So, we've reached one of the most important weeks of the year. Teacher Appreciation Week! The time where we show our teachers all the appreciation they deserve! I wanted to use my platform to briefly share the influential teachers I had growing up, as well as appreciating teachers that I personally know and teachers worldwide.
My mother worked at my grammar school almost the entire time I was there. She was always involved either with managing lunch time or was a teachers aid and later being the secretary. I knew the teachers very well and it was easy to see the school day through their eyes. On days I would go to school early with my mom I would watch and help teachers prep for their day. Whether it was helping set up for breakfast for the preschoolers or even helping out my own teachers make copies or simply filling their water bottles up for the day. My bond with my grade school teachers were very strong and I have to give them my kudos for dealing with so much day in and day out. I think that's where I got my patience from honestly. The hard work that is required in this career path is immense. Every grade level requires something different and need different approaches.
As mentioned growing up I was fortunate to have had a lot of influential teachers in my life. They were always dependable even when life was busy for them. They were all great mentors in my life and have influenced who I am now in some way, shape, or form.
Here are a few...
Ms. Poirier, my 4th grade teacher who introduced me to poetry and from that point on a fire and passion for writing ignited.
Mr. Kretz, my 5th-8th grade math/science teacher was a renaissance man, taught me to be adventurous and to learn new skills just for the heck of it because you never know if you would ever need it and that not everything had to be so serious all of the time.
Mr. Chapman, my 6th- 8th grade theater/religion/basketball coach/social studies teacher taught me to stick to my goals and work hard for what I want. He taught me a lot about acting and really pushed me when I felt like I couldn't do something both academically and in my own struggles.
Mr. Joseph, my high school English teacher helped me perfect my writing. He was such a stickler for grammatical errors and HATED that I would write "4rm" and "ur" and "deze" instead of "from", "your" and "these". He was an advocate for keeping the peace in the school. My high school friends reading this probably heard him in their head saying his famous phrase, "No sex, No violence!" whenever he saw someone kissing or rough housing in the hallways.
Mr. Bowers, another high school English teacher. He was probably the coolest teacher for everyone. He always took into consideration what the kids were going through and made sure that the literature we read was something that we (they) could connect to and resonate with. Always making sure that he knew who was struggling and made sure they were going down a better path.
Sr. Ready, she was my high school Algebra teacher, she was a short little lady who knew karate. She would literally chase kids down the hallway, (jokingly of course) if they hadn't turned in their homework. She was serious when she had to be and very funny most of the time. Rest In Peace Sr. Ready. I know you are making everyone smile and laugh up there!
Mr. A, high school math teacher, I never had to take any of his classes but he was my basketball coach during senior year. He was tough but fair. Always told it like it was and never took anyone's bullshit. And in high school, let's be honest... a lot of the kids were bullshitting. lol. He was a great teacher, one you feared but also respected.
Doug Whippo, my fiction professor at Columbia College, who helped me find my storytelling voice and encouraged me to step outside of the box when writing stories even when parodying another story or writer.
Nami Mun, my short stories professor at Columbia College, understood I had a baby at home and advocated for me to have a room to pump breastmilk during our 30 minute breaks but also made sure I didn't fall behind in my class work.
There are so many other teachers who have influenced me, I could go on because the truth is every teacher from preschool to college have all taught me something about myself in some way. I can name a memory in every school year, with every teacher. I have to appreciate them for that!
My heart and appreciation goes out to SPED teachers. You guys are rockstars! 💕
I can't forget to mention those teachers who are also my close friends and family. First and foremost, my sister Sara, she is an amazing early childhood teacher. She has a teaching license in 3 states, IL, NY and CA. If I ever need help with my own kids I turn to her for advice. I have never seen her in action in her classroom but I have seen her interact with my niece and nephew with a teacher approach and have heard her talk about the different and engaging activities she has planned for her kids, which speaks a lot as to what goes on in her classroom and how well the children are engaging and I sometimes assist in her classroom decorating from a distance as she lives in California now. I look at all that she does and I am fascinated by her love for teaching. She makes it all look so easy. I also want to show my love and appreciation to my fellow teachers at the daycare I used to work at. The entire staff deserves the world, they come in everyday and work their butts off for the kids in their classrooms. They came back strong after reopening the doors after the pandemic shutdown and all we had was part time available and split shifts we made it work as a team. Last but definitely not least my dear friend Mia, she's no regular teacher, no, she is a different kind of super teacher, she is dedicated to her profession in teaching special education. The amount of love she has for the children in her classroom makes my heart expand every time she talks about them or shares with me how they are progressing and how silly they all can be. My heart and appreciation truly goes out to SPED teachers. You guys are rockstars! 💕
I hope that my own kids will find that special teacher(s) throughout their school years that I was able to have in my life and have gotten to know. My son's first grade teacher is doing phenomenal work in her classroom especially after coming back into the from a year of e-learning. This week we plan on sending ALL of the teachers he interacts with on a weekly basis something to show our appreciation.
