Some Teacher Encouragement
It seems that it is the appropriate time to provide a little bit of teacher encouragement for all you hard-working teachers. Right about now, many of you are probably starting to feel the strain of all the demands on your time.
First of all, I want you to know that you are working in one of the most important professions in the country. You nurture our smallest citizens, cheering them on in all they do while also filling them with knowledge, morals, and wisdom.
Teacher Encouragement – The Nurturer
I know you have all read the memes about teachers and all the nurturing they provide students. Although people may joke about it, it is very true. On school days, you are with your students during their waking hours more than their own parents (during the school year).
You are their scheduler, their nurse, their surrogate mommy. And also their counselor, their shoe tier, their hairdresser. Their lunch organizer, their crafting pal, their greatest fan, their librarian and storyteller. I am sure there are probably about twenty more that could be listed here.
Even up into middle school and high school your students depend on you to provide them with stability in this confusing, big world.
How awesome are you!!!
You are their social organizer; planning games and field trips, taking them to recess and the computer lab and library. You help them learn songs to sing at performances, help them learn lines in plays or to perfect their piece of art.
You celebrate their successes and help them struggle through and conquer their mistakes. All with a smile on your face (most of the time). You start each day, coffee in hand (for many of you – I know because it’s all I’ve been seeing it on Instagram. Haha) ready to tackle the day.
And I know from experience that sometimes you enter the building after having had a difficult morning or difficult week. Yet many times you are able to set it aside in order to give your students another content-filled day.
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Teacher Encouragement – The Purveyor of Knowledge
Now, on top of all that nurturing, you are providing our future citizens with crucial knowledge. The
But, we DO KNOW that they will all need to learn to read and comprehend text. That they all need to learn math, science, and social studies. Many of you provide the arts to those who are craving it immensely; music, theater, fine arts, and crafts.
You Rock!
Along with all these subject areas, you are teaching them to analyze, compare, contrast, categorize, dissect, search for context clues, and many more comprehension skills.
Some educators are beginning to see the need to bring back some basic life skills to the Jr. High and High School curriculum. Students should leave the 12th grade knowing how to set up a bank account, how to fry an egg, how to fill out a job application, how to iron a shirt, how to change a tire and check the oil level in their cars.
While many of us think these things should be taught at home, many of these skills aren’t and so society has to decide if we want students to know these things or not by age 18.
This is a good place to add in another article I wrote about the importance of reading aloud to your class. You can access it here:
How Important is Reading Aloud to Your Class?
Reading aloud to your class allows students to relax and listen, really listen without other distractions. Often, it’s the only time of the day that they can. When they get home from school, many are on their cell phones until a parent tells them to do their homework or come eat dinner.
But listening to a story being read (and a long story with chapters) lets their brains imagine the story; to draw the pictures in their minds. This is such a necessary part of brain development.
Teacher Encouragememt – You are their moral compass!
I know sometimes teachers forget that they are setting examples for all their students. You are showing them, through your words and actions, how to speak, how to act, how to treat others. What hard work looks like, that you are human, that you get tired, that you can forgive.
NEVER FORGET THAT YOU ARE THEIR MORAL COMPASS (along with their parents).
If you are interested in this topic, in particular, I wrote another article about it. You can read it here:
Be a “Compass” for Your Students
Just always keep this fact at the forefront of your mind. I am always reminding my own grown children that they have “little ears listening.” Children listen and take in everything around them (well, most of them do) – some with autism or ADHD may not.
A True Story!
I remember once, as the site principal, I had to remind two parents that were arguing in the parking lot that all the children around them were watching them and absorbing their (negative) example.
While both left in a huff, that afternoon one of them returned to thank me and tell me I was right about both of them setting a bad example for students.
Words of wisdom
And finally, you are the wise one in the room. I’m sure that if you teach High School some of your students might dispute this because (after all) teenagers think they know everything.
But in an elementary school, the teacher is the wise one in the room. Being the wise one means being in charge, making the tough decisions, knowing that something won’t work based on prior knowledge and experience. Knowing what students need to succeed because you have helped so many others already.
Being the wise one, you are tasked with making so many decisions all day long. I read somewhere that teachers make more decisions in a day than a doctor. I believe it! We often have to juggle numerous items at the same time, all while keeping an eye on the clock so we wouldn’t be late for lunch, or recess or dismissal.
You are the best!!
Never doubt the impact you are making for your students, in your community, for our nation. Every doctor, every astronaut, every politician, every farmer ALL HAD A TEACHER to guide their way. Your career supports every other career in our country.
And just in case you need a few more words of teacher encouragement, here is an article on Teach 4 the Heart website (one of my favorite sites) called
“Your Work Matters: a Word of Encouragement for Teachers.”
BE PROUD!!
Tell me some of your proud teaching moments. I’d love to hear them. And, what are you struggling with in the classroom? Maybe I can give you some advice.
Until Next Time,
Your Teacher Buddy
