On Friday, the last day of Teacher Appreciation week, I had the ultimate reminder of the lasting impressions that teachers can have on students.
As I was prepping for the day, a beautiful young lady walked in my class holding her young son. She’s also expecting her second child this summer.
She smiled a beautiful smile and I knew her.
Standing in front of me was a past student. She was in my first grade classroom many, many years ago. I also had taught her charming brother before she came to me.
She handed me her son and he was beautiful. I held her son and carried him around the classroom, watching his eyes dart back and forth with all the colors and shapes before him.
I stood in my classroom holding my student’s son and talked with her about mine.
I explained that her sole purpose is protecting her son and she listened. I didn’t tell her anything that she didn’t already know but I guess I took the opportunity to teach her one more thing.
Anyone who thinks that this is “just a job” shouldn’t be doing it. In reality, this job is only a small portion about curriculum. It’s about relationships.
As teachers, we have a responsibility to build our students up. You never know when a past student will come back and make your day!
Happy Teacher’s Appreciation Week!
My Twice Baked Potato 
What a blessing to see your former student all grown up. My first class of third-graders is graduating from high school this year. I guess I could be expecting to see kids before too many more years. 🙂
I’ve seen some other students return from middle or high school, but I’ve never had a mother return. 😄