04/02/2026
So this is a former student I taught in 5th grade at Lilburn elementary. If you are a teacher, this is why you teach. Read her message below.
Dear Dr. Jones,
I hope this message finds you well. You may or may not remember me, but I was a student in your 5th grade class many years ago. My name is Kayla Blakley now, but when I was in your class my name was Kayla Jenkins.
I recently came across your name and saw that you are now a principal, and I felt compelled to reach out and tell you something I should have said a long time ago: thank you.
When I was in your class, I was going through one of the hardest times in my childhood. The year before, my little brother Christopher had passed away, and I was still trying to process that loss. Looking back now as an adult, I realize how much your classroom became a place of comfort for me during that time.
I still remember the poetry readings you held on Fridays and how you would bring in juice and doughnuts for the class. Those moments may have seemed simple, but they meant a lot to me. Your classroom gave me something to look forward to during a time when I was hurting deeply.
More than anything, you inspired me to write. You made writing feel like a way to express myself and make sense of my emotions. At a time when I felt lost and at my lowest, that encouragement helped me feel like my life still had purpose.
Teachers don’t always get to see the impact they have on their students, but I want you to know that you truly made a difference in my life. Your kindness, your creativity, and the way you encouraged us stayed with me long after I left your classroom.
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you—for inspiring me, for creating a space where I felt safe, and for helping a young girl find her voice again during one of the hardest times in her life.
I hope life has treated you well, and I’m grateful that students today have the opportunity to learn from someone who cares the way you did.
With sincere gratitude,
Kayla Blakley
(Kayla Jenkins in your 5th grade class)
