Letter to my Second Grade Teacher

Below is a letter that I just sent to my second grade teacher that I wanted to share so all could see what an impact one person can have.  Writing to her was a good reminder to me to be ever mindful of the impact I have on the world so that I can do my best to make it a positive one. 


Just wanted to take a moment to tell you that you are one of my first and best role models for honesty, kindness and helping others.  It is wonderful being friends with you on face book because I regularly get to see that you are such a loving person who is always concerned about honesty and kindness and justice.  You are such a loving soul.  It can be hard to know if our perceptions as little kids are accurate but I have learned that my perception of you was quite accurate.

I don't know if I already told you this story, but when I was in your class, there was a substitute teacher one day and, as kids, we took advantage.  I remember very clearly being in the corridor outside the classroom as the recess bell rang.  I was not yet to the door where I was supposed to be.  I knew, without a doubt, that the corridor was a no running zone but I willfully made a decision to run thinking that the substitute teacher might not know I wasn't supposed to.  I felt guilty but pleased when there was no consequence for my rule violation. 

The next day, when you returned, you received the report from the substitute and were very disappointed in all of us for having taken such advantage of her.  In order to have us reflect on the situation you had us stay in from recess and write about what rules we had broken in your absence and what we thought we should do to make amends.  I was horrified and so disappointed in myself for not having considered how our misbehavior would impact you.  I carefully wrote my transgression and offered that I should miss recess for some given number of days as punishment for having taken advantage. 

Upon completing our papers you had us go around the room and read ours.  As the other kids began to read, I was shocked to hear them write about how terrible everyone else had behaved but that they, themselves, had followed all the rules and tried to help the substitute.  I couldn't believe my ears, having been there myself to witness all the things people had done.  My dread deepened with every passing person as, even though I had broken the rule, up to now I knew that the thing I had done was not as out of line as some of the other things kids had done.  (making fun of other kids, mocking the substitute, disrupting the class etc.)  Now, with nobody admitting their part, I was sure to look so bad to you.  I thought that you would think that I was the only one who misbehaved making the substitute's day so terrible and that you would be so disappointed in me. 

When it was my turn, I had a decision to make.  Was I going to tell the truth, or was I going to tell a story of innocence?  Hopefully it is at least in part about my honest nature but might have been as much about my inability to come up with something untrue on such short notice, but I stood and began to read about my blatant disregard of the rule, my knowledge of wrong doing even as I made the choice and what a terrible representative I had been to the substitute as to what an excellent teacher you were.  I felt so guilty I couldn't help but cry.  I looked up at you, expecting to see deep disappointment, but instead I saw tears in your eyes.  You came over to me and wrapped your arms around me and comforted me, telling me how proud you were of me for being honest.  I felt so loved and cared for and really I understood that having been honest about my misbehavior was the only way to make it right.  I think you still made me miss my recess for a couple of days but it was no matter.  I knew that you respected me and that was way more important to me than recess. 

I just wanted to tell you about that because I could feel how heart breaking it is for you to see a world with so much mistrust and so many instances of focusing on the negative and ignoring the positive and often telling nothing but lies.  In the midst of it, never forget that you are not a person who does that.  You are a model of honesty and kindness and just as you taught the value of honesty to me, so did you teach it to thousands of children.  That is your legacy.  That is the the stone you threw in the water of life that will ripple on for years, through generations, because values like that get passed on. 
Just wanted to remind you that with you, and people like you in the world, it is not really as bad a place as some want to make it seem.  Love and compassion cut through it all regardless of what people say.   

With much love and admiration,
Mat