An Open Letter to the Student I Failed

Dear Student, This letter is my open apology to the mistakes I made while I was your teacher.

I am not sure where you are now or what you are doing. My hope is that wherever you are, it is filled with excitement, fulfillment, and joy. I am now a fourth year principal and continue to try and be the best educator I can be. I work around the clock to make an impact on the students I serve. I feel that I have accomplished a lot. However, a mistake I made early in my career still haunts me. I passed the blame on you for your lack of success in the classroom. During your time in my classroom, I tried very hard to engage you in instruction and show you a welcoming environment. You challenged me, rejected work, and seem disheartened. Over the months of the school year, I continued to try and find new ways to reach you. However, you did not respond. I still remember the moment I decided that I had tried everything I could and that it was time for you to decide if you wanted to be successful or not. At this moment, I failed you. I gave myself an ‘out’ and no longer took ownership of your learning. I now understand that you were not in a place to make such a decision about taking ownership of your future. You needed someone to continuously push you and guide you towards the mindset and outlook necessary to see your potential. I failed to ever have you reach this moment. I am sorry for that. I still worked hard to serve you but my mindset was not there. I did not seek out new ways to engage with you. I continued to try the same things that I knew were not working in the hope that the result might be different. By the end of the year, I had completely failed you. We worked well together but I did not provide the type of instruction, effort, or mindset necessary for you to be successful. Fast forward to today. Since having you as a student, I have learned to never make this mistake again. My purpose as an educator is to make each student a life-long learner. I have learned from our failure with you and have made an impact on many students since then. My mindset is where it needs to be and I know what is necessary to be an effective educator. You have the potential to be a great student. Your intelligence and caring nature are two of the ways you can make an impact on others. I apologize for my mistakes and I want you to know that I have not made that mistake again.