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Teachers

Entire graduating class shows up at their kindergarten teacher's house for a surprise thanks

Now THAT is a sweet high school reunion.

Photo credit: Canva

Letting teachers know they made a difference is a gift they'll never forget.


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Kindergarten is one of the most formative experiences in a child's life. Not only do they learn there how to navigate the tricky world of friendships and the seeds of independence, they also start their education journey. All of that is made extra special if they have a teacher who really loves them. When you're a kindergarten teacher, you know that you have the power to make a serious impact, and that shouldn't be taken lightly. A retired kindergarten teacher warmed hearts on TikTok as people learn just how great that impact is.

In the video shared by user Kim Hamilton (the daughter of said teacher) in 2022, a woman, who is identified in the comments as Mrs. Pearson, is sitting on her porch when a girl in a cap and gown shows up at the gate. "Congratulations!" Mrs. Pearson calls out, waving. Soon, she realizes that the young girl isn't alone.

@kimhamilton15

#kindergartentograduation

"What's happening?" she asks her daughter, who can be heard chuckling behind the camera.

"They're your kindergarteners," Hamilton replies, as kids in caps and gowns start filing through the gate.

"Did you know this was happening?!" Pearson asks, the shock and joy clearly evident on her face.

"Oh my gosh, I love you all! Look at you!" she exclaims as she runs over to the kids.

graduates, graduation, cap and gownHigh school graduation is a pivotal milestone for teens.Giphy GIF by Kelsea Ballerini

Hamilton explains to her that these kids, clearly high school graduates, are the last group of kindergarten students Pearson taught before retiring. As each one of them comes into the gate, the joy on Pearson's face grows exponentially. It's clear that these kids were her babies, and even though now they're all grown up and going off to college, they'll always have that special place in her heart.

"Oh my god, you're all just gorgeous!" she says, giving each one a hug.

graduation, graduate, cap and gown, hugging graduateTeachers love to see their students succeeding, no matter how long it's been.Photo credit: Canva

The kids are just as happy to see their beloved Mrs. Pearson as she is to see them. They eagerly shuffle together to pose for a picture as she just stops and looks at them, taking it all in. Presumably, she hasn't seen them much in the approximately 12 years since she retired. Maybe they've seen each other around—as a kid, I loved running into my teachers outside of school. I still do. But the fact that these kids showed up to see her, to allow her to celebrate her integral role in their lives, that's really special. And I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Here are just a handful of the comments people left on Hamilton's video:

"Proof they never stop being our kids after they leave us."

"The love she showed and was shown, she must have been one heck of a teacher 💕"

"I started crying when your mom did."

woman tearing up, getting emotionalBig Brother Omg GIF by Global TVGiphy

"Love this! ❤ I teach kindergarten and only hope my students will remember me like this! She must have been extraordinary!"

"Literally teachers like HER are the reasons I still talk to my teachers from middle school, HS & college🥺 good teachers are so special."

"The best gift a teacher can receive is seeing her former students bloom."

Teachers can truly make a lifelong impression on us, for better or for worse. When you get a good teacher at any age, it's never too late to offer them your gratitude and appreciation.

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Jennifer Garner crying at her kid's graduation is making other parents feel so seen

"Tell me you have a graduate without telling me you have a graduate."

@jennifer.garner/TikTok

Jennifer Garner crying is all of us crying.

Some parenting milestones are more bittersweet than others. With high school graduations, there’s the pride and joy with watching your child walk down the aisle, but also the profound and multi-layered sense of loss that comes as they enter adulthood.

And with such complex and conflicting emotions raging inside, for many moms and dads it all comes out through profuse tears.

Apparently, Jennifer Garner is no exception.

The beloved “Alias” actress recently celebrated the graduation of one of her three children (not specified), and posted a carousel onto her Instagram featuring several teary eyed images, along with the caption “Tell me you have a graduate without telling me you have a graduate. 🎓 (bless our hearts 🥺♥️🤣).”

