Teachers - Unsung Heroes

TEACHERS - UNSUNG HEROES

Today, I received yet another message from Yudales most loving, most thoughtful, and most devoted teacher from this past year, and I’m just overflowing with awe and gratitude!

I feel like I just have to share it - especially for all those awesome teachers out there, who are about to begin the new year.

I want you to know just how much we see what you do for our kids, and just how much we appreciate you, even though you don’t always hear it enough!!

Yudale’s teacher may have taught him for just one year, and he will now move on to Cheder thank Gd... but the self confidence and inner wealth that she instilled in him, will remain with him forever, please Gd! And I know she didn’t do this just for him - but for every single student in her care.

“Sweet Yudale, tomorrow you will Gd willing begin 1st grade and I’m sure you are so happy and excited...

I am also so so happy for you and wish you tons of success!”

And then, 

“Im really going to miss Yudale, but I’ll try to be strong!”

I’m not sure how she had the time to think about her previous students while she is super busy preparing for her new ones...

But I’m not at all surprised - because this comes after a FULL year of making Yudale feel like a million dollars, again and again and again.. day after day after day! 

It just leaves me so inspired and speechless every time!

When I used to pick him up from school and see his big bright glowing smile.. I knew she must be doing something great! But thanks to the last 6 months of quarantine and online learning, I got to see it all firsthand...

“Honey!!! Sweet Yudale, you are just so special! I’ll tell you a secret.. for the end of the year party I need to give everyone a medal. Yesterday I sat and thought and thought which medal should I give Yudale? For davening, behavior, friendship, sports, art, reading, writing.. ?? You excel in everything!!!!!!!!!

“I’ll keep it a secret- which medal you’ll be receiving.”

And,

“Yudale, the boy who always, but I mean always, makes me happy! It’s just so so fun for me to keep receiving pictures of a happy boy that does amazing things.”

And this one.

“We have a boy in our class who is sweet, loved, smart, and very quick. His name is Yudale and we are so proud of him! We love him! He is so special!”

On Reading:

“Yudale, you read amazing!!! Literally like a 1st grade teacher!”

And,

“Sweet Yudale, it’s so fun to hear you reading the text! You are literally the King of Reading!” 

(No surprise that after this one Yudale told me, “Yes, I love reading! It’s my favorite thing in golus!”)

After sending in his hw after missing some..

“I really missed getting the homework of our class champion! Well done Yudale, who could already be a teacher himself!”

After asking him for “help”, 

“My sweet and beloved Yudale, thank you so much for making the amazing video! ... thank you so so much for all your help!”

After a “mitzvah video-note”:

“Yudale, the boy with such good middos... tomorrow we’ll show everyone what kind of Ahavas Yisroel you have.”

After the baby, 

“Yudale, awesome brother!!! For sure Chana loves when you hold her in your hands! I’m sure she can feel what an incredible brother she has”

And she sent over dinner specifically in *Yudale’s* honor...

And this is just a small sampling! 

She also invited him to her house a few times this year, and the last time - she prepared a special heart shaped cake for him to celebrate his cast being removed!

There’s so much more to say, but I’ll just share one more moment of this year- the one that melted my heart the most. 

A few days before Yudale’s very long awaited siddur party, my husband realized that he had accidentally scheduled a very important meeting in another country for exactly that day, and it was too late to change it. 

I was really worried about how Yudale would handle it, and I’ll admit, I was also really worried about how his teacher would handle it..

Would she be judgmental? Would she ask too many questions? Would she feel offended that it’s not important enough to us? Would she make us feel guilty? Would she try to ask us to change it?

But there was none of that at all!

Her ONLY concern was Yudale’s feelings... And she immediately started thinking of creative ideas and solutions for him! 

She told me not to worry because she arranged for the principal to take the picture with him.. and for her own husband to dance with Yudale on his shoulders...

She made sure the day was happy and special for Yudale - and for his parents;) 

I’m forever grateful to this incredible Morah, and to EVERY single one of my children’s Morahs!

Thank you for teaching my children, for taking care of them each day, and for truly loving them as your own! 

Thank you for giving them not only of your time, your energy, your knowledge, and your skills... but also of your heart and your soul - your love, your values, and most of all, your faith in them, and their greatness!

I hope you know what a REAL difference you make in these kids’ lives - way beyond the time that they sit in your classrooms.

Literally FOREVER.

May Hashem bless you all a million times over!!! 

And may He reward you with the ultimate blessing of the true and complete Redemption NOW!