It's National Teacher Appreciation Week May 2 - 6! Recognizing we've all had teachers we appreciate, Chelsea Belville (our School Social Worker) and I thought you'd enjoy the following blog post below. We hope you'll consider trying Dr. Fay's tip and taking it a step further by sending a quick e-mail or leaving a phone message for a teacher you and your child admire and appreciate. Thank you!
First of all I’d like to apologize to the many teachers of my youth who put their heart and soul into trying to maintain order with me sitting in their classrooms. I wasn't a downright malevolent child. I simply liked to keep things entertaining by continuously testing the sense of humor of my instructors. My tenth grade biology teacher passed the test with flying colors as he reacted to the cadaver frog I'd managed to hang from the ceiling tile above my desk. "Mr. Fay," he replied with a dry smile, "life around here would be so dull without you."
Like many of my teachers, he managed to see the good in me even when I couldn't see it in myself. Great teachers are like that. Somehow they manage to use their x-ray vision to spot the gifts in even the most difficult kids.
Let's send a big thanks to educators by helping our kids view them with great respect. A powerful strategy for achieving this goal involves allowing them to overhear us talking positively about their teachers. You've probably noticed your children's eyes glazing over as you've tried to lecture them about some essential truth. In contrast, you've seen how closely they listen when they see that you're trying to have a private conversation!
Experiment with this: At least twice a week intentionally let your children overhear you saying something positive about their teachers. Do this for the rest of the school year.
Springtime can be tough for both teachers and their students. Keeping things positive can go a long way toward helping your children learn while showing teachers that we appreciate their hard work and dedication.
Dr. Charles Fay
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