by Noella Noelophile®
(Royalty-free image by Michal Jarmoluk forom Pixabay.)
Today, May 5th, is National Teacher Appreciation Day.
Instituted by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1953, this first Tuesday in May (as of 1984; previously, it was celebrated in March!) honors the dedicated professionals who have made a difference in shaping the future.
And we’re in the middle of Teacher Appreciation Week, which fall on the first full week in May!
So–who are the teachers you remember with the most gratitude?
I’ve already paid tribute to my best-ever teacher, Mrs. Segal, and Miss Wright, our music teacher, in a previous post.
(Royalty-free image by nhicnttnttcantho from Pixabay.
Recalling with thanks
But there was also Mr. Gilpin, who was a sociology teacher by day, and a cab driver by night! Even as the high-school student I was at the time, the fact that he had to make ends meet that way, was shocking. He was a kind, dedicated teacher with a great sense of humor, who would go out of his way to include shy students in class discussions.
“What do you think, Jenny?” he’d ask, or “What’s your perspective, Mark?”
After graduation, I attended the local university. In my freshman year, during a class project, I needed to find a specific book.
The library and bookstore didn’t have it. Then, I remembered that Mr. Gilpin referencing it in sociology class.
Not only did he have it, when I phoned my alma mater and left a message for him, but he left it at the school office for me to pick up, without questions.
What I remember best, decades later, is returning the book after the successful class project, and Mr. Gilpin’s response when I stopped by his classroom with a “thank you”.
“And thanks for coming to say thanks,” he said, smiling.
(Royalty-free image by naaymelo from pixabay.)
The background of the stories
Another teacher whom I wish I could thank, was Mrs. Collins, our high-school English teacher.
She taught classics that might not have been high-schoolers’ first choices, including Sophocles’ Antigone, and Shakespeare’s sonnets.
But the way she taught them, was to explain what had been happening when they were written.
So her students knew that, in ancient Greece, theater was so revered that, if a citizen couldn’t afford a ticket to performances, the government would buy them one! Or that characters portraying Greek gods wore platform shoes and tall headdresses to add stature. Or that Queen Elizabeth was William Shakespeare’s patron and greatest fan, so that his new works were generally presented in her court first!
I also recall her parting words to the senior class, during our final English class before graduation.
“I don’t wish you money,” she said. “I do wish you joy.”
(Royalty-free image by erwin bosman from Pixabay.)
Preparation for the classroom
Fast-forward ten years.
My cousin Sue, a first-grade, was preparing for fall semester during one of my late-summer visits.
“Here, help me collate these?” she requested, setting stacks of phonics handouts on the table.
Meanwhile, Sue was cutting out animal shapes and putting them on a flannel board.
“We need to stop by the discount store this afternoon and see what I can find, too,” she said. “I give each of my students a little mesh Christmas stocking.”
She shook her head and laughed. “And people say to me, ‘you’re lucky, you get all summer off’!’?”
(Royalty-free image by Hans from Pixabay.)
Appreciating teachers today
This week, and every week, are a great time to thank teachers like Mr. Gilpin, Mrs. Collins and Sue.
A handwritten note or handmade card are fun ideas. So might be a gift card to a teacher-supply or office-supply store, since all too many education professionals, like Sue, dip into their own bank accounts to outfit their classrooms.
And I wish I’d thought of this one, but here is a brilliant idea from Reddit! On the r/askteachers thread, one educator shares that her students asked her favorite color. Then, that student delivered a basket of small gifts, such as socks, gum, colored pencils, etc., all in that color.
Your favorite student, and favorite teacher, could have a lot of fun with this idea–and it’s a very creative way of “coming to say thanks”.