There’s even a clip of her on a plane asking “How are we going to make it? What are we going to do?”

Garner’s post generated lots of commiseration from fellow parents—both fans and other celebs—who had been exactly where she is now.

"Oh honey ... I know. 😢 ❤️ You have done a great job , mama! I will be here for support and lots of hugs," Reese Witherspoon wrote.

“My daughter walked across the stage and stopped. Looked for me and said HI MOM! Massive tear shedding!,” someone else added.

A third said, "I feel seeen!!! My baby boy is graduating I can’t!!!! 🎓🎓🎓😭😭. I feel you mama!!! He’s our first too and no one prepares you for this! We are so proud of our boy and I know you are too of your baby girl! So many emotions."

Others offered encouragement that the pain is only temporary.

"You know it really does get better. Seeing them adult is a really cool thing too. I can’t say I don’t miss a full house, but it’s fun to watch them navigate life in their own way,” one person wrote.

"Just think about all the fun she has ahead- you got this mama!" wrote another.

Though nothing can fully take away the inevitable pain that comes from this important chapter in a parent’s life, there are several ways to cope with it all.

Experts seem to agree that simply accepting there will be a mix of joy and sadness is an important part of the process, as well as keeping busy while pursuing other interests or rekindling the relationship with your spouse outside of shared parental roles. There’s also nothing wrong with seeking outside professional help to make the transition a bit smoother.

All in all, may this story be a reminder for parents to allow themselves to feel those feelings. Grief is just love persevering, after all.

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A dad interviewed his daughter on the first day of school for 12 straight years.

Kevin Scruggs, a Seattle pastor and dad to two teenage girls, describes himself as "a sentimental guy."

"I love being a dad," Scruggs says. "I have enjoyed every single moment of being a parent."

To preserve those special moments, every year on the first day of school, Scruggs recorded short interviews with his daughters. It was a silly little tradition, but it's one he's thankful he stuck with, especially as his daughters are now older and getting ready to leave home.

The Scruggs family. Photo via Kevin Scruggs, used with permission.

For his daughter Mackenzie's high-school graduation, Scruggs compiled 12 years of these interview highlights into an emotional video montage.

It begins on Mackenzie's first day of first grade.

"How old are you?" he asks her.

"Ummm," she replies, thinking as she wiggles around on the couch. "Six!"

From there, the passage of time happens slowly, imperceptibly, and then all at once. Suddenly Mackenzie is a nearly grown woman, sitting on a different couch, telling her dad what she's looking forward to in her last year of school.

Scruggs played the video in the background at Mackenzie's graduation party and later figured out how to create a YouTube account so he could save it somewhere and share it with family.

He had no idea it would go viral.

"Over a million people have watched my daughter grow up on the internet. It's surreal," he says.

The video is every parent's greatest joy and worst fear rolled into one: It's the happiness their kids bring to their lives but also a reminder that they won't stay little forever.

Since the video went viral, parents have been reaching out to Scruggs to let them know how much it means to them.

"A lot of parents are doing their thing, living every day, interacting, being in their kids' lives. I hope [the video is] an encouragement to them to keep going," Scruggs says. "It's worth it. Every single day is a gift with them."

GIF via Kevin Scruggs/YouTube.

"If I talk about it too much, I'm going to get choked up," he says.

Scruggs' role as a full-time dad isn't over yet.

His younger daughter won't graduate for a few years, but when that day comes, he has the video footage ready to assemble for montage of her own.

She, like Mackenzie, might cringe at footage of "the awkward years," as Scruggs calls them. But knowing she's got a dad who loves her and isn't afraid to be sappy and sentimental and emotional — things men are told they shouldn't be and that too many dads are afraid to be — should make it worth it.

It's a lesson and an example that more dads could follow. Hopefully Scruggs' video encourages them to do so.

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