Dear Teacher, you are the hero makers!

You may not recognize it, but you have helped shape and mold more people than you will ever know. There are children who look up to you and cling to your every word and action. You may be their only source of positive encouragement and validation. You might be their safe-haven—their place of protection from the ugly world they see outside of your class. How you carry yourself and how you make them feel could change their lives.

I thank you because I was that child who needed you. I felt your affirmation and ran with it. It helped shape my future. Thank you for leading the way and for showing love and grace to the unlikeliest of all your students. Thank you for looking out for me when no one else did. I know it was you who made sure I had lunch. It was you who made sure I had all the school supplies I needed. It was you who made sure I got a book during book fair. It was you who sometimes even made sure I had shoes and clothes to wear. 

I did not forget the way you made me feel. I will not keep that level of kindness to myself. It’s because of you that I know we can all make the world a better place. It’s because of you that I know we can be anything we choose to be. We can accomplish anything and we can change the world. 

I’m forty years old now but that child has never left me. He’s still in there. Everything inside me screams “Be who you needed when you were younger”. I see a world of possibilities opened to me that I could have previously only imagined. I was able to rise above poverty and now am in a position to help others. I was able to overcome extreme shyness and now I use my words for a living. I aspire to speak words of kindness, support, and encouragement to people who need it, but more importantly, I seek to use my actions to help others. The world is full of people who say a lot but do little. You, Teacher, are the doer. You are changing the world and because you helped change my world, I will strive to help change future generations. 

I’ve worked hard because of your belief in me. I’ve always fought hard to prove something, whether it’s proving my doubters wrong or my supporters right—supporters like you. Here’s my pledge to you: I will pass it on. I will find the overachievers and help empower them. I will help you help others. If you have a child or children in your class in need of help, let me know. We know that child did not choose to be disadvantaged. I will do whatever I can to help. I have worked my entire life to get to this point. Let me partner with you. You can let me know what you need and we can keep it anonymous as so many did for me. You can email me at cedrick@cedrickwebb.com or reach out to me anytime on my cell 314-477-0050.