Often, when you work hard all year, you have no idea if there will be anything to show for it....but you work anyway.
I believe a resource teacher does the best job when they are not really seen by the parents or students. My goal, as a resource teacher is to always be available to both the teacher and the student, but to meet the educational need in the way that the teacher feels the most comfortable. Typically, that's consultative and collaborative. We are more like the backstage manager of a large production. Without the support, the actors and director would find their way through, but with the backstage manager, it's smoother, its better and its the way it should be. Because of this philosophy, parents rarely know that I am a part of the team of people caring for their child. The student and teacher receive the accolades, not the RT.
This week I received notes from parents who saw that behind the stage was someone caring for their child. Someone willing to meet the need how ever it looked. Sometimes it's buying a sandwich, sometimes it's tutoring. Other times it's an email home alerting the parents to an upcoming test. Finally, the caring can look like lending an understanding ear, and spreading the word so that the story only needs to be heard once.
I chose to add these Thank You letters because I believe it's important to celebrate. Would I have celebrated these successes anyway? You betcha! But isn't it fun to hear it from others....and how it inspires me to keep going on this journey!
