Teacher Appreciation Flipped
Teacher appreciation week is approaching. In case you didn’t know, it’s usually the first or second week of May, and it’s a time for teachers to be loved-on and appreciated for all the hard work, endless days and nights they put into the job, and countless hours they spend grading, planning, meeting, and teaching children.
This year I have a proposition for the teachers. While free burritos, chicken, and coffee
are nice, and discounts at stores are sweet, how about this year we try teacher appreciation with a twist. Call it teacher appreciation flipped, or teacher appreciation 2.0.
See I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was 7 or 8 years old. It happened to me in the second grade when I had Ms. Lopez as my teacher. She was young, fresh out of college, and we were her first teaching gig. It was Audubon Elementary in the 1970’s, and I was in love. She was young and vivacious, and full of inspiration and pep. She treated us like people, not little kids or objects, and she really trusted and put faith in us. As second graders we ran the school newspaper. We had pen pals across town, who we wrote to bi-weekly, and we went on field trips everywhere she could possibly take us. She even took us camping for three days about an hour west of town. Ms. Lopez inspired me to be a teacher. She showed me what teaching could be like, and I wanted to grow up to be like her.
So my proposition to you, as a teacher, is to take a moment of your time this year, and for teacher appreciation week, to pay it forward. Write, call, email, or Facebook message your inspiration and let them know how much you appreciate what they did in your life to help you to become a teacher.
When I was graduating college, I found Ms. Lopez. Although she had been let go after teaching my class due to budget cuts, she had continued on in the teaching profession. She had taught for many years, become a principal, and was now moving to the head of special education for one of the districts in our city. I wrote to her and just expressed my heart, my sincerest appreciation, and utmost adoration for all she had done to inspire me.
So, who inspired you? Have you thanked them yet? Let me know about your story in the comments down below.
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I really enjoyed your heartfelt thank you to your second grade teacher. My inspiration was also my second grade teacher. After I’d been teaching for 2 years, on one of my trips to visit my parents, I went to visit Mrs. Hardy. She was thrilled. I took the Valentine’s card that I received from her all those years before. She flipped it over, took her pen, and under her previous signature, she wrote, “I still love you and am so proud of you!” Then she signed it again with the date.
Two years later, Mrs. Hardy died. I’m sure you can understand how thankful I am that I made the effort to visit her when I did. That Valentine’s Day card is a treasured display in my home.
I love your story about Mrs. Hardy, Leah. What a special card and moment for you. I am so glad you had that time with her.