Teacher Appreciation

       If you have spent any time with me in the past six months, you will have heard me utter these words (teacher appreciation) at least 410,713 times. #sorrynotsorry I may have already told you this about me, but for the sake of clarification, I should explain that I am the head of my son's school's PTO.  It's also the school I graduated from as well as the school I taught at. So I particularly enjoy serving in this capacity because it's exciting to serve the staff, some of whom were my teachers, those whom I attended to school with, and even those whom I taught. 
       This coming week (May 6-10) is national Teacher Appreciation Week and I want to explain what this week is all about. I served as a teacher of various subjects and ages for twelve years. Those years were some of the most rewarding yet exhausting of my entire life. Teaching isn't something I went into for the money or career potential. Teaching is a calling that I, along with many men and women find rewarding. Watching students experience that "ah ha" moment was the most exciting part of my job. I would spend countless nights creating lesson plans, buying supplies, and crafting a classroom dynamic which would all seem worth it when a student went, "Oh! I get it! That's so cool!" 
       Many teachers love their jobs and the "ah ha" moments are special, but all that work can lead to burn out. We are seeing significant burnout, particularly among new teachers. According to a 2014 study, 41% of teachers leave the profession after the first five years. Corporations run on billion dollar budgets while schools bicker over petty cash. In one preschool I worked in I had to defend my crayon usage to the director because of cost savings. Read that again. I had to defend my crayon usage. For three-year-olds. Who liked to color. Many teachers get tired of this nonsense and leave. Others can't provide for themselves on the salary offered due to student loans (all those increased needs for certification cost tens of thousands of dollars) and cost of living increases.
       Also, teachers purchase many of their classroom supplies. Look around your child's classroom. Chances are that the posters hanging all over the walls, the fun, and fancy post-it-notes the students receive notes on, the colored dry-erase markers to help explain concepts, and the books in their classroom library have all been purchased by their teacher. The average spends $500 per year on school supplies. 
       Okay, those last couple of paragraphs were bleak. I apologize, but you must know the group you are talking about when I am making a case for really demonstrating appreciation. So how can you help? You can't fix the educational system by yourself, but you can help by celebrating the teachers around you. Search for "teacher appreciation ideas" on Pinterest and you will be overwhelmed with suggestions. Each teacher is different, but I would like to offer a few suggestions from a teacher's perspective on how to demonstrate thankfulness for your child's teachers. The following are some suggestions for things to do or gifts to give to teachers:

• A thank you note. This is no small gesture. Even if you can't do anything else, take the time to write your child's teachers and say thank you for all they do. Don't forget their "specials" teachers. Hearing that you are appreciated and knowing that your hard work is recognized is a powerful dose of encouragement. 
• Everyone loves gift cards. If you know their favorite store or restaurant, go with that, if not, just pick something popular. Amazon is always a win. 
• Teachers love school supplies, especially school supplies that aren't generally covered by the office. These include colored Expo dry erase markers, colorful pens, fun post-it-notes, and multi-color packs of Sharpies.
• If you know about the teacher and get them something related to their hobby or interests,  it makes them feel especially appreciated. 
• Useful things are great. Once, a parent gave me a set of hangers. They were velvety so clothes didn't fall off them and they were great. It definitely wasn't a standard teacher gift, but I loved them and are still using them today.
• A fun idea is to do something small each day. One year a student brought me a small item each day and it just made my week so special. Suggestions for this include a fun pen, a small bag of popcorn or chips, a 20 oz. or can of pop, a small plant, a package of mints, a candy bar, etc. The anticipation of the gift was as exciting as receiving the gift. This is a fun way to make your child's teacher feel special. 
• Candles, mugs, and lotion, are nice, but keep in mind that teachers get a lot of them. 
• Of course there is the odd exception, but for the most part apple decked items and things sold at craft fairs as "teachery" are nice, but not as desirable as school supplies or gift cards. 

       Whatever your desires or financial means, please, please, please, take time this week to thank a teacher. Don't have kids in school? Well, 1. Thank you for reading this far into my post and 2. Thank a former teacher. I will be adding photos to our PTO Instagram @bcspto and to my own account @edy2207.