Let's Value and Respect Our Teachers: Thank a Teacher Today!

Thank a Teacher Day was about a week ago, but you can show your appreciation at any time of the year!
However, as the academic year is coming to a close (and since my 'Education' category is really lacking in some posts!) I thought I would do a teacher appreciation post.

Personally, I think that the career of being a teacher is largely undermined in society, and I don't think teachers gain enough value and respect that they deserve. After all, most of you reading this will have probably been affected by one somehow.

Unfortunately, we also see many comments scrutinising the work of teachers which are really upsetting to read. Many of us don't realise the sheer amount of resilience and dedication that teachers must commit to, but having witnessed many of mine go above and beyond what is expected of them, it breaks my heart knowing that teachers have to come across them.


If you still attend school or if you are a student and you don't want to read this whole post, please do one thing - take note of the concluding paragraph.

If you are a hard-working teacher/lecturer - thank you so much for everything that you do for your pupils/ students. I know a 'thank you' does suffice to the challenges, sacrifices and dedication you put into your jobs every single day.


Of course, I'm not a teacher, so I'm going to try my best based on research and personal conversations I have had.
Remember that this is just a generalisation. Here are just a handful of reasons to why you should thank a teacher today:


Teachers really do care about their pupils/students
In the most recent Teacher Wellbeing Index (2018) by the Education Support Partnership it was stated that the main reasons for wanting to work in education is 'to work with children/young people and make a difference, or an impact, on their lives. They want to teach them and help them learn, achieve and progress.' (pg. 14). This point is largely link to the following three points, which are explained below.


They make financial sacrifices
It's no myth that funding in education is suffering. At A Level I wasn't even provided textbooks for one of the subjects that I studied. There was only one textbook which we all got photocopies of bits and pieces out of, but we all know that you can't get a 'satisfactory' pass without knowing all the information provided in the exam board textbook.

Teachers earn money to teach, but you may not realise that a portion of that is likely to go back into being able to meet the standards and needs of their pupils. An article by The Guardian reports that this is so that additional academic materials which school/departmentmental budgets alone can't cover can be provided, in addition to necessary basic needs which children from the most deprived households may not be able to afford.

Even being in Sixth Form, a few of my teachers would buy books and materials out of their own pockets. I had one teacher who even told us to not spend our own money on resources we needed for their subject, and to let them know if we needed anything. Needless to say, those of us in the class thought it was unfair to them, so we didn't most of the time.

Teachers want you to be able to do your best and see your wellbeing and basic needs met. Some will even make financial sacrifices in order for that to be achieved.


Always going the extra miles
One-on-one meetings, coming in early to run breakfast clubs and even working with pupils at weekends or during the holidays instead of spending time with their families, especially in the run up to the exam period. These are not things that teachers have to do, but they choose to as they want to make sure that they are doing all they can to ensure that you are doing your best whether that's through detailed feedback on work or extra sessions to work on specific techniques.

Beyond academics, there are also extra-curricular activities to help you build on those vital non-cognitive skills (including: creativity, mindset, emotional development, self-regulation, communication and critical thinking) that will stick with us beyond education to. They're also there to take your mind off from the intense learn, study, test routine. For me and my friends, taking part in extra-curricular gave us something which we could really look forward to. After school and lunch rehearsals were what got us through the school day and weeks.

If these first few points don'tt show you that they work for so much more than their salaries, I don't know what else will.


Making sure that pupils/students feel proud of themselves
They are the ones who have faith in us when we don't have faith in ourselves - quite literally. They will challenge us to reach our full potential and personal goals, whether it's through a bit of tough love or through small gentle nudges. They will remind us of all the accomplishments which we should feel proud of when we feel like 'failures'. Despite it being so tough to see the potential in someone who doesn't believe in their ability to go above a certain limit, they will never give up in helping us to prove ourselves wrong and will celebrate with us when those goals are met.

Teachers carry a lot of responsibility
Teachers are made to feel accountable for a lot. Some of these responsibilities will conflict with educational and societal expectations or standards, which are a challenge to balance.

