It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! It’s the time of year where you buy little trinkets for your students teachers that they don’t really need!

I’m just kidding. As a teacher myself, I love receiving gifts from students or admin to show that they care. But more than the gift itself, it’s the thought that counts. I know that’s cliche, but hear me out.

Teaching is a difficult job. It may not always be physically difficult, but it is mentally difficult. A teacher is responsible for a number of people who are trying to figure out how to be people for 7 hours a day. You have to manage their behavior AND make sure they are learning something new.

A teacher’s job is made easier or harder by the amount of support received. Teachers need principals to support their decisions, and teachers need parents to implement consistency at home. If either or both of these things fail, then the teacher becomes ineffective.

Similarly, teachers also need to be able to build relationships with the students to help them out. I’m sure that everyone can think of a teacher that didn’t respect them in some way. We talked about this in one of my education classes in college. We discussed positive role model teachers, who were so great that they inspired us to become teachers. But we also discussed negative role model teachers. These are the teachers who push you to become a teacher mainly out of spite. I won’t name names, but I’ve definitely had a few of these. That’s why building relationships is often the first classroom management tip. Things tend to go a lot smoother if you can make a connection with another person.

The truth of being a teacher is often that it’s a thankless job. You’re expected to come in five days a week and handle the same children that frustrated you the day before. You have to handle their actions as well as trying to teach them something. You have to make sure that you know everything that you’re talking about. You’re the expert in the room every day.

When I tell people that I’m a teacher, one of the many common responses is that “Oh, at least you get summers off.” And while that is true, it’s also not completely true. Just because I am not working in my usual capacity does not mean that I am not working at all. This summer alone, I’ve signed up for 3 or 4 professional developments. I will go sit in workshops and learn how to become a better teacher. I will also be looking to modify and improve my classroom management. I’m moving to a new grade level, so I also need to make sure that I’m familiar with the content and the state standards. I am fortunate that I work in a district where I get paid all 12 months of the year. There are still many teachers that don’t. Those teachers have to find a summer job to make ends meet. And many other teachers need to work a second job because they aren’t paid enough to be a teacher.

Teaching should not just be appreciated in May. I honestly don’t like the fact that Teacher Appreciation Week and Nurse Appreciation Week overlap. Both jobs are incredibly important, and BOTH should have their own time in the spotlight. Also, May is often the end of the year for teachers. My school district has 12 days of school left. Sometimes it feels difficult to be appreciated only once we’ve reached the finish line. I work hard all the way from August to May to work with the same children. There is a lot that I do for them. The past couple of years, I have implemented a rewards system that comes out of my own pocket. I’m happy to reward effort, and I want to give my students ways to succeed. I’ve already started thinking of new ideas for next year to further improve and streamline my system.

Teachers are often a quiet community. We work together to accomplish tasks. Many schools will often schedule prep times for either the same content or the same grade band. This way, you can work on stuff together. For the past few years, I have planned my material with the other teacher who teaches the same grade and subject that I do. This way, we know we are staying on the same track. Our lessons may look different, but we cover the same content. We also get together to plan our assessments. As we do, we make sure that we put questions that both our students will understand. We work to provide similar experiences regardless of who we teach.

Teachers are so proud of their students, regardless of whether it comes in the classroom or somewhere else. I was involved in a program this year that had my students present information to someone they had never met outside of the school district. I was so proud of what my students accomplished in a short time, and the audience praised them too. It was even cooler when the person who listened to their presentation told the entire program about them. I was so proud and it was such an encouraging moment to be a teacher.

However, not every day is that good. Some days, I come home frustrated, angry, or at the end of my rope. I have to take time to decompress because I know I’ll have to go back the next day and do it all over again. I’ve been upset about my job more days than I care to admit. As long as the bad days are sparse and there’s support, teaching is manageable. But if the bad days outnumber the good and there’s no support, then it can be easy to feel burned out. There’s a reason that teacher turnover rate is so high. Teachers are people too. There’s only so much that we can handle.

With support, teaching is one of the most rewarding jobs on the planet. But without any appreciation, it can quickly deteriorate into one of the worst jobs. So whether you’re a principal, a parent, a student, or someone else, be sure to appreciate the teachers in your life. They can be past teachers or current teachers. There’s so much more that goes into teaching than just what most people see. I’m thankful for all the teachers that got me on this point, and I’m so honored to be a teacher as well. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!