Appreciate a Teacher Any Day

In Santa Cruz, the official Day of the Teacher was last Wednesday. Honestly, at my elementary school, it feels like everyday is The Day of the Teacher. OK, not every day, but not just once a year, either. 

I believe this is a phenomenon unique to elementary schools and, possibly, to De Laveaga Elementary. It took some getting used to, as I had always worked with low-income students whose parents either had a multitude of small children or more than one job to support their family. Volunteering at the school was almost unheard of. But this is not the case at De Laveaga Elementary, where it's quite the opposite. Every day there are a plethora of parents working like busy bees helping make my school be the best.

Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person alive, because I love my job. Really, I love my job. I absolutely look forward to going to work Monday morning, not only because I get to be away from my twin teenagers, but because I miss my students over the weekend.

The parents at my school are almost as amazing as their children. This was so apparent this year when my very behind-the-scenes room parent organized my class parents on Teacher Appreciation Day. By 8:30 a.m., my desk was laden with flowers and precious homemade cards with messages such as, “You’re the brightest star and the best one to follow,” and “You are the best teacher ever. You are fun, happy and fair. I love you so much.”

Every month the De Laveaga Elementary Parent Teacher Club organizes an appreciation lunch for the teachers in addition to their fundraising efforts throughout the school year. With budget cuts, the parents are fundraising so teachers do not have to buy classroom materials with their own money.

Once or twice a year, the committee members arrive at the faculty meeting with a few students who walk around the room handing out grant checks to the teachers. The students are honored to be at the teachers’ meeting, the teachers are elated and the parents are proud.

Does it get any better than this? I think not!

But what about the middle school and the high school teachers? Are they appreciated? Every year I send a small appreciation to my Addison and Garrett’s 12 teachers. Almost always the teachers tell me that I’m the only parent who does this. At the middle and high school level, things are done differently: The Boosters arrange a luncheon or a breakfast to show their appreciation for the hard-working teachers.

Those “big kid teachers” do feel appreciated and loved; there’s no doubt about that. It’s just different. I know from personal experience that teenagers are mortified to be different in any way, including—God forbid—giving their teachers presents or a card. This year my 16-year-olds conveniently left their teachers’ coffee gift cards on the table. I know the way around this situation—the Harbor High Mail Room! Our family’s appreciations will arrive sometime next week when I have time to drop by and deliver them.

Recently at the Santa Cruz Eddy Awards, the emcee quoted G.B. Stern: “Unexpressed appreciation isn’t worth anything to anyone.” 

Teachers, of any level, enjoy being told that their efforts are appreciated.

If your child’s teacher or teachers have made an impression on your child in any way, by all means, let the teacher know. We love to be appreciated any day.