Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week

Believe me, I speak from experience when I say, "teachers deserve a whole week of being appreciated."  Their work is endless and typically they are thinking about their students every waking hour and sometimes even in the non-awake hours.  Their day starts early in the morning and even though the school day is over around 3:00, they go home and grade papers, or cut projects, or plan for the next week, or think up fun new ways to teach a concept and then make whatever they need to do it.  All for their students.  Teachers are committed to their students - your sons and daughters.

I got this little poem on a gift from one of my students last year.  The author was listed as Unknown, but this author knew a teacher.

God took one pair of angels wings,

And patience without measure,

Two eyes that see potential,

Great wisdom from his treasure,

A smile to give encouragement -

A truly heavenly feature,

He wrapped it up with tender care,

And called this gift a "Teacher."    

I can remember my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Flannagan, and how influential she was in my life.  She was the one that taught me to love books.  She was the one that taught me to love writing.  She was the one that made me want to be a teacher.  I used to have a saying posted in my own preschool classroom that said, "It's the teacher that makes the difference in a classroom."  Mrs. Flanagan did!  She made a difference.

I have recently been invited to my fourth grade students 30 year reunion from high school.  It has been so much fun communicating with them.  The things they remember...amazing.  And I remember each one of them with such fondness nearly 40 years later.  Back then there wasn't a special week to honor teachers, I am so glad there is now.

 

Parents have no way of knowing how much time a teacher spends outside of the classroom on preparing lessons. Parents don't know how much of their own money teachers spend for the betterment of their class.  Parents don't know how many hours a teacher spends trying to figure out how to help a student who is having trouble with a subject.  So I am telling you, it is hours and hours and hours and hours! I encourage you, please show appreciation to your child's teacher this week with a thank you note or a gift card or even flowers or all of the above. As I said already, "They deserve it!!"

You can google "Teacher Appreciation ideas" to get some wonderful poems and gift ideas to help you say Thank You to a teacher.  And don't forget the Volunteer Sunday School Teachers, too! 

"It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up..."  Ephesians 4: 11, 12

"And in the church, God has appointed first of all, apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kind of tongues."   I Corinthians 12: 28