It feels like each year there is something from the outside world that warrants an explanation as to why this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week is worthy of your added attention. Whether it was COVID in prior years or October 7th in this one, the job of being a teacher has only gotten more complicated…and more important. And, of course, here at OJCS what with the relocation and the renovation underway, this year all the more so…
Teachers are not infallible. Teachers make mistakes. Teachers can do the wrong thing. A hopeful return to giving teachers the benefit of the doubt won’t mean blind faith. Giving teachers the benefit of the doubt doesn’t mean parents shouldn’t advocate for their children. Giving teachers the benefit of the doubt doesn’t meant that sometimes parents don’t have a better solution to an issue than their teachers. The best of schools foster healthy parent-teacher relationships explicitly because of these truths. Both partners are required to produce the best results. But somewhere in between my time as a student to my time as an educator, the culture changed. Respect for teachers went from being automatic to being earned to being ignored.
How about this year, let’s assume the best of our teachers – even when they have difficult truths to share. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt – even when they don’t communicate as well as they could. Let’s treat them as partners – even when they make mistakes. Let’s not simply tell our teachers that we appreciate them; let’s actually appreciate them.
Looking for ideas?
Here is what we will be doing for our teachers as a school:
How about you?
Pump up this great “Teacher Appreciation Week” playlist, pick an item from below (aggregated from lots of blog posts) and make a teacher’s day:
- A personalized note or email
- A homemade craft
- Caffeine
- A hot meal
- Gift cards
- Plants
- A personalized thank-you sign
- Small treasures
- Something special that reminds a teacher of his/her student(s)
- Alcohol (but check first!)
- Show up for school!
- Spa treatment
- Experiential gifts (like a remote yoga or dance class)
- Donations to a dream project
- Year-Round Advocacy
I look forward to sharing results from the Annual Parent Survey later this month. If you have NOT yet contributed and you want your results included, please fill yours out by Monday, May 15th. Please and thank you!
