Every week, I write a short blurb about teaching and learning for my school's parent newsletter. I've decided to post old ones on this site from time to time (Here is the archive). If you're interested in hiring me to lead PD for this or next year, please get in touch.
- Dr. G
How can we show appreciation for our teachers?
This week was Teacher Appreciation Week, which is an opportunity to recognize the sacrifices teachers make for children every day. Our district and office staff went out of their way to give us treats and drinks, including a full meal on Wednesday, and a visit from a barista on Tuesday. All in all, this week was one of the best Teacher Appreciation weeks I've experienced since I got into teaching.
While the snacks were sweet, the salty secret right now is that the teaching profession is in the middle of a crisis. There is a huge demand for teachers across the country, and the supply of teaching applicants hasn't kept up with the demand. Fewer college students are choosing to enter teaching and more and more teachers are leaving the profession. What can we do to halt this worrying trend?
The first thing to do is to fix behavior. It is impossible to enjoy teaching when students are being disruptive, and it is downright scary to teach when at any time you could be the target of violence and insults. The second thing to fix is workload. Teachers are increasingly given responsibilities that are beyond their paygrade and training. Their job is to teach, and to prepare to teach, and anything past this is unsustainable. As a parent, you can help by teaching your child to respect their teachers. The ultimate teacher appreciation gift isn't an apple or a gift card, but that your child comes to school every day with a desire to learn, behave, and achieve.
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