Living Messages Education Consultancy

A Special Testimonial: Love Letter To A Teacher

Dear Ezette,

As we culminate today, I find myself travelling back to where this journey began — a science student walking into a room full of self-proclaimed super readers, wondering quietly, “Do I belong here?”

And yet, I was always a doer. So instead of hesitating, I turned my classroom into a lab — experimenting with literacy the way I understood inquiry. From those tentative beginnings to today, where I have had the opportunity to map the literacy timeline for the year, design small strengthening modules with the grade team, and help shape the grade doing the Literacy Studio — the arc feels nothing short of transformative. I have stumbled. I have made mistakes. But I have also learned to be the first to respond, the first to accept, the first to refine. Being the pilot runner for Brightpath in our grade has been a privilege I hold with immense gratitude. You didn’t just mentor me — you made me fly in the literacy sky. 

Your read-alouds — from Grace to The Elephant, from Z for Zachariah to Free Lunch, Dogtown, and most recently Where the Crawdads Sing — were never just readings. They were performances of thought and heart. I have watched you lift your chin ever so slightly at a powerful line, pause with intention, let silence do its work, and draw us into worlds beyond time and geography. I confess — I have even reenacted you alone, practising that subtle neck lift. 

You taught us that literacy is not decoding text — it is much beyond.

You showed us how to build a SAFE culture — where reading -writing feels courageous, and feedback feels like growth, not judgement.
You took us deeper into illustrations, into subtext, into bias even within nonfiction.

Who else would have us text as mother pig to  papa pig as if the Three Little Pigs were in danger? Or sell blue pizza to different audiences? Or unpack point of view through unexpected characters-- crayons who just quit? From understanding fiction and nonfiction beyond labels, to decoding mini-lessons with rigour; from analysing samples (Cold Turkey) to building thoughtful writing buddies; from sizzling starts to tightening tension — every layer added depth.

Then came the BRIGHTPATH RULER ERA — narrative, persuasive, opinion, informative. What stayed with me most was how you celebrated learners — reading their samples aloud with pride, analysing always keeping modalities in mind. That shift is yours. From instructional overviews to book reviews to responses to literature (It might have been easy for Iewa , not for me) — each session liberated something in me, yet reminded me how much more there is to refine.

On a personal side — when Wednesday stopped being Wednesday and simply became “Ezette’s Session Day” — not just in my home here but even in Punjab (my parents, brother ...everyone, I had to show your picture to them) — I knew something unknown had shifted. The Literary Dating cohort introduced me to friends like Neha from THS, and what began as a connection became a powerful bridge between campuses-- The KNOWLEDGE TRADE amongst THS & HXLS and how can I miss planning of PODCAST lead by Jasmine.

Your mentorship also allowed me to stand stronger beside Preeti Ma’am — from designing Scope & Sequence to curating Summer and Winter Sheds for teachers, to offering pristine poetry experiences for parents. The ripple is real.

I am sure I have missed many moments — the lessons between lines, the growth between words — but please know they live in me.

My heartfelt gratitude to Rekha Ma’am for trusting me with this opportunity, and to Hastyamayee for her steady support throughout this journey.

Ezette — please reach outside that window (beside your white magical bookshelf, the planter in the cage, a family picture, stretched abdominal animal motifs), look up at the sky. If you see a quiet glider tracing silver gratitude across the horizon, know that it carries my thank you — written wide enough for every direction to read.

With love, depth, and lifelong gratitude.

Best,

Archana Vadhera Chopra

Coach, Grade-2 & ILT