Teacher Appreciation Week

Today wraps up Teacher Appreciation Week.

There are a LOT of difficult and demanding professions in the world.  I believe that teaching is one of them.  Sure, they are not cutting people open and performing brain surgery, nor are they working outside in the 90 degree heat constructing a building, or performing detailed math calculations to project the safety of products that will impact hundreds of thousands of people in our nation.  But that doesn't diminish what teachers do each day - or the fact that teachers had to help shape and influence each of those other career examples I just mentioned.

Teachers went into teaching because of a love for kids.  They love to work with you, learn about your lives, help you to grow and thrive, challenge you and celebrate as you reach each new success.

Teachers must try to please a WHOLE lot of people!  Most teachers have over 120 students that they work with each day.  Each student is unique and your teacher is going to try to help meet the varied needs that each of you have.

And while it is a demanding profession, I love the fact that most teachers wouldn't trade their jobs for anything.  If you come into school early in the morning, you will find teachers like Mr. Troutner working away trying to make sure that everything will go off without a flaw in each of his classes.  Come by late at night and you'll often find Mr. Wisard setting up for labs.  Walk through the halls during the day and you will find math teachers like Ms. Kneubel or English teachers like Mrs. Smith meeting 1:1 with students in the halls or in an empty classroom. 

At the high school level, you have teachers who not only love you, their students, but also love their subject matter.  And yes, I know, if you don't love what you are studying in their class it might make it hard to be excited about Romeo and Juliet, but have you watched as your teachers eyes light up when they talk about the material they find so exciting?  Isn't it nice to know that there are so many different interests and passions that our teachers are able to share with us each day?  Or what about the efforts that so many teachers go through to give you unique learning experiences by serving as club advisors (like In The Know with Mrs. Haverkamp or JSA with Mr. Buck), or securing interesting guest speakers (like Mr. Strausbaugh in Poli Rad or Mrs. Kucharek in Law), or providing the option of participating in Senior Project (Mrs. Stubenrauch).

It's easy to take what your teachers do each day for granted, but we really are fortunate to have such dedicated professionals who are striving to open your eyes to new and interesting aspects of the world around you and hopefully instilling a love of learning at the same time.

Teachers have been spoiled this week by the PTO with acts of kindness, but I can assure you that what means the most to them is hearing from YOU, their students.  So, let me challenge you that in the next week, try to thank a teacher (or two) for their efforts.  Thank the teacher who believes in you.  Thank the teacher who pushes you the hardest.  Thank the teacher who loves what they are teaching.  Thank the teacher who has allowed you to learn about something you never would have known about had it not been for that class.  Your effort to appreciate them will linger in their hearts and minds FAR beyond the end of this year and may be the best part of their whole year.