“The influence of our teachers is indelibly woven into the fabric of our lives.” This is the first sentence in chapter 1 of Julie Schmidt Hasson’s book Safe, Seen, and Stretched in the Classroom. As I was packing up my family’s belongings from a weekend trip, I was listening to Sean Gaillard’s #PrincipalLinerNotes podcast where he highlighted Julie’s book and her research around the impact of teachers. That inspiring conversation led me to reading more of Julie’s words where she goes on to ask the question, “Is there a teacher you remember? Not just the teacher’s name, but specific things about him or her?” I paused, and thought deeply after reading those words. It is because my answer is yes, there are many teachers who have left that magical everlasting impact on my heart, provided me with sound advice and mentorship, and paved the way for the person I am and the person I am still striving to be. 

In my upcoming book, I mention a few of the teachers who saw leadership qualities in me when I didn’t yet see them myself. I also now recognize that the greatest teachers I have ever known have a special kind of magic. They take the time to see you as more than their student, but as a human being who has the potential to make an impact on others in the future.

The Epicenter of Learning

I left the classroom many years ago, and until this very day, I can still feel the grieving and empty feeling of not having students to call my own. It is the kind of feeling that makes your heart pound and twists your stomach into knots. The thought of not being students’ number one, makes me feel sad at times. I always viewed the classroom as the epicenter of developing powerful relationships, learning, growth, and transformation. Each classroom within a school community is a special haven that is bubbling with curiosity, wonder, and joyful learning. Each one is filled with its own special stories, inside jokes, and is made up of a network of unique personalities. Being a classroom teacher can be hard. It can be stressful. It can be emotionally draining. The responsibility can just be exhausting. But, after many years in education and having served in different roles including teaching assistant, classroom teacher, reading specialist, instructional coach, and building and district leader, I am now certain that the classroom is one of the most magical places on earth!

Kidwatching as a Window

I can remember special qualities about most of my students because I always made a commitment to building relationships. With all of the formative and summative assessments, I was required to administer “kidwatching”, a term I learned from the book, Kidwatching: Documenting Children’s Literacy Development by Yetta Goodman and Gretchen Owokci was my priority. I always knew that watching the way children think and learn proved to be meaningful time spent and was a window into their worlds. I studied their words, their actions, interactions, reactions to everything, and everyone around them. I would jot down EVERYTHING and then surprise them by weaving a detail or two into our conversations. To just hear my students say, “How did you know that about me Mrs. Kaufman?” made my heart explode with happiness. I thought about innovative ways I could motivate my students by tapping into their passions and interests. I thought about what I could do to make learning fun despite the rigorous curriculum I was handed to teach. I thought about how I could develop student agency so that the work they accomplished was purposeful and meaningful to their personal growth and development. I thought about the impact, legacy, and stories I wanted to leave as footprints on my students’ hearts.

An Email Surprise

I often think about my former students. I wonder where they are, what they are doing, if they are happy, and whether or not they are pursuing their dreams. I perseverate over whether or not they took something from their learning with me into the real world. I love sharing stories about my classroom days with my colleagues, students in the classrooms I visit, and through my writing. It makes the work more meaningful when I can make those connections. A few years ago, as I was in the midst of answering work emails, I heard the “ping” of another email reach my inbox. As I glanced at the name of the sender, I had to blink a few times and go through my mental filing cabinet to connect the name with the sentiments expressed inside it. It was then that I realized that it was from a former 2nd-grade student who was in my class 10 years prior.

Connecting the Details

Oh yes, it was Ben…how could I forget him?… inquisitive, kind, collaborative, confident, funny, joyful. Not to mention, he was an avid reader who knew where every single book in the classroom library belonged, even with his eyes closed! He could give you a detailed summary and recommendation of any book he read using the most descriptive language and sophisticated vocabulary. He loved to chat with his friends, even when he was supposed to be listening to a lesson… but it didn’t bother me, it actually made me love him more. When he had a thought or idea, he would impulsively blurt it out to me, to his classmates… whoever would listen!  He had the most wonderful, supportive family. I remember his mom coming into the classroom to help me plan wonderful learning experiences for the children.  I remember how kind she was to me which made her endearing personality creep into my heart.  She had a special way of welcoming me into a new school community by leading with compassion and love. She made me feel at ease when I was missing my newborn baby (only 2 ½ months old at the time) like crazy. Ben’s Mom kept in touch with me for years; sending me holiday cards, updates about Ben, the family, their pets, and even sent me funny quotes and well wishes. She would genuinely ask me about how my family and I were doing, “just because”. Years later, when she heard that my community and my home had been devastated in Hurricane Sandy, she generously offered my family her apartment after we lost our home. This student and his family made a powerful impact on my journey and my heart. That special connection and bond will always be cherished. 

The Legacy We Leave Behind

When I entered education, it was never my first intent to endlessly collect kidwatching notes, earn a satisfactory observation report or get recognition from anyone else. What I cared about most was to make it a priority to be a learner, a connector, a bridge that connects relationships to learning. Emails like the one I received from Ben serve as a reminder about why I wanted to be in education in the first place.

It is the footprints you leave in students’ hearts that cannot be quantified or measured in a single snapshot observation, one conversation, or a moment in time. Relationships cannot be memorialized solely by the curriculum you teach, the assessments you administer, or the projects you assign. Be magical this year because the footprints you leave will be eternally imprinted in your heart. They are a collection of interactions and memories that will indefinitely touch the lives of others.