May 7th is Teacher Appreciation Day, Sara Tomko, our vice-chair wrote this:
I have always admired my children’s teachers. The teachers in my own life and my children’s lives have had a tremendous impact on who I have become and who my children have become. Teachers put a tremendous amount of themselves, their time, and their finances into teaching and guiding our children. I have known teachers that show up to school a full hour before classes begin so that children can come in to get help with their coursework. I know other teachers who stay long after the final bell has rung to help students, plan for the next day, put their classroom in order, and assemble items to assist in teaching their students.
Teachers put hours of time into planning lessons, working on curriculum and developing presentations to keep their classes interesting. For each group of lessons, teachers put in one to three or more hours preparing the material. They spend time grading papers, complete with comments and suggestions.
In the classroom, teachers spend time developing bulletin board ideas and putting up the bulletin boards to engage students. They supply pencils, pens, and paper for students who don’t have those items. Teachers are constantly adjusting their plans to meet the needs of the students. Each lesson needs to include elements that bring the three basic styles of learning into play. Lessons need to include visual, audio, and hands on elements to enable all students to learn.
But teachers are not just about the lessons. For the time that students are in our classrooms, they become our children. We need to meet their intellectual, emotional, and physical needs to ensure that they are able to learn.
This is Teacher Appreciation Month. How best can you show your appreciation to teachers? Yes, we love mugs, water bottles, pencils, pens, and various other items, but we receive lots of them. Gift cards to local grocery stores, restaurants, and shops are great gifts for teachers. We also love homemade cards or cards with personal messages from both the parent and the student. We hold on to those items for years. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to show your appreciation. Heartfelt cards and crafts are great things for teachers.
If you have a teacher that made a difference in your life, write a letter to them. Let you know how they changed your life. If there is a teacher who made a difference in the life of your child, send them a card with a short note to let them know they made a difference.
To the many teachers who have made a difference in my life and the lives of my children, Thank You!