Partnership Educators,
Teacher Appreciation Week:
Today is the Friday of Teacher Appreciation Week. I want to say thank you to all of our dedicated teachers, Psychologists, Speech Therapists, Nurses, and Counselors who work hard every day to build powerful connections with our students. Some students do not always seem to show appreciation for your efforts, but someday those efforts of planting seeds will show fruit. It was recently I took my wife to an appointment and the girl helping her and who escorted my back to see her told me she was in my fifth grade class at Bonny View. She started to tell me all about the great things she remembers. Near the top of my list of most wonderful moments of my life. Just knowing that this too will happen to you should make you pause and consider the impact that you have on the community in which you live, the world that our students will create, and the future of our society. Every day I meet wonderful kids who I am proud to call a neighbor. our certificated staff are a huge part of that fact. Here are some cute stories from Reader's Digest that outline the impact of teaching.
Years ago, while teaching first grade, I was giving directions for a writing assignment. I described the usual format: capital letters and punctuation. I stated that this particular task would be about a person whom they admired, someone who was important to them. We spoke of moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas. I ended my explanation and told them to begin. Then I saw his hand. I walked over to my student, who could be quite challenging at times. In his quiet voice, he asked, “Can I write about you?” It’s those moments that make me stay. —Melissa O'Connor, Sunrise, Florida
A group of uniformed servicemen was exiting a restaurant as a group of teacher friends and I walked in wearing our school shirts. I thanked them for their service. As they walked away, I heard one say, "They're the ones who work in a war zone of runny noses, stacks of papers, and a thousand questions a day. I prefer my job!" Coming from a military family, I was both humbled and amused by our mutual admiration. —Stephanie Woodard, Missouri City, Texas
Billy was the resident cowboy of my kindergarten class, coming to school each day dressed in chaps, a vest, and a cowboy hat. One morning, he excitedly told me that his mother was going to have a baby. “I’m going to teach my little brother all the things every cowboy should know, like how to ride a horse and rope a steer,” he exclaimed. “But,” I cautioned, “what if your mother gives you a baby sister?” Billy had never considered this, and the possibility stunned him. He gazed out the window for a moment, before saying with resignation, “Then I’m headin’ west.” —John Cimics, Midland, Texas
Have a great weekend,