5 for Friday: Teacher Appreciation Style!

Sometimes we as teachers get so bogged down in our to-do lists that we forget to tell each other what an amazing job we are each doing. So, my Five for Friday this week is going to be a list of all the things I think teachers do that are amazing and deserve appreciation. I'm going to count DOWN this time... 

Thanks for all the extra time you spend trying to make sure you offer only the best for your kids. Thanks for the hours spent skimming Pinterest looking for fresh new ideas (seriously!), thanks for the time you spend with impromptu parent conferences as your kids get picked up every day, thanks for the time spent doing paperwork, analyzing data, reading professional books, grading papers, planning intervention, etc. Thanks for your time. 

Thanks for planning lessons which help your kids not just pass a test, but help them become better readers, better writers, scientists, mathematicians, critical thinkers and better human beings in general. 

Thanks for spending your own money on everything from classroom decor, books, supplies and even the occasional lunch for a student. We all know you don't get paid enough to buy everything you want to purchase, but the fact that you would skip that much needed Coke at lunch so a student could have a hot lunch is appreciated. 

Thank you for not getting frustrated when everyone else fails to recognize how amazing you are....all the time. 

 Above all, thank you for loving your students like they are your own kids...because I honestly believe that 100% of the teachers at my school love their students.. Maybe not all the time, especially on days where there is a full moon :), but we love our kids. We are proud of them, sad for them, disappointed by them, excited for them. They ARE our children. The other day, one of my students said "Hey, Mrs. Andrews...you have 43 kids!"...Another student added, "Yea...you have all of us plus baby Jackson!". It sounds cheesy but it totally melted my heart. 

So Happy Appreciation Week my fellow teacher friends! You are amazing, you are appreciated and you are loved. Have a great weekend!