Teacher appreciation day, or teacher appreciation week in some schools, has come to an end. As a teacher, I always had mixed feelings about teacher appreciation, usually depending on whether I was on the up or down part of the career-in-education rollercoaster. Some years, I felt like I was already valued by the school community, and teacher appreciation week was an unexpected bonus. Letters from students, funny gifts that referenced lessons, or handmade presents that revealed extracurricular talents all made me a little misty-eyed at the thought that my time with this particular group of students was coming to an end.
Other years, teacher appreciation week felt like a slap in the face, because no quantity of scented candles or coffee-shop gift cards could make up for a school community that had made its disdain for teachers evident. Those years, the damage was done long before May.
Whether teachers have a good year or bad year often leads to more than feelings about teacher appreciation day. It can be the difference between high turnover and sudden resignations or experienced educators building institutional knowledge and school culture. It’s the difference between teachers encouraging or discouraging students who express an interest in education as a profession.
Here are my top three suggestions for building teacher appreciation all year, every year:
- Build a Strong Company Culture for Teachers: Teachers are often on the forefront of building school culture, but it’s important for districts and administrators to invest in a company culture for teachers. Although teacher pay is a hot topic and one that is sometimes up to voters or lawmakers, not school leaders, any school can emulate small start-up companies that have found thoughtful ways to give employees a sense of belonging and opportunity in the workplace, even if they can’t provide huge salaries. Consider ways to address toxic aspects of teaching (like no work-life balance) and facilitate unique opportunities (like content-specific professional learning or international class trips during breaks). Coach teachers to address individual strengths and weaknesses and expect them to seek opportunities for professional growth and leadership.
- Give Me a Sign: At hospitals and airports, there are little signs in the waiting room and TSA checkpoint line, reminding patients, visitors, and travelers that harassment, verbal abuse, or violence of any kind will not be tolerated. Given how many teachers cite parent interactions as a reason for leaving the profession, I think it’s time schools posted little signs of their own. Although I don’t think it’s a bad thing that parents do not automatically close ranks with teachers in an “the adults are always right” move, I do think parents need to be accountable for their interactions with educators. School leaders should set clear expectations about healthy ways for parents and teachers to communicate and intervene when either party struggles to meet expectations.
- Reset Narratives About Teaching: I would like to reframe teaching as a career, rather than an extreme lifestyle or sacred calling. Although it is both a lifestyle and a calling for many, those narratives make some basic professional conversations difficult, even within the teaching community. “We do it for the children” or “you’re a hero” narratives shut down necessary conversations about fair compensation, better working conditions, or timely responses to systemic issues. Rather than celebrate who overcame impossible odds or whose sacrifice was most inspiring, let’s refocus on celebrating the training, skills, mindset, and experience teachers bring to the table. Let’s be curious about how educators respond as new opportunities and obstacles arise in their field. Let’s advocate for teachers to have the resources and support to do their jobs without having to exhibit superhuman fortitude.
As one school year ends and another begins, teachers, their employers, and parents who depend on their expertise should remember that teachers are highly adaptable, specially trained individuals with a scary work ethic. They can and do regularly bounce to other careers when they feel like they’ve hit a wall or that they’re … unappreciated. As all the Hallmark movies teach us, one lavish gift at the 11th hour does not compensate for a toxic relationship. Now is the time to develop ways to show appreciation, respect, and solidarity by cultivating attitudes and practices that make schools a healthy workplace and teaching a viable long-term career.