Let’s Make It Teacher Appreciation YEAR!

More than ever, we need to be celebrating our amazing teachers.

Think back to when you were seven years old. You were in second grade and your biggest concerns revolved around loose teeth and what you were getting for Christmas. Do you remember what movie won Best Picture at the Oscars that year? What the number one song was? Do you remember who won the Super Bowl or the World Series? Can you name the number one television series at the time?

Now think about your second grade teacher. Can you remember his/her name? How about third grade? Fourth? High School English teachers or Math teachers? If you’re like me, you can name most if not all your teachers but you’d be hard pressed to remember the answers to a lot of those other questions.

Teachers make an indelible impression on us and literally shape our lives. I owe my love of literature, reading, and even grammar to Mr. Gillespi, my sixth grade English teacher. I owe what little I know about Math and Algebra to Mr. Bailey, Mrs. Crawford, and a slew of patient and understanding high school Math teachers. My parents did a wonderful job of preparing me for school and supporting and encouraging my education, but it was my teachers that expanded my world.

As school begins again, take a minute to think about the permanent impact your child’s teacher will make on their life. Think about how hard that teacher has already worked in preparation for the new year and how difficult and demanding their job can often be. Then think about how you can make their job easier. Maybe it’s just making sure your child gets enough sleep and enough breakfast in the morning. Maybe it’s participating in your PTA, volunteering to help chaperone a field trip, or baking cookies for a special event. Even a simple but encouraging email goes an incredibly long way.

Treat this entire year as teacher appreciation week. Then at the end of the year, know that you’ve done YOUR best to help your child do THEIR best. What better present could you give as a parent?

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Rocket City Mom

Rocket City Mom is a website about raising children in and around Huntsville, Alabama. Started in late 2010 by a local mom and newcomer to Huntsville, Rocket City Mom has grown into a thriving community of local parents and now boasts a staff of four, thirteen regular contributors, and tens of thousands of Tennessee Valley readers making it the #1 Parenting Resource in North Alabama.