Teacher Appreciation Week is at the beginning of May 4-8 each year. Although we all know that teachers work hard, here are five unappreciated reasons that we should stop and thank a teacher!
1. Teachers never stop thinking about their students. This is something no one told me before becoming a teacher. I had no idea my mental space would be consumed by my classroom all hours of the day. I was always thinking of how to improve as a teacher or how to help a student academically. It’s impossible to get your classroom and students off of your mind.
2. A majority of the work teachers do does not happen between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00. It’s True! Teachers spend countless hours planning, preparing, grading, and assessing outside of the school day. It is a never-ending job that requires unpaid overtime hours everyday! My husband has many memories of spending weekends, holidays, and summer days helping me in my classroom. Teaching requires a lot of time away from their family. They must always juggle their own families while also taking care of their school family.
3. Teachers spend a lot of their own money on their classrooms. When it comes to making sure students have what they need, teachers go above and beyond. They never pass the Target $1 section without grabbing something for their classroom. Whether it be school supplies, a classroom rug, or items from their own home, teachers bridge the gap between what is provided and what is needed.
4. Teachers play many roles during the day. Teachers are busy people because they must be a nurse, a counselor, a mediator, a disciplinarian, and a coworker. Also, many teachers coach and help with activities outside of the school day. Their primary role as educator comes with many hats.
5. During the school day, teachers care and love their students as they would their own children. The tremendous amount of love teachers have for those they teach is immeasurable. They have a desire not only to teach their students but also inspire them to be the BEST people they can be!
Break out the thank you cards this week and don’t forget to thank a teacher!
Any suggestions for an awesome gift, for TAW? I’m torn because she’s a very simple person but I love what she’s done for my daughter.
Norma, tomorrow’s post will have an idea or two 😉
Quick, easy gift idea is providing lunch from their favorite place during the week! Their lunch time is always so short that to have a meal delivered and ready makes any teacher pretty happy!
[…] This week, teachers across the country will hopefully be bombarded with sweet surprises, gift cards and flowers. For one week out of the year our society takes time to celebrate those individuals who have the gift of teaching. Yes it is a gift not a job. And it is a gift that deserves more than just a week of appreciation. […]