A couple of years ago, I wrote to my art teacher from Jr. High and told him thank you for his patience and kindness with me. I never turned in a finished art project - every time, he would see me working on the project for weeks and then on the day I was supposed to turn it in I would hide it, and take it home.

I should have failed the class, but instead he pulled me aside and said, "Look, I've seen your projects and I know you worked hard, and I know you're a perfectionist, so you don't want to turn things in. Just know that turning something in when it's imperfect is so much better than withholding it because it's not perfect. You have to show up and takes risks, even when you know your work isn't perfect."

His mercy (he didn't fail me) and wisdom meant so much to me and I've reflected on it so much over the years.

Caring teachers like yourself make such a big difference to kids!