2 days ago
Mom Asks Daughter What She Likes About 2nd Grade Teacher—Answer Goes Viral
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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As the school year draws to a close, parents across the country are picking up gifts for their children's teachers—often mugs, chocolates, or flowers. But one mother took a more personal approach, sharing her daughter's heartfelt words in a thank-you card.
Posting on Reddit on June 24, the mom said: "[I] Asked my daughter to tell me what she liked about her teacher so I could write a standard, somewhat personalized thank you card for her. I never get much information out of my daughter, but she was ready to talk about this woman."
The post shared by u/pettypiranhaplant quickly resonated, earning more than 5,300 upvotes. In the comments, she said: "I was ugly crying typing it up for her."
A copy of the letter written by the mom on behalf of her daughter.
A copy of the letter written by the mom on behalf of her daughter.
Reddit/pettypiranhaplant
The letter itself included touching lines from Mia, her 8-year-old daughter, about the teacher (whose name was blurred):
"I love her because she is kind."
"She lets me talk about things that I know a lot about like butterfly reviews and jumpy the spider."
"She doesn't yell."
"She makes everything better."
Newsweek discussed the heartfelt note with head teacher Chris McNab, who works at Overton Grange School, in South London.
McNab, who has been a teacher for almost three decades, said: "A good teacher fills the potholes that students may face on their journey; this could be in the form of subject expertise, extensive pastoral support, securing an exciting opportunity or merely demonstrating warmth and kindness through their everyday practice."
In another update, the mother wrote: "I was so touched by her answer that I'm just going to give the teacher a copy of what she had to say about her.
"I'm ASD1 and my daughter hasn't going through the testing yet but we highly suspect it. She only talks like this about things that she's really passionate about. Getting stuff like this out of her is usually torture, but she was so excited to tell me all of the things she loved about this woman. I'm so thankful she has that kind of support when she's outside of our house."
ASD1, stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1, and it is the mildest form of autism, according to Ascend Autism. Children with ASD1 often have strong focus and intelligence but may struggle with conversation, social cues, and interactions. While autism includes a wide range of challenges in social skills, repetitive behaviors, and communication, Level 1 describes those who need minimal support yet still face noticeable difficulties with social communication.
So far, the post has touched the hearts of more than 70 commenters.
"As a second grade teacher, this would make my year! Thank you for doing this," said one user, and another wrote: "this is emotional."
Newsweek is waiting for u/pettypiranhaplant to provide a comment.
