Thank a Teacher Today

The first week of the new school year is coming to an end and to say I am grateful would be an understatement.

Sending Ella back to school was a nail-biting decision for me right up until our virtual Meet the Teacher event last week. Our school did things a bit differently this year, we found out who our child’s teacher will be on the morning of Meet the Teacher Day. The excitement and anticipation was like the night before Christmas.  She went to bed excited for the big reveal and I went to bed praying I could find the zoom link in the morning and arrive on the call without technical difficulties.

The next morning, I woke up to my phone buzzing uncontrollably with text messages from my fellow momstars waiting to find out which teacher ‘we” were assigned to.  I still needed to wash my face and pour some coffee before I could dive through all the emails. 

Then, I found it, the welcome email from the teacher Ella was hoping for. She was so happy.

So far so good. Next up, we conquered zoom and made it to the meeting seamlessly. It was such a relief to see a familiar face inside the classroom that my child has missed so much. As a parent I felt a sense of relief. It was awesome to see her teacher’s smiling face and meet the kids who will share the classroom with her this year. It was very reassuring to have a visual representation of other families who had faith in the on-campus learning model.

Ella’s teacher walked the students through the classroom schedule and gave us all a virtual tour of the classroom and desk set up. She talked about some of the new school procedures in place to help keep the teachers and students safe and accommodate learning in the age of COVID 19. As she told us what to expect this year, she made a few funny jokes to put their minds at ease. Mindset is everything.

In that moment, I realized that if it wasn’t for her bravery and passion for teaching, my child would still be home on the couch missing her friends and her love of science.

I am extremely thankful for all the educators who chose to return to teaching amidst a global pandemic. Teachers are always on the frontlines and this situation is no different. Teachers returning to campus and teachers who are new to the virtual classroom are nervous and a bit scared in these uncertain times. We must acknowledge that their courage and love of teaching is giving our children the opportunity to move forward and continue their education.

Thank you, teachers, for your optimism, dedication and strength to show up and perform such an important job. You have given my child and many others something to look forward to. A feeling of hope as that life will be back to normal soon. Please be kind to teachers and show them some compassion as we navigate this school year together.

Teachers – we see you; we appreciate you and we value you! Thank you for all that you do for your students. We are wishing you a safe and happy school year.