Teacher credits student's unexpected journal entry for reigniting his passion for teaching

Some teachers have a profound and lasting impact on their students' lives, often shaping their futures in ways that are both meaningful and unexpected. For educators, moments when students express their gratitude can serve as powerful reminders of why they chose the profession. One such moment was shared by a teacher who goes by the username u/torturedwriter71 on Reddit. After a particularly rough day, this teacher experienced an emotional lift when a student read aloud a heartfelt journal entry she had written about him.

The journal entry, shared with permission from both the student and her parent, was a powerful reminder of the teacher’s impact. The teacher reflected, "I was having a bad day, and a student wrote this about me in her daily journal. Her kind words have helped reignite my passion for teaching and remind me why I'm doing this."

In the journal entry, the student wrote: "Something good that has happened to me this week is going to school. I know, who wants to go to school? Well, I do." She continued, "I never really liked going to school, but this one particular class during my 8th to 9th period is just so fun." The student explained how she had always struggled with reading but that this year was different: "My teacher is just so amazing that I am actually understanding reading."

Moments like these show the profound influence educators can have—not just on a student’s academic journey but on their overall outlook on learning. For one teacher, it was the reminder they needed of the incredible impact their work can have.

"Which is weird because I have never understood reading since the 4th grade," the student expressed. "I love my reading class, not just because I am actually learning but also because my teacher has such a fun mood all of the time. I have this connection with my teacher that I haven't had in a while." The post received over 500 upvotes and people in the comments expressed their thoughts on the heartwarming moment and shared their own experiences.

u/Kirkland-fore-Father wrote, "Have you ever done this with a coworker before? Just lay it on them out of the blue that they're amazing at what they do. It impacts you in this way, and you know the outcome of their work is appreciated by (team/department/client). It always makes their day. I just said this to a dude who's two levels above me - my boss's boss - literally, everyone who deserves to hear this will be happy to hear it. We're all out here with a ton of imposter syndrome in our little bubbles and management is never good enough to get the word out to everyone that they're doing great, mostly because they have their own mess to worry about."

u/One-Technology-9050 commented, "You sound like an amazing teacher. Thank you for doing everything that you do. All the effort you put into your lessons and classroom definitely makes a difference... as we can see here with your student's journal. Thank you for being you." u/CheezLoueez08 remarked, "Make a copy. Put one at home (fridge maybe or bedroom) and the other at school on your desk and have it framed. You need to see this all the time to remember that you've made such an impact on her. Not only her, I'm sure many others too. They just don't voice it. You are important. You are needed. Thank you so much for forging on. I wanted to be a teacher, but I couldn't handle it. I'm too weak. You guys are heroes and I don't say it lightly." One of the commenters asked the teacher why he had posted someone's personal journal online. Responding to their query, he wrote, "It isn't a private journal. It is a journal they use at the start of every day in my class to get focused on our work. They understand anything they write in this can be shared at any moment."