Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day, and seriously, who deserves to be appreciated more than teachers? As the wife of a teacher, I can attest to the hours spent out of the classroom that contributes to the well-being of students in the classroom. On any given night, you’ll find my husband, a middle school math teacher, calling parents to let them know how their kids are doing in class, arranging extra tutoring sessions for students who are struggling, and grading papers. And then there is the time spent planning for Pi Day, preparing students for and attending the local Math Olympics, and taking kids on field trips. Yep, it’s a job that should be appreciated.
In my daughter’s elementary school, the PTA has planned a slate of activities that last the whole week, ranging from bringing in a flower for the teacher to sending a note about why the teacher is so awesome. Most people end the week by sending in a small gift. Again, as the wife of a teacher, I can safely say that the gift cards to Starbucks and Barnes & Noble are sincerely appreciated. But gifts such as coffee mugs and “apple for the teacher” figurines, not as much. It’s not that the teacher doesn’t appreciate the thought, it’s just that there are so many other things that the teacher could use to make every aspect of his/her classroom better.
One suggestion for those who are gift-card adverse is a subscription to a magazine for the teacher’s classroom. At Cricket Media we have 11 award-winning magazines including Cobblestone, which focuses exclusively on topics relating to American History (I find myself constantly looking to the age-appropriate and high-interest Cobblestone articles for my daughter as she studies the American Revolution and the Civil War) and Muse, which is chock-full of science-related content. Both of these mags, as well as Dig (our archeology and ancient history) and Faces (our geography) magazines would add so much value to your child’s classroom. It would be a resource that the teacher can turn to again and again. And since reading short articles are often less intimidating to reluctant readers than reading full books, they magazines could be a huge benefit to some of the teacher’s more reticent students. Check out our full range of magazines and I’m sure you’ll find one that your child’s teacher would love more than that plant you’ve been eyeing.
By the way, here’s a quick Teacher Appreciation Day story I have to share. One year my husband got a tote bag as a gift from the student who has probably been the biggest, um, let’s say, challenge of his career. The tote bag said: “Math Teachers Have Problems.” To this day my husband and I wonder if the kid was being ironic.
Anyway, to all you teachers out there: we appreciate you. And to all you parents: Let’s make our teachers feel appreciated today and every day.
