure every student has something to gift to their loved ones on Christmas morning. It is so important to their little hearts to be able to give, and you’re the one who makes it possible. 

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There are classroom parties that involve more planning and creativity on your end than those of us on the outside looking in can even begin to imagine. It warms your heart to see your students smile, and you work tirelessly to help them find that joy.

There is practice for concerts and shows to make sure even the youngest kiddos know the words and motions to the cute little songs they’ll be singing. These are memories we parents will always hold in our hearts, and you want them to be perfect.

There are final exams to give and grade books to update for the first semester—because even though this season is full of extras, you’re still expected to follow along with the curriculum and teach the kids everything they need to know.

There are food drives, tree angels, and fundraisers. Even beyond reading, science, and math, you’re helping to teach your students the arts of generosity and gratitude.

It’s a lot.

So, parent to teacher, I just want to say thank you.

Thank you for going above and beyond to make my kids’ school experience special, especially during these crazy busy months. I know you’re probably feeling ready to hibernate right about now, but you still show up each day with a smile and a heart full of patience. 

Thank you for the handmade ornaments you’ve helped my children make over the years. They are my absolute favorite on the tree, and I know they will always be the most treasured in our collection. With each popsicle stick reindeer and glittery snowman, you’re preserving a keepsake of their littleness for us to hold on to forever.

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Thank you for pouring your love into your students and providing them with the warmth of the season that they may or may not be lucky enough to experience outside the comfort of your classroom walls. You give them a safe space all year long, but there’s something about the holidays that makes that feeling even more important.

Thank you for the magic you bring to our kids’ lives when you introduce them to your favorite Christmas story or drape twinkly lights across the ceiling or hang little stockings with each of their names on the bulletin board.

You bring a holiday spirit to their hearts that we could all use a little more of.

I know it might feel like all of the work you do goes unnoticed at times, but I want to assure you it isn’t. You are an irreplaceable part of our lives, and I know without a doubt that one day our kids will tell their own kids about you with voices full of admiration.

We see you, teachers—especially now. And in case you needed to hear it, you are such a blessing in all of our lives.