When my son was in primary school we always used to get cute little gifts for the teacher to tell her how wonderful she had been over the course of the year.

Whenever I packed him off to school with these gifts I would wonder what the teacher would feel when she unwrapped it. I wondered how special it must feel to open something that was personalised and showed that we were really appreciative.

I knew going into a secondary school setting that gifts would be few and far between so I never really expected any of those cute presents. But today, I got my first one and my little heart almost burst with love.

A student came into my room and handed me a gift bag for Christmas. Inside there were candles and a wooden heart that was personalised with my name and a message about me being an awesome teacher.

As I’m nearing the end of my first term as a ‘proper’ teacher, I’m realising that I spend most of my time questioning myself and wondering if my students actually like me and respect me. It’s been rewarding but it’s also been hard, and let’s face it, a little bit scary too. The whole thing has made me take a good look at myself and think about the way I react to people.

So, it’s nice to know that at least one student has had a positive term and a positive experience because I have been there. When I first got sober I was told to make sure that people feel glad for my being in their life that day; even if it was just that I said hello and asked how they were.

Now I’ve just got to work on those Year 10s who flippin’ well hate me. Oh well, you can’t win ’em all!

Much Love

Rachel xx