Received a nice parent email

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Not going to lie--those are few and far between these days! The general attitude toward teachers is very negative lately and then when the student isn't getting the A or B that the parent wants. . . it is like GAME ON. Last night I was sending out some emails to parents about students with horrible failing averages like 25%, 28%, etc. They are taking the class because they need the science credits to graduate. If they don't pass then they don't graduate. So I email early and often so parents can't claim that they had no idea that their students weren't doing well. Anyway while I was sending out so many negative emails I remembered something I heard back in my first year of teaching--for every negative call you make, make a positive one. I emailed the parent of a student I have in my CP bio class. He is autistic but extremely highly-functioning, very interested in science, and wants to do well. His average is in the C-range now which isn't ideal but he has been spending a few of his lunch periods with me while I'm on hall duty to review before assessments. I told his mother that I realize that he has had a bit of a rough start to the year but that we reviewed yesterday during his lunch and he scored 90% on the quiz. I said that I hoped it would increase his confidence and that I enjoyed his enthusiasm for the subject. This was the response I received today: "The fact that you reached out speaks volumes. (Student) really does love science (me, too lol). He fell behind with his grades because he wasn’t reviewing his notes enough. We had a conversation about needing to review/study to solidify his understanding and memory of the content. I was so thrilled when he told me his plan to review the material with you. He loves your class and speaks of you often. You are clearly making a difference in his life! Thank-you for your time and dedication … we truly appreciate you." That is better than a $500 bonus in my opinion. It is nice to know that some parents appreciate my efforts to educate and help their children. I received a nasty email yesterday from a mother and it somehow still continues to blow my mind that they do that. Your student is struggling and your answer to that is to insult the teacher? That is definitely not a winning strategy.