Gratitude for Educators: Ideas on How We Can Uplift Others

In appreciation of educators in ALL roles! GIVEAWAY included at the end!

It’s April 18th and here in New York, we woke to 4 inches of snow–– yes, snow! Can you even believe it? It’s days like this (especially during a pandemic and stay at home order) where I could choose to gripe and feel unhappy or embrace it for what it is. All too often we focus on what’s not right rather that finding the good in the moment. I was reminded of this as I watched our goldendoodle, Chloe, run, jump, and roll all around our yard in complete delight! She absolutely loves the snow! It’s funny how something that can cause many of us to feel frustration is the very thing that can bring another joy. I chose to sit back with my coffee and enjoy the beauty of the snow. Seeing Chloe playfully romp around with such exuberance brought a smile to my face. I’ve been finding myself appreciating the little things more often during this whole experience.

You see, snow isn’t permanent. There are many things we aren’t fond of, but it’s helpful to remember that many are not permanent. Many of us are ordered to stay at home and it can feel very frustrating, but eventually life will resume. There’s no disputing though that this time brings hardships and challenges. My hope is that you are well and staying healthy.

During this time I’ve spoken with many teachers. Some are doing really well with remote teaching and learning, but miss their students like crazy (of course)! Others feel a lot of frustration. Frustrations range from not being able to reach certain students to working through the learning of technology. Nonetheless, we all know that educators are going the extra mile at this time to do all that they can to support their learners remotely–– despite the challenges they’re facing. It’s not easy, but fortunately, it won’t always be this way.

Teacher Appreciation During Remote Teaching & Learning

Teacher appreciation week is celebrated annually in May, but if you’re like me, you just might think that teacher appreciation ought to take place on a daily basis! With the majority of schools closed due to the coronavirus, many individuals are recognizing the vast amount of work educators do.

As a mom of two teenage boys whom I support with online learning, and 15 years of classroom experience, I can speak to the relentless dedication educators put forth on a daily basis. From teaching to supporting individuals with social and emotional learning, educators go the extra mile to create meaningful learning experiences for students. From mid-March until now, I’ve watched teachers work tirelessly to shift to remote teaching and learning. Many educators took on learning how to utilize technology to reach their students, despite not having used technology too often prior to the coronavirus pandemic. I watched them push past their fears and embrace a growth mindset along the way. Fortunately, they weren’t alone. Many of our districts across the country have support personnel who can help navigate along the way. I’ve observed educators joining hands and connecting with others from all over to seek answers to questions and acquire new ideas.

Educators truly are phenomenal!

I believe that the tweet below by Shonda Rhimes speaks to the new found appreciation many parents feel for educators now that they’re home supporting their own children in various ways during this time of remote teaching and learning.

Parents are heroes too (they’re learning how to support their own children while balancing work and other demands), and many are recognizing the depth of work that goes into teaching and learning. However, what is taking place remotely doesn’t truly even crack the surface to all educators do daily when in person with learners. Many educators are also parents. I’ve seen friends sharing pictures of themselves teaching via Zoom or creating lessons, with their littles on their lap while also supporting another child(ren) at home with learning. It’s a balancing act for sure. Nonetheless, they are making it happen. 

I want to thank every individual who is out there supporting learners during this time. Why wait until May for teacher appreciation when we can celebrate every individual right now? Thank you to educators, in all roles! I know just how invaluable you truly are. You are heroes in the lives of children and their families. There are so many ways we can support and celebrate educators during remote teaching and learning. Even while physically distancing, we can still foster school culture, a sense of community and uplift others.

Simple ways to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that fellow educators put forth during remote teaching and learning:

• Mail a colleague a hand written thank you card for their hard work or for helping you with something. Small gestures go a long way!
• Pick up the phone and give your colleague a call just to check in and say thank you.
• Send a text or email thanking them and perhaps include a funny GIF that adds a touch of humor to bring a smile to their face. 
• Facilitate some fun remote activities by sending out trivia questions every so often and draw a name to win a small prize. It may be something you get to them later, but people appreciate the gesture. 
• Host a Zoom call with colleagues to connect. Many schools are hosting “happy hour,” trivia, and other game ideas just for fun.
• Connected on social media? Everyone enjoys a surprise shout out–– there’s no time like the present to celebrate those you truly appreciate and bring them joy!

*These can be done by an administrator or a teacher could always take the lead. Or, if you’re a teacher, maybe you have a group of colleagues you want to collaborate with to bring joy to those you work with. We can still foster school culture even while working remotely.

Ideas for how students and families can demonstrate appreciation for their teachers and school:

• Encourage children to write a handwritten note, take a picture of it, and share out through whichever learning management system the child’s school utilizes for communication.
• Children can also create a digital creation using Flipgrid or other tools to send to their teachers expressing thanks. 
• Students could also be encouraged to create a quick video encompassing all of the reasons they appreciate their teachers–– warning… this may cause tears, but they will be tears of joy!
• As a school, you could invite families to send in pictures of their children holding signs that thank their teachers and other staff, along with messages of thanks. Those pictures could then be compiled and turned into a video slideshow set to music. Creating this would be a great way to capture this time in history!
• Parents might want to send a quick email to personally thank their child’s teacher for all they do. 

*Schools or PTO’s could even share some of these ideas with families as a fun way to surprise school staff!

“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.”

– Amy Collette

We have to remember that when we uplift others, we uplift ourselves. Together, we can spread gratitude and appreciation, filling hearts with joy and hope. I think we can all agree that joy and hope are always needed, but in times like now, they’re essential. Let’s look at how we can celebrate all of the hard work and dedication of educators as they continue to navigate the uncharted territories of remote teaching and learning and create a lasting impact!

As a way of saying thank you, I’m gifting one educator with a copy of my book, an iPad case from Rug-Ed, a charging cable, and strap! See my Twitter feed for more! (expires EOD 4/30/19)