Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Which Teachers Should You Thank This Week?

This is National Teacher Appreciation week. 


Teacher appreciation

No one is born knowing everything, or with the ability to figure everything out on their own. We rely heavily on the teaching of others throughout our lives.

When you think of a teacher, who comes to mind?  Is it your favorite elementary school teacher?  A
college professor? Your music teacher?  A high school coach? A friend who just taught you to knit or to play a song on the guitar?  We are taught many different things by many different people, all the time.

Our lives are heavily influenced by people who educate. The very first might be the lactation specialist, who helps teach a baby to obtain its first nutrients. The last might be the nurse who assists a family with the steps necessary to fulfill a dying patient's organ donation wishes. Throughout our lives, we learn from the authors of books, from formally educated teachers, and from friends.   Parents are often our most influential teachers  - I am still learning from mine. And when we become parents, we realize that our children have much to teach us.

I am grateful to my many teachers.  Elementary school teachers, such as the one who taught me to be brave, when I was separated from my twin sister all day for the first time.  High school teachers, like the one who made me realize I was good at math - and the one who taught me to write.  A college professor who not only taught me chemistry, but mentored me in my career choices. Piano teachers. Riding instructors. A head nurse, who worked with me and two other brand new graduate nurses, and somehow quickly turned us into competent clinicians. Bloggers who have written tutorials, without which I could never have set up this website! So many teachers - all with a goal of making me better than I was and teaching me something I didn't know. For all of them, and all the ones I have not mentioned, I am grateful.

I loved being a stay-at-home mom, but on my oldest child's first day of preschool I breathed a bit of a sigh of relief.  I realized that the day-to-day burden of teaching my children everything they needed to know was no longer just on my husband and me. It was nice knowing we would have the help of all of my children's future teachers, filling in the gaps and teaching them all that we did not know.  I am grateful not just for the teachers that I have had, but those who have educated my children as well!

It is fitting that there is a week set aside when we recognize the people who have devoted their lives to teaching others. Be sure to thank a teacher this week - and every week!


thank a teacher, teacher appreciation

Who was your most influential teacher - and why?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

12 comments :

  1. I had many teachers, who shaped me, but still to this day I would say it was my second grade teacher that I will never ever forget and the one that gave me that extra push that ended making me want to become a teacher, too ;)

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    1. I have heard of a number of second grade teachers who have influenced people to become educators! It is such an impressionable age - a good teacher can make all the difference!

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  2. I have had, and do have many, many teachers. I am endlessly grateful. Perhaps my first teachers, my parents, were most influential because they stressed the value of lifelong learning.

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    1. We all benefit from good teachers, even if we never set foot in their classrooms. We need well-educated people to do so many things that keep your communities running well.

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  3. Susan, I read this first thing this morning, but had to give this some thought today. Thanks for the reminder about all the people who teach us throughout our lives. There really are so many. I decided my most influential teacher was Mr. Wolfe, my 8th grade US history teacher. He taught me the importance of always doing my best. We are still friends to this day, even though he's retired and living in Texas.

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    1. That is wonderful that you have kept in touch with your history teacher Lana. I love it when a teacher positively influences a student in more ways than just teaching the facts of the curriculum they cover!

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  4. Hi Susan - great post and BTW if you haven't done it all before....I have nominated your Blog for the Liebster Award, if you would like to accept it the instructions are here: http://crestingthehill.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/liebster-love.html

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    1. Leanne - I am so very honored that you have nominated me for the Liebster award. Since I have received it in the past, I must decline - but I really liked reading your post and learning more about you. You have a wonderful blog, and I always enjoy your thoughtful posts..
      I am sorry it has taken a day to respond - instead of answering comments and reading blogs, I have spent too much time trying to fix a glitch on mine! I think I finally fixed it though!

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  5. Great tribute Susan and also a terrific reminder that we are all still learning every single day and do until the day we die! I hope you have a terrific Mother's Day this weekend!

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    1. Yes Rena - and the blogging learning curve is steep! I can't believe how much more computer savvy I am than I was a year ago - - and how very much I still don't know!

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  6. Nice tribute to all who teach! I think throughout life we have teachers who are really great and some not so great. However...I believe that we learn from all of them. When I went to college to become a teacher some of the professors taught me how not to teach! So...I even learned something of value from them. My husband and I were both teachers and it's nice to know that we were appreciated. Today's teachers have a much harder job than we did because of the changes in our society. Schools should be really safe places but they're not!

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    1. I like your attitude Lynn. We have said the same thing - sometimes learning how to deal with different types of people is the valuable lesson you may learn from a difficult teacher. I am sure you and J were both awesome teachers! An yes - schools should be safe!!!

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