As a former teacher and a new mom I have a whole new perspective on what back to school means. Before becoming a stay at home mom I taught Kindergarten and First Grade for a combined eight years. So, I have some insight on what teachers wish moms knew before dropping your little one off for the first day of school.

After becoming a mom I now understand on an even deeper level what a big deal it is to leave your child with someone else, even if it is a teacher. For moms, you are entrusting your little miracle, your baby, your greatest gift to another person, essentially a stranger.

Thankfully my background in teaching gives me an understanding of what teachers wish moms knew. My hope is that my insight will make back to school a little less daunting for moms.

Here is what I would love to say to moms with children about to head back to school…

What teachers want moms to know: 

We are just as nervous as your little one (and you).

I know your child is nervous about a new teacher, new class and a new environment. But, just know that they are not alone. Teachers get nervous too. We want to make sure your child feels loved, excepted and comfortable. We wonder if we’ve done enough to achieve these things for your child and pray that we have.

We have prayed for your child.

I can only speak for me (even though I know others who did the same) but when I taught I firmly believed that each student was placed in my room for a specific reason. I would start praying for them before I even knew them. Praying that I would be the teacher they needed me to be, that they would feel loved so that they could learn to their fullest potential and in turn develop a love for school that turned them into life long learners.

We view teaching as a calling.

For the most part people don’t get into teaching for the money (surprise!). Teachers are underpaid, often under appreciated and overworked. So, why would anyone get into this field? It is due to a deeper reasoning. We do it because it’s a calling. We want to make a difference and believe that this is our way to make the world a better place. After all, children are our future! So, rest easy mama, our job is a big deal to us and we are going to take care of your little one.

We know that your child’s needs come first. 

Your child is important. They are why we do what we do and the absolute best part about our jobs! We know that their needs are the most important thing to us when we are at school. We are not their moms but we want them to feel safe and protected just like you would. We are well aware that their needs must be met before your child can successfully learn.

We have worked hard for your child. 

Since Summer began we’ve been thinking about what theme our class should be for the coming school year, what manipulative we need to buy to help your child learn, what type of seating we should do to set your child up for success and how we can make learning fun for each individual student. Your children are on our mind even when we haven’t met them yet.

We are excited!

Most importantly know that we are so excited for the possibilities that come with a new school year! We can’t wait to meet all of our students and form relationships with them that hopefully impact each of our lives forever (for the better of course). Eager anticipation exudes from us as we wait for your child to walk through our classroom door for the first time.

Ultimately know that we do not take our jobs lightly.

It’s what we think about all the time, what keeps us up at night and what we talk about even on our time off. We want to make you and your child proud.

Your Child’s Teacher 

So, there you go mama. You can know that your child’s teacher has prepared, planned and prayed. They are ready and waiting for your child and hoping to have the best school year ever with them!

Disclaimer: I’m not speaking for all teachers but I do know that for the majority this is true!