Celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week: Teacher Appreciation Week was established in 1984 by the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA). They chose this week to honor the men and women who dedicate themselves to the task of teaching the nation's children.

My Teacher Appreciation

Throughout my life there have been those teachers who had an effect on me. There have been many but four stand out in my memory; Mrs. Bourgeois, Mrs. Snelson, Mr. Havard and Mr. Carey. Mrs. Bourgeois was my first grade teacher. She was the first teacher who let me know that what I had to say had value and that you should always be able to support what you believe. If we chose an answer on a test, whether it was right or wrong, she inquired about why we chose that answer. She taught us to reason and think critically. At six, I didn't know that's what I was doing but even then I knew there was something important about being able to back up what you believed whether you were right or wrong.

After the relative solitude of elementary, junior high got off to a less than auspicious start. I found it overly loud, raucous and generally chaotic. You'd think being from Houston that I'd be used to loud and raucous but I hated it. I started to find ways to miss school, just to avoid the cacophony. My mom decided to send me to live in a small town with family, in the hopes that it would help. The small school was predominantly White. Here I was the only African American in many of my classes and I knew that some of my cousins had not had the best time so I didn't know what to expect. That is where Mrs. Snelson and Mr. Havard come in. Mrs. Snelson was my history teacher. She was a wonderful and generous teacher who made me feel valued and accepted. Once on a test she returned to me, she included the phrase, "It is a joy to have you in class". You have no idea how those words allowed my 13 year old esteem to soar. She showed me that it is okay to be who you are.

I always liked to write and at 13, I decided that I would write a novel. I enlisted Mr. Havard to edit it for me. He agreed. Mr. Havard taught English but he wasn't my teacher. He had papers to grade and lesson plans to write but he never brushed me off. Each morning he returned the edited pages from the day before. He could have told me to take a flying leap but he never did. He treated my dream like it was as important to him as it was to me. I plan to finish that novel one day and Mr. Havard, it's dedicated to you.

High school is a strange and wondrous place and navigating through it is not always easy.

I returned to Houston for high school. Mr. Carey was my homeroom teacher. It is hard to quantify in words the guidance he gave me. I can't point to one thing or another but just that he was always there and available to listen and to hear me. For that I am eternally grateful. I owe a debt of gratitude to these teachers as well as many others who were there to lend a listening ear or a strong shoulder. They made it easier.

Why Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week?

Each day millions of teachers around the world reach out to our children and let them know that they can do better. They deal with our children when they are at their best and at their worst. It is important to encourage them, especially these days when so many teachers are leaving the profession for greener more lucrative pastures. However, many are staying the course because they love what they do and they want to make a difference. It is crucial that we let them know that we appreciate their efforts. Many work long hours and spend a good deal of their own money to insure that the students have everything they need.

These days one is more apt to hear about the small percentage of teachers who are taking advantage of their positions to abuse students. These occurrences are becoming more and more prevalent but they still only represent a minute percentage of all teachers. Most teachers care about and respect their students and are loath to take advantage of them in this way. So think about those teachers who helped you become who you are and those who you have entrusted with your kids futures. Take a moment out this week and let them know that you appreciate what they do.

If you are a teacher: THANK YOU!!!

Sources:

http://www.pta.org/local_leadership_subprogram_1117568214281.html