Every kid goes through school with teachers they love, hate, or don’t really feel a particular way about. I would say every one of these children has had a mentor but not everyone gets the privilege of having a teacher as their friend. I am grateful to say that my first-grade teacher was a oneI had that I knew I could count on, and made a difference for me.

As a kid, moving from school to school can be challenging. The friends you had just made you had to say goodbye to. The area you got to know is now a place of the past, and the comfort you had settling down in a place has ended. I moved two times which made me go to three different elementary schools. Even within those three years there was a period of time in my second grade year that I went to school in Egypt for six months. It took me a while to adjust because being that new kid is never something easy to go through.

When I moved and ended up at my second elementary school, which was the one I stayed the longest at for about four years, I was halfway through my first-grade year. Since this was my first time moving and switching schools, it was a time in which I was really shy, quiet, and afraid of opening up. She was someone I knew I could rely on at such a young age. She made sure every student felt comfortable and was able to do the best to their ability. I recall numerous times her coming to help me out because I was too reluctant to ask for help. She had every one of our birthdays written on a board in her classroom to do something special for every student. I didn’t realize it at the time, but there is nothing more appreciative thea a teacher who cares about his/her students and loves his/her job and she was someone who undeniably did.

The phrase, “It’s the little things that count” made me realize how much this was true when she would do small acts of kindness. There was one special one she did that I would never forget. Towards the end of the school year, she took a photo with each one of her students. With each photo she printed them out, put it in a picture frame, and decorated the border herself with glow in the dark colored glitter. I never had any other teacher put that much extra time to do something for his/her students. This photo has never left my desk until this point. I always look at it when I’m working and remember all she’s done for me and use that to continue through the rough times during school.

I don’t know where you are now or what you are up to, but I know you’ve impacted other people’s lives just as much or more than mine. Therefore, to my first grade teacher, my first friend and my mentor, thank you for all you do and especially what you’ve done for me. I appreciate you and all your hard work and I hope we meet again soon.