School is Cool... Hug a Teacher!

*~*Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!!*~*

This is one of my favorite weeks at school because we really feel loved and important. Sometimes Often being a teacher is hard work. Some view it as babysitting, a cake job where we work 1/2 the year and are overpaid. I can see how this would be thought of from the outside, but anyone who has worked in a school or is the family member of a school employee knows that this can't be further from the truth. Yes we have weekends, holidays, summers, and snow days off... and yes, it's a nice perk. But we work hard all year long, our work is not done when the school day is over, and our job is constantly changing due to state/district guidelines. We are always on our toes; you have to be ready for anything at any given time, there are so many unknown variables in each and every day. This makes it exciting because each day is never truly exactly like another.  We don't just teach academic skills all day; we teach manners, social skills, attend to injuries (physical and emotional), break apart "he-said, she-said" situations. Teachers do more than just simply teach.... This is one of my favorite quote-pics about the many hats of a teacher...

I do so much more than just teach. <3 

It's a wonderful job, it really is, despite all the stresses that surround it. It's a hard job but I love it and I can't picture myself doing anything else. Yes, summers off are nice... and summers off are well-deserved in my opinion. Not that I think it's more difficult than any other job, because that's not true, but every time the end of June rolls around, it's a much needed time to re-energize and rest before jumping in and starting all over again. So, this summer when you are cursing all of your teacher friends for having the summer off, remember this: many of them will still be working many hours (unpaid) searching for lesson plans and ideas, creating name tags and bulletin boards, and setting up their classrooms to prep for the new year. Nights and weekends are sometimes spent in the same manner- grading papers/tests, checking homework assignments, researching new websites and activities, and creating lessons and games. On most days, I don't leave school for at least an hour after the kids have left (by the time cleaning/prepping/checking emails/filling out papers/etc is done). It's more than just a babysitting service for the day, and I just wanted to bring awareness to that, especially this week. 

One last note... I almost forgot!! Our PTA always goes above and beyond to show appreciation of us at school, they're really incredible, but today I was almost in tears (of happiness) because of their latest idea. Recently during library classes, the kids had to write poems about a teacher or staff member in school, and these were collectively hung up in our long breezeway. EVERY staff member in the building was represented (office personnel, custodial staff, etc) and had a rhyming or acrostic poem hung up about them. Being a classroom teacher, I had a stack of poems that each student in my class (1st grade) wrote/illustrated about me. They were so sweet. I made sure to read each and every one of them this morning and they really brought a smile both to my face and in my heart. I have some difficult days with my class sometimes, and some days I really wonder if I'm making a difference... but reading their adorable little lines about me were so heartwarming, it was a great confidence booster. The special treat was that there were 2 extra poems from girls in upper grades (1 third grade, 1 fourth) who remembered and thought of me when doing this assignment. It was very special and I started my day on a great note. Words of appreciation are an easy way to my heart; well, besides food! ;) 

Thank a teacher... after all, you're able to read this because of one. <3