To me, Teacher Appreciation Week is kind of like Valentine’s Day. It’s nice to have, but on the other hand why can’t we appreciate our teachers all the time, instead of just this one week?
Here are some ways to appreciate teachers year round!
1. Recognize that teachers are professionals. Believe it or not, we teachers actually have degrees to teach, many teachers even have masters degrees or higher! Schools don’t just pick up random people off the streets and stick them into classrooms! Teachers have professional certification. Please respect your teachers professional opinions.
2. Believe the teacher! When the teacher says the student missed points on a assignment for a certain reason, please believe them. We are not “out to get” you! I have had parents actually argue with me about their kid plagiarizing a project, even after I showed them the website it was copy-pasted from! Let’s form a relationship of working together for your kids education rather than trying to place blame!
3. Be respectful of our time. Guess what? Teachers don’t just live at the school (yes I’ve had student’s who have thought this before)! We have lives and families outside work, just like you do! On the other hand, we spend tons of time after hours and on the weekends planning and grading papers. Please be respectful of that! (on that note, be nice! we are real people with feelings, too)
Bonus: Starbucks gift-cards are nice, too! 😉
What are some other ways to show appreciation year round? If you are a teacher, what are some things I missed on the list here?