With all that being said, Teachers... this is for you....
Dear Teachers,
Pre-Pandemic I am sure people understood your role as an educator, while most appreciated the hard work you put in day in and day out, there were some who took your career for granted. That was until the world shut down and the classroom was no longer at a school, it was inside the home. The world was in a panic. Parents had to work from home, which also meant that teachers had to teach from home instead of in the classroom. It wasn't until then that parents started to see teachers in a more brighter light. The appreciation of "How do they do this everyday?" "How do they get my child to sit down for as long as they do?" "How do they manage a whole day? I'm exhausted by lunch!"
I think if you ask any teacher why they chose this career they would all tell you similar answers. Teaching really is a work of heart. Teaching is a passion. And I know several teachers who can tell me that their favorite thing about teaching is that lightbulb moment in the kids when all the practice of any skill kicks in and they realize that they can do it and that the hard work they didn't realize they were putting in, in the moment had really paid off. Or that every day is different and keeps them on their toes.
Pre-Pandemic we appreciated you and even more so now that we had to step out of our parenting roles and wear your shoes for a while...
This is for the teachers who wake up every morning earlier than their own kids to prepare their minds for the day whether they get a workout in, or simply make themselves breakfast and sip on a nice hot cup of coffee or tea before all of the chaos starts.
This if for all the students pushing through observations hours and lesson planning assessments and mandated reporting webinars.
This is for the teachers who commute to work, the ones that have to drop their kids off to school and have to beat traffic to get to work on time.
This is for the teachers who may have a lot going on at home but shake it off the moment they enter the classroom, because their classroom kids, both big and small can feel that energy.
This is for the teachers who spend all night grading papers, creating assessments and curriculum and prepping for crafts for special holidays or for different activities.
This is for the teachers who go to work and still attend school because learning to improve your craft is just as important.
This is for the teachers who push those children who push back when it comes to learning new things and focusing on work.
This is for the teachers who create creative ways to get the classroom kids more engaged.
This is for the teachers who come home at the end of the day exhausted and maybe even touched out from being on their feet all day and giving their best.
This is for the teachers who hate having to tell parents about a Childs rough day.
This is for the teachers who deal with overbearing parents.
This is for the teachers who deal with uninvolved parents.
This is for the teachers who have become a child's best friend.
This is for the teachers who LOVE Fridays!
This is for the teachers who don't feel appreciated in the schools that they are teaching in. Keep going, trust me your classroom kids will remember you for all that you put in.
This is for the teachers aides who stand with their co-teachers and help keep the classroom from going up in flames. (Metaphorically speaking of course)
This is for the teachers aides working hard to get their degree because teaching is life.
This is for the teachers aides who continuously push their co-teacher forward and help get everything done.
This is for the teachers and aides who push forward even when their kids have a different learning style and need that extra attention.
This is for the teachers having a difficult time trying to connect with their classroom kids but come in everyday hoping for a lightbulb moment.
This is for the teachers who have that ONE kid who likes to press their buttons but remain unbothered.
This is for the teachers who have come home from one of their hardest days and cried or vented to their best friend or spouse or dog or cat just to release the stress.
This is for the teachers who know their classroom goals and get. it. done.
This is for every single teacher and teachers aide who hasn't heard it all all today.
You. Are. Amazing! Your work. will NEVER go unnoticed.
I can not say this enough, Thank you for ALL that you do!!
Please remember to thank your teachers this week and EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! They do so much for our children and have done so much for us. The fact that you are reading this blog right now is all because of a teacher! They deserve the world!
Which teacher influenced you growing up in school? Which teachers have impacted your life to this day? Let's appreciate them in this post!! Let me know in the comments I'd love to hear from you all! And as usual, like, share, subscribe!
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