Dear ICSD Teachers,
As the season of Christmas approaches, I often take some time to reflect. And this year you have been on my mind quite a lot. The Tattler is a student-run newspaper but it’s not just for students—I know plenty of teachers who have read our work and encouraged this little paper, so I think it’s time we finally expressed our thanks.
My classmates and I often groan and gripe about having to attend school, and it’s true that some of us don’t take full advantage of the opportunities provided. Thus, it feels necessary to issue some acknowledgement of all you do for us, of which we are too often ignorant or ungrateful. Students may believe that they have a pretty clear picture of what it’s like to be a teacher. But in reality, most really don’t have a clue. Yes, many of us work hard and stay up late into the night to complete our homework, but we have never had to be held responsible for the performance of students who may or may not even care about our class. The pressure of this must be enormous. In my opinion, only a very special kind of person can be a teacher—someone who is always thinking in the student’s best interests and not their own.
The untold hours of thought, preparation, and sweat that teachers put into nourishing a student’s mind with knowledge that they may only see the value of later in life—don’t go unnoticed. I would not be the person I am today without the support of many great teachers throughout my life. I would never have learned to play jazz, to write essays, or to understand the intricacies of history without those educators who challenged me and lifted me to greater heights.
This past year I have often been struck by the fact that you don’t get to move from class to class and immerse yourself in different courses of study throughout the day. Students often complain of monotony but I can hardly imagine how much harder it must be for you, who have to teach the same subject or lesson for several class periods every day. It takes a person who is deeply passionate and invested in their field of study to muster enough energy to come to work every day and teach kids who may not even be listening. But I want you to know that some of us are, and some of us care.
My admiration for you is boundless. As we near the holidays I hope you will have a peaceful and lovely end to the year. You all most certainly deserve it. Whether or not you give us homework, and whether or not your tests are hard, we still appreciate you and wish you the very best. May your days be merry and bright, and all your worries out of sight. We’ll see you next year!
With gratitude, Caedmon Sethupathy