I got this email today from a former student. This is what makes teaching the best job on the planet:
Hi Sam,
I never got to officially thank you for spending the time to generously brag about me. I obviously do not know what you wrote for me, but I can only hope that you’ve highlighted my best traits. I have to say that it’s sincerely heartening to have a mentor/an instructor who knows you and believes in your abilities.
Thanks for all the guidance and help you have provided me with me, be it school, work or life. Your positive energy in the classroom still sticks with me today. I am very grateful for that one tech class that opened so many windows for me (pun intended). My website has gotten me freelance work from across the globe!
Appreciatively,
While teaching gets more and more challenging every year, the letter is a good reminder that we change, shape, and influence more lives than we will ever know.