It’s teacher appreciation week! I can’t think of anyone in the world (well, other than health care workers) that truly deserves more praise and acknowledgment in 2021.
During a “regular teaching year,” you’re already asked to do more work and put in more hours. You realize that it’s almost impossible to do your job well without logging more time and your own resources. I recognize this is already unfair and something we need to work on across the board.
For teachers, 2021 — has been, well — unprecedented! This is the time to use that word, right?!
You’ve continued to show up for your kids through a pandemic — one we’ve never experienced before. When the world felt like it was falling apart and we were scared of getting sick, and had family and friends getting sick all around us. When we were isolated at home, had no idea how to teach remotely or do distance learning, you showed up.
You showed up for your students, even with your own kids at home, when you likely wanted to tear your hair out. For this, we say THANK YOU!
You showed up day after day in front of a computer sometimes or perhaps all the time.
You showed up to a classroom you wouldn’t recognize because you’d been gone for so long, and now you had to figure out how to make the space Covid friendly.
You showed up with smiles, games, read alouds.
You built a strong community through a computer screen.
You found out that many of your kids missed you when they were on vacations or breaks. You discovered that you were the one constant that helped them to feel safe and loved.
Teachers know a thing or two about tests, and you’ve had your share this year. There were probably days you felt like you couldn’t do it for one more day. And you did anyway.
Not only did you show up, but you learned new technology, played with platforms to get kids engaged, and attended professional development when you were exhausted. You also had to look at your curriculum and figure out how to make it work now that your kids weren’t in front of you every day.
Some days the kids didn’t show up. And you worried about them — being unable to look them in the eye and ask them if they were okay. You reached out to parents to let them know you care, tell them you missed their child, and express how important it is for them to keep coming to school and help them keep a routine through this nutty time.
You dealt with wifi issues day in and day out. You learned to deal with it even when it was incredibly frustrating. You tried to keep students focused through background noise in kids’ houses, your home, and kids wanting you to see their pets or puzzles. You learned to embrace these crazy nuances and sometimes even laugh about them.
This article is to say THANK YOU to you!
Thank you for …
- Showing up throughout this year
- Your tireless efforts
- Staying optimistic so your kids could feel a little safer
You deserve so much for the way you navigated this year.
The concept of learning loss is flawed in many ways. Let’s celebrate all we HAVE been able to accomplish in this incredibly challenging year.
You’re almost at the finish line.
With love, respect, and gratitude — the LP team is cheering you across the finish line.
Want to thank another teacher? Send them the link to this article or share on your favorite social media channels and tag your colleagues. We’re sure they’ll appreciate it.
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