Anne Silva
First of all, HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY/WEEK/MONTH! Here in this community, we are teachers, so who better to know how amazing our fellow educators are? We wish that teachers were appreciated by the whole community EVERY. DAY. OF. THE. YEAR. Because truly, you dedicate your whole life, 365 days a year, to BEING a teacher. It’s not just a job; it’s a lifestyle.
One year at my school, Teacher Appreciation Week was truly a blow-out: each day, either breakfast or lunch was provided for the faculty, goodies and snacks were prevalent, and… drum roll please… CHAIR MASSAGES. For FREE. Two of the students’ mothers were massage therapists, and they set up their massage chairs in the faculty lounge for little 10- or 15-minute back and neck massages during teachers’ planning periods or lunch breaks. Can I just tell you how amazing this was? That was like 10 years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday.
So, since we’re sure that all teachers everywhere are going to be getting way spoiled in honor of Teacher Appreciation Day/Week/Month, we figured we’d help you start your Teacher Appreciation Wish List so that the Teacher Appreciation Elves will know what to get you:
(Feel free to print this out and distribute freely with the promise of higher grades for everyone. It’s not technically how the saying goes, but it should be something like, “When teacher’s happy, EVERYONE’S happy…”)
1. A new car.
2. No, really, a new car would rock.
3. A massage. Every lunch break.
4. A new set of G2 pens, .5 point, please (everyone knows they are the best pens but that the .38 points are terrible!)
5. A lunch break that allows you to actually chew your food.
6. A class period where everyone has completed his or her homework, has a positive attitude, and shows real motivation to learn the material at hand.
7. Ok, ok … any ONE of the above.
8. A bathroom break. Just one, ever.
9. A “Teacher Homework Pass”… you know, a “get out of jail free” card for when you forget to post your grades when they were due.
10. An acronym dictionary at the beginning of every year, so that you can keep your IEPs and your IPAs and your ELLs and your ELEs and your LMNOPs straight.
11. …?
What would you add? What will you be including in your Carta a los Reyes Magos?
Or, have you ever gotten a really swell gift/gesture/favor/etc. for Teacher Appreciation Day/Week/Month? If so, please tell us about it! Just hearing about sweet gestures gives everyone warm fuzzies, so share the joy!
