Yep, teachers get a whole week of appreciation. Pretzels, sweets, Lotto ticket (I won an extra ticket), the PTA with their awesome onslaught of daily food–whoo-hoo.
Lots of folks outside of teaching think this “week” is overkill, since every single day is one of teacher appreciation, what with our easy jobs, and all. We only work eight months a year, we’re out at 3:00 every day, we get amazing benefits, get paid too much for what we do as glorified babysitters, and, when we retire, we get somewhere around 90% of our salary.
We do work eight months a year and are out at 3:00 every day. Our benefits used to be good, and I do think some teachers get paid too much. But, after 23 years of teaching, at age 56 next year, if I retired I would get about a third of my current salary, with no more benefits. Oh, joy.
I don’t like some teachers. All the teachers in the world, I’m allowed to not like certain folk. Some teachers don’t like me. They’re allowed, even though they got me all wrong. There are things teachers do that just don’t fit with my definition of a teacher, and I’m sure they feel similarly for those they respect, and those they don’t. I have a hard time with teachers who come late, or can’t laugh at themselves, or are mean to kids–the list could go on.
However, I don’t work with too many of those people. I work with teachers who are in there battling just like me. Just because they may not be yelling and trying to get students to question everything and be better people doesn’t mean they’re not doing what they do to move students forward. I know some of my trolls at school and here think I’m not worthy of their greatness, but I’ve been doing this for 23 years, tons of kids sign up for my classes, so maybe I’m doing something right. Either way, if you’re trying and don’t have some selfish agenda, I’m okay with you.
The term “teacher appreciation week” IS a joke because we should be appreciated daily. Yep. Daily. Because we’re teaching daily, and on weekends, and sometimes in the summer. We’re thinking of teaching, we’re sharing ideas with anyone who will listen, we’re meeting on our own time and creating materials. We may get four months off, but school is never far from our thoughts.
Want to find a teacher? They’re at Target every year before school. They’ve waited for that weekend to come around, and now that pens are 89 cents and everything else is discounted, they buy the place out quickly, stocking up for the next school year.
Want to appreciate a teacher? Keep feeding us now and again–we love that stuff. How about a box of Kleenex? What other profession or company doesn’t provide a box of Kleenex? Teachers (not this one) offer extra credit for tissues. Counselors, the dean, administrators–teach one of our classes now and again. Want the pulse of the school? These are the front lines, and you can share your expertise. Kids get bored of us–they would love this.
I’m going to appreciate myself this weekend. Got some cleaning to do, which is a good thing because it’s cleaning out my room. There’s this thing called the Kentucky Derby–once a year, first Saturday of May. Yeah, there will be homework, and grades are due, and that will take time.
But, speaking of time, it’s running out on the year. 33 days left, baby. THAT is something every teacher can appreciate.