Dear Ms. Daly,

With it being Teacher Appreciation Week, I was thinking back to some of my favorite teachers, and you instantly came to mind. Six years ago, I was in your fourth grade class at Lowes Island Elementary, and your teaching forever changed some of my primary learning habits that I still use today.

From the moment school began, it was obvious that you had a passion for teaching, and you truly loved your job and your students. Although I took that for granted at the time, I now realize how lucky I was to have a teacher like that.

You certainly pushed our class to higher standards- even as fourth graders. I remember you significantly changed my handwriting. I wrote horribly with letters randomly arranged throughout the page, but somehow by the end of that year I wrote very neatly- no small miracle to my parents.

You also completely changed my test taking strategy. I used to write out my math work on random parts of a blank sheet of paper, but the format you taught us to write scratch work is still the same organized way I use today on standardized tests.

From coloring pictures to writing math problems, you completely transformed me from an unknowingly lazy student to someone aiming for higher standards. You knew we all could do better than we gave ourselves credit for, and you pushed us to that level.

Unfortunately, that school year was cut short due to Covid, but even then your care for each individual was evident. I remember you went back to the school after students weren’t allowed, collected all of our books, and put together an additional binder full of work for each student. You had each of us collect it all organized in matching bags outside your house no later than a week after school was shut down.

You went beyond the extra mile in the midst of an extremely uncertain and even scary situation. So while the school year ended underwhelmingly on a google meet, I am extremely grateful for you, and the work ethic you instilled in me that still plays out in my life today.

I hope you’re doing well, and thank you for everything.

Your former student,
Murren