A child’s hurtful message to his retired teacher: “My dad says people like you don’t matter anymore”

For generations, schoolteachers have played an essential role in guiding young people through their early years, both academically and personally. But is there now a danger that society’s attitude toward them is changing?

A heartbreaking farewell

Earlier this month, a Denver kindergarten teacher named Clara Holt shared her reflections online as she retired from the profession after 40 years. Her overwhelming emotion, she revealed, was sadness, triggered by a comment made by one of her six-year-old students.

“My dad says people like you don’t matter anymore,” the little boy allegedly told her, before adding, “You don’t even have a TikTok.”

That innocent but cutting remark summed up what Holt and many other educators feel: that their work no longer seems to matter in a world obsessed with screens and instant attention.

From community spirit to red tape

Holt reflected on how teaching had changed since she began in the 1980s, when the job felt like a true community effort.

“Parents brought warm cookies to parent nights. Kids gave you handmade cards with hearts that didn’t quite line up. Watching a child sound out their first sentence felt like magic,” she explained.

Over time, however, building human connections became less of a priority. Bureaucracy increased, screen time went up, and teachers were forced to take on roles far beyond their training — psychiatrists, mediators, and social workers — often without recognition or proper support.

“The job I once knew has been replaced by exhaustion, red tape, and a kind of loneliness I can’t quite describe,” Holt said.

“The kids have changed too”

Holt also believes that the children themselves are different — not by choice, but by circumstance.

“They arrive tired, anxious, overstimulated. Their tiny fingers know how to swipe a screen before they can hold a crayon. Some can’t make eye contact or wait in line,” she observed.

Even so, she stayed in the classroom for as long as she could because of the small, human moments: a child proud to have read a full page, a student who said she finally felt safe, a girl who told her she reminded her of her grandmother.

Burnout and the quiet goodbye

Ultimately, Holt realized she could no longer continue.

“The laughter in the staff room turned to silence. The light went out of so many eyes. I watched brilliant teachers - my friends - vanish under the weight of burnout, their joy replaced by survival. I felt myself fading too, like chalk on a board that’s been wiped one too many times.”

In the United States, around 8% of teachers leave the profession every year, with younger educators quitting fastest. The situation is similar across Europe, where teachers face long hours, chronic stress, and little emotional support.

“Thank a teacher — not with gifts, but with respect”

After her quiet farewell - “no party, no applause, just a handshake” - Holt is preparing to start a new life outside the classroom. Still, she left behind one last message to parents and students:

“If you know a teacher - any teacher - thank them. Not with a mug or a gift card, but with your words. With your respect. With your understanding that behind every test score is a heart that cared enough to try.”

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