Reflections During Teacher Appreciation Week

It’s the third year in a row that I haven’t had a Teacher Appreciation Week, and honestly… it’s bittersweet.

I miss the thoughtful gifts. The themed lunches and little moments that campuses organized to make teachers feel seen.

But more than anything, I miss the handwritten notes from the students.

I still have a box filled with cards, drawings, little trinkets, and handwritten messages my students gave me over the years. And every time I look through it, I’m reminded of something important:

Teachers impact lives.

They shape communities. They help raise and guide children during some of the most important years of their lives. It really is one of the most meaningful professions.

Which is why it’s so hard to watch what’s happening to education right now.

Because while teachers are celebrated for one week, many are drowning the rest of the year—overworked, overwhelmed, navigating increasing student needs and behaviors, all while being expected to meet deadlines, testing requirements, and state standards.

And lately, with funding cuts and growing pressures on public education, the weight teachers carry is only increasing.

Don’t get me wrong! Teachers appreciate the lunches, snacks, gifts, and kind words. Those things matter.

But if we truly want to appreciate teachers, we have to address the elephant in the room.

Support them.
Pay them fairly.
Protect their time.
Listen to them.

Because teachers do so much more than teach.

They are shaping the future every single day.

And far too many are leaving the profession they once loved.

We have to do better.

And to my former students…

I still have all the notes.
I still think about you.
And I’ll always be proud of you.