Teacher Appreciation

I hope by now that you have felt some appreciation from your students and colleagues this week. Teacher Appreciation Week is a great time to recognize those individuals that do a lot for students. Ironically, the qualities that teachers are often appreciated for may have little or nothing to do with instruction. Teachers are often appreciated for the relationships and expectations that they have for their students. Students appreciate the way that they make them feel as individuals much more than the knowledge they impart. I vividly remember loving a high school English teacher that taught me so much more than how to write. She set such high expectations for me as a student and as a young man. When I stepped out of line, she called me out quickly, sometimes even going to the point of taking off her shoe to throw at me! (Please do not follow her example on this!)

This job requires inspiration and many of us were inspired to work in education because of a teacher that we had in school. That person made us want to be like them. I am still inspired by many of you. I stand in awe of your positivity, your dedication and your relentless pursuit of achieving more from your students. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week and thank you for being an inspiration to students and adults alike.