'They're Like My Kids': Dallas ISD Teacher Sends Handwritten Letters To Her Students
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Across the country students have had to adjust to at-home school and many are relying on phones, tablets and computers to communicate with their teachers. One Dallas ISD teacher is taking it old school by writing them letters which she says is more memorable.
When Mikayla Roach packed up her bags and moved from Colorado to Texas to teach for Dallas ISD, she thought she'd only be with the district for two years.
"Taught for my two years and just completely fell in love with it and decided that it's something I couldn't see myself not doing and so I ended up staying and now next year will be the start of year five," Roach said.
Over the years, the Medrano Middle School history teacher has formed unbreakable bonds with her students, so not seeing them has been hard.
"They're like my kids," she said. "It's not a secret, March to May is the best time to be a teacher or a student. You have end of the year celebrations and reflections and yearbook signings and so it was a sadness of like oh my gosh.. I have so many words that I want to say to them that I haven't been able to say yet."
So she started writing those words down, sending letters that her students can keep forever.
"It's making the end of the year more special," she said. "I've sent out like 67 letters or something."
In return she's asked any student that wants to write her a letter to send it to the school and she'll be sure to write back.
"I have a couple that have started writing back," she said. "Everybody is trying to find something special out of this. It's really important to us to make sure they're okay as people and we do everything we can to make sure that there's a positive spin on something that is pretty chaotic for them."
Since this all started a few weeks ago, more DISD teachers have jumped on board and started sending letters to their students. They now estimate they're sending hundreds a week.