This is a beautiful posting. It brought back great memories.

Hi Community!

I just received a lovely email (see below, name omitted because, well, it's not mine to give) from a fellow teacher in the community. In it, the fellow Teacher-Mommy expresses concern about the "booboo kissing" I bring up, and all of the blood-born pathogen training educator undergo. I do adhere to the training I have undergone, and of course expect all teachers do the same. I also hope that if my little three year old miss monkey falls and scrapes her knees, some comfort isn't out of the question.

Cheers, Ms. J

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Hello Teacher-Mommy Jenson,

As a teacher and a mother with grown children and very precious grandchildren, I appreciate very much the point of view you expressed in your open letter to your daughters? future teachers (Web Link I enjoyed reading of the enthusiasm with which you approach the coming school year, and how important it is to you as a parent that your daughters? teachers are also returning joyfully, ready to understand and love your young girls.

I experienced the same concerns when I adopted my (then 5 and 8 year-old) daughters, and brought them to my elementary school in southern California. I was so pleased with the wonderful involvement and concern each of their teachers showed during our early years together. When we moved to Oregon five years later, they no longer attended a school in the district where I had taught for many years, or even a district in which I was currently teaching. My experience changed in some ways, though for the most part my girls continued to have excellent teachers. One of these amazing teachers, however, persisted in marking that my older daughter, who worked her butt off to get an A to A- average in middle school, was ?working to her potential? when she was getting ?C?s in biology. This drove me crazy, but also alerted me to a problem my old teacher-friends did not identify: she had ADD, the kind without hyperactivity. Once she started on medication, she started getting straight A?s in biology. I then remarked to the teacher that my daughter was now working to her potential!

I hope you find a similar line-up of excellent teachers. I know how much their love, care, expertise and creativity mattered to me as a parent. Again, I have to say I liked so much of what you wrote. I try to communicate my love of teaching and love of my school and my students when I have parents come in for Back to School Night. The only statement that I had an automatic ?eewwww? response to, was asking the teacher to kiss their booboos. Since you are a language arts teacher, I am going to assume that you mean this metaphorically!

I?ve been a teacher so long that I remember when the instructions for care of minor scrapes changed from the teacher cleaning and dressing the wound to pretty much having the kids clean and bandage their own, because of concerns about blood-borne pathogens. Since I was teaching general education 2nd and 3rd grade in those days, I would closely monitor, and assist as needed, disregarding the guidelines. (We did have gloves available, but only one pair!) Even now, as I teach special day class 7th and 8th grade at Blach School, I sometimes need to assist with bandaging for minor injuries. However, I must confess I have never literally kissed their booboos. I think my students have been and are satisfied with a little hug or pat on the back.

Wishing you a great start to your school year!

I have adult men on my crews who occasionally get a boo-boo and need a bandage. On dozens of occasions I have helped put on the dressing, kissed my finger, touched the outside of the dressing and said "there, it's all better now" and have always been rewarded with a smile and a thanks. If that can work on a fifty-something guy, think of all the good it can do for a five-year-old!

I work with this amazing teacher and person. Good insight on how every mommy feels on that first day of school . Sure you eased all out there that are feeling the same stress. Thank you Brandy!