Yesterday I had a great conversation with the teachers from a nearby Grade K-8 home learner’s school in a neighbouring school district. Out high school usually gets 1-3 students from this school a year and these have been some exceptional students.

At one point we reminisced fondly about some of the really special kids they sent our way, and one of the teachers said, “You know, you always hear about how much a teacher matters to a student and how thankful students are for the influence of a teacher, but you don’t hear enough about how a teacher can learn from and be grateful to a student.”

We all agreed.

There are some kids that make teaching special. They are gems. They stand out and they leave a lasting, positive memory. They enrich our lives as educators and remind us why we love to teach. This isn’t just about a teacher’s pet. It’s not necessarily the kid with the best grades, it might even be a kid that’s a bit challenging to teach… but these one-of-a-kind kids inspire us, delight us, humour us, teach us, and/or influence the way we think about teaching, learning, and building community.

So this is a ‘Thank You’ to those kids. It’s a message to say that while we can inspire you and leave you with fond memories of a great teacher, it works the other way too, and you can be a positive influence, admired by your teachers. Thanks to those special students that don’t just go through our classes but also send positive ripples through our lives and the lives of students around them.

One-of-a-kind kids whom we will always remember and be grateful to have taught.