• Engaging pupils - With increasingly rigorous subject specifications requiring pupils to be able to learn so much in so little time, there's the conflict between teaching to understand and be able to apply knowledge to unseen contexts vs teaching to know and be able to recall concepts and material from memory. Understandably, this has a great impact on how teachers are able to deliver thoroughly planned and engaging lessons, whilst  also ensuring that all material is covered on time.
  
  
• Personal progress vs grades - Educational achievement is much more focused on standardised measures of success rather than progress (see this post for more). It must be rough knowing that a pupil has worked hard and has made progress, but not being able merit them for their efforts. Trying to balance feedback so that pupils are aware of needing to meet set standards, but also emphasising the importance of being able to reflect and focus on personal progress to is a challenge.
  
  
  
• To hug or not to hug? Providing comfort to pupils - A light hug can go a long way, but there's been a lot of controversy regarding physical contact in schools. Should teaching staff be allowed to provide hugs or just a touch on the shoulder as a signal of comfort to a pupil who is distressed? There are so many loopholes to this matter.
  
  
• Safeguarding and Wellbeing - I don't think I need to expand on this. It's a touchy subject to have to deal with. More recently it has been reported that teachers will be trained to spot signs of deteriorating mental health. Spotting signs isn't exactly a breeze, and in my opinion there needs to be more protection for teachers in regard to the accountability involved with the reporting such concerns.
  
  
• Dealing with parents - Say no more. We have all witnessed it at one point of another. Parents: teachers are not genies who can make things happen in an instant. Be patient and thank them for doing their best to help you or your child.
  
  
• Getting to know each individual pupil - No doubt that this is a demanding task in a class of 30, but can you imagine being a secondary school teacher, teaching over 100 pupils and having parents expect you to be able to report back to them their individual child's progress at parent consultations? Then there's also the pressure of maintaining inclusively within their classrooms and being able to adapt their pedagogy to benefit every pupil in each class.
  
  
• Admin work - All I'm going to say is: So. Much. Paperwork. Everything requires paperwork... and more paperwork. Possibly add in a lot of emails to. Picture it like all the behind the scenes stuff that goes on during and before filming or a theatre performance.
  
  

Basically, teachers have a lot of demands put upon them, so they should be protected and supported. Some of us have to realise that not many of us can handle as much as they do! Look at the situation holistically from their perspectives rather as an isolated event.

They are much more than teachers
Teachers are like our parents when we need support, guidance and comfort to help us find our way. Many of them will say that their pupils are their children. They are counsellors for when we need someone to listen to our worries. I know it's said that teachers shouldn't be friendly with their pupils, but they also feel like our friends when they are able to make us laugh and smile. Those moments are some of the best moments of our experiences in education. Finally, as already mentioned, they are some of the loudest cheerleaders. It's all the little things that bundle together and make teachers some of the most valuable people to many pupils and students.

Ravi Roshan | Unsplash

They help shape minds

If I were to ask you to think of a teacher who has made a positive difference in your mindset and the way you approach setbacks, you would all hopefully be able to name at least one. It may be cliché, but it's true to say that teachers have a profound impact on part of who we are today. Hopefully, that's for the better. Without even realising, teachers teach us so much of what we know today. Many of these lessons will stick with us for a lifetime.

It's unquestionable that:

Teachers make a difference.

Many people stop thanking teachers after primary school, but even being at university now I will always consider writing a simple note to my lecturers - even if it's just a 'thank you' note with a '😊' in the comments section of their feedback forms. Some of you will say that "they are just doing their jobs", but they deserve the recognition.

Never feel 'awkward' to thank a teacher (hyperlink to a video attached) that you know deserves the praise. I have learned that most teachers are extremely humble. Just writing them a little note or an email will be enough. They care about whether you have felt supported by them!

We all need some reassurance from those around us that we are doing a good job now and then, and teachers aren't any different.

If there's one thing I would like you all to take away from this post it is to go and thank a teacher after you read this. It doesn't matter whether you're a pupil/student/carer/parent, of if you're finishing the academic year, or you have already left school/university a long while ago. It's NEVER too late to show your appreciation.

Check out Pearson's Thank a Teacher Card Campaign if you would like some help with sending a card!

(not sponsored!)