I wrote this prayer when my younger daughter was entering Kindergarten. Her teacher was stern and scary and I was worried for my little pickle. I didn't want my daughter's bubbly, sunny joy to be quashed by this sometimes mean woman. (I had seen it myself when my older daughter was in the adjoining classroom two years before.) I wrote this prayer but never gave it to the teacher, as I was scared of her myself. Then I realized it's everything I pray to be myself to the hundreds of students who have wandered through my classroom over the past 15 years. I have been sharing this prayer with parents at Back to School Night ever since. Today I share it with you.
To you, my child’s teacher, I offer this prayer:
Please see my child for the beautiful, wonderful, unique soul she is. To her father and me, she is the most precious thing in the universe.
Know that you will have tremendous influence on her, and on her entire life. The lessons she learns from you will stay with her forever. Please choose your words carefully.
Please have the highest of expectations for her. Do not expect less from her than you know she is capable. When she makes mistakes, correct her with kindness. When she gets something right, praise her fairly. In the midst of your tremendous duties and responsibilities, please give her as much individual attention as you can.
Our religion and culture are important to us. Please do not give her any reason to think our beliefs are invalid or
lesser than any other beliefs.
Please help her to form friendships with her peers and learn to treat her classmates with kindness. Please protect her from the unkindness that other children might treat her with.
Please be a resource for her, so that if she needs someone to listen to her, maybe even years from now, she will know she can come to you. When she does come to you, please advise her wisely.
Please remember that her father and I want to be involved in her life and her education. Try not to be annoyed with when we call or email or ask for more details. Be patient with us when we don’t understand why she isn’t getting straight A’s. Know that we are doing our best to help her become independent from us, but that sometimes that is painful for us.
As I pass into your care, and entrust you with, what I love best in the world, I most pray for you, to the best of your ability, to love her.
To you, my child’s teacher, I offer this prayer:
Please see my child for the beautiful, wonderful, unique soul she is. To her father and me, she is the most precious thing in the universe.
Know that you will have tremendous influence on her, and on her entire life. The lessons she learns from you will stay with her forever. Please choose your words carefully.
Please have the highest of expectations for her. Do not expect less from her than you know she is capable. When she makes mistakes, correct her with kindness. When she gets something right, praise her fairly. In the midst of your tremendous duties and responsibilities, please give her as much individual attention as you can.
Our religion and culture are important to us. Please do not give her any reason to think our beliefs are invalid or
lesser than any other beliefs.
Please help her to form friendships with her peers and learn to treat her classmates with kindness. Please protect her from the unkindness that other children might treat her with.
Please be a resource for her, so that if she needs someone to listen to her, maybe even years from now, she will know she can come to you. When she does come to you, please advise her wisely.
Please remember that her father and I want to be involved in her life and her education. Try not to be annoyed with when we call or email or ask for more details. Be patient with us when we don’t understand why she isn’t getting straight A’s. Know that we are doing our best to help her become independent from us, but that sometimes that is painful for us.
As I pass into your care, and entrust you with, what I love best in the world, I most pray for you, to the best of your ability, to love her.
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