The impact of a good teacher isn’t just seen on a multiple-choice test or in a carefully crafted essay. It comes from people who honor us in big and small ways, including families, businesses, and organizations. Many people recognize that they followed their passions, found their purpose and built their success thanks to the teachers who first believed in them.
That belief becomes our daily privilege. Every day, teachers look at our students and see in them the next banker, inventor, architect, engineer, writer or Olympic medalist. Our job isn’t just to teach science concepts or primary colors or verb conjugations or how to tie shoes. Our job is to foster the next era of individuals who seek to improve the world using the talents, skills and ideas they most want to share. Teaching is both an incredible responsibility and an incredible joy. It is something to be valued, shared and celebrated by and for all who benefit from the influence of good educators — and that, in fact, is all of us.
It may be difficult to accept recognition when there’s a lot of uncertainty in our classrooms, a lot of ground left to gain and as always, a lot still to be done. But so much of what we teach students happens through modeling. By accepting gratitude, understanding our impact and believing in our worth — especially when we ourselves remain a work in progress — we help our students learn to embrace these attributes for themselves, as well.
Teacher Appreciation Week is an opportunity for us to come together to celebrate our school systems as a whole. It’s not only about teachers, it’s also about the importance of teaching — collective endeavor for the common good. By entrusting us with their children, our families already give us their greatest gift each and every day. And in our efforts as educators, we reciprocate our gratitude. By supporting our students, cultivating our classrooms, and fostering the future of our union, America’s teachers and the schools they serve strengthen communities.
