I think teachers, we hear this all the time, are a very thankless profession. We are very known for not putting ourselves first cause that’s not what we do for a living. We are focused on the kids. Whoa, I am getting emotional.

I am Emily Miketinac, and I am a first-grade teacher at Tuscany Heights Elementary School. This is my fourth-and-a-half year. It feels like I know what I am doing now, you know?

“Teaching is all I have ever wanted to do…” 

My siblings were my guinea pigs. I am the oldest of 3. Their summer vacation was not summer vacation because I would always playschool. I would get my baby dolls and then my brother and my sister; I would make them do work. 

I remember the best Christmas present I got one year was a chalkboard and a grade book, and I had little report cards, and I was in absolute teacher heaven at like the age of six.

“My first lesson was a social studies lesson…” 

It went horrible. I mean, I did everything prep wise I was supposed to do. I was student teaching with first graders in Austin, and I just kept them sitting on the carpet for way too long. I had all 22 kids come up and share something about their culture and added to the sandwich. I thought it was this really good cultural lesson, which it was, but they are six, and by like the second kid, their attention span was out the door.

“My favorite thing about teaching…” 

I love the little personalities of my first graders. They are just so loving and so honest, and they love coming to school. So, the fact that they love it makes my job really easy.

“A teacher should be the number one fan of any kids…”

It’s important because a lot of kids, for a lot of kids, school is not just where they learn. It's where they’re loved. It's where they are safe. It's where they are fed. Coming off of almost six months at home, I think if a teacher can just come to school and love, love the kids in her classroom, he/she is doing their job correctly. At the end of the day, I think the fact that I’m crying says that I love what you are doing and I love these kids.

“Emily, you are quick to put everyone first…”

The drive you have as a teacher to make every student in your class feel cared for, loved, engaged in learning, and encouraged is outstanding. Your talent as a teacher to accomplish all these with every student every year continues to amaze all of us in first grade.

I’m crying. Stop.

You are fun, loving, humble, dedicated, and a fabulous friend and a colleague to work with. It is an honor to be with an awesome, inspirational teacher who is as enthusiastic and spreads great joy to those around you.

Dad had something to say too…

Well, Emily, what a great honor. We are super proud of you. Anybody that knows you knows what kind of person you are, what a hard worker you are, how smart you are, and that this was your calling since you were a baby. We could not be more proud. Nobody is shocked at what kind of teacher you are, and at the essence of this, your heart is made of gold. Every parent wants their child to be more than what they are, and there is no question in my mind that you have exceeded that in this family.

Awww, he doesn’t get sappy like that very often. 

I have all the feels right now. That was good. Y’all got me with the feels. I should have watched that video at the end. I feel very proud, very thankful, very fortunate to do what I do.