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Thank you, teachers. It's Teacher Appreciation Week
5/3/2010
MSTA Executive Director Kent King wrote the following editorial in recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week, which runs May 3 to May 7.
Ask all the teachers you know, and you'll find one common denominator between them: They want to make a difference in a child's life. That's why they teach. It's not for the money; it's not because they love to grade papers. It's because they love to see their students' eyes light up and the wheels in their brains turn.
As executive director of the Missouri State Teachers Association, my job is to travel from district to district listening to the voices that reflect our more than 44,000 members. Time and time again, I hear from teachers across the state that go above and beyond their classroom duties.
This happens to be Teacher Appreciation Week. We should take a moment to say thank you to Missouri's teachers for spending long hours on curriculum development; doing the mountains of paperwork required by the state and federal mandates; spending time after school and at home grading papers and preparing the lesson plans for the next day; using personal dollars for class materials and for keeping true to their mission and calling as a professional. But mostly, we should thank our teachers for putting children first.
Unfortunately, and for a myriad of reasons, fewer and fewer teachers are entering or remaining in the profession. In fact, more than ever the noble profession of teaching is reaching a critical point. Our state is in a financial crisis and some teachers bear the brunt by losing their positions to deep budget cuts. All too often in bond and levy elections citizens get too caught up in politics to recognize the message a simple yes or no sends to the classroom. But it's the classroom teacher's job to overlook all that and focus on the students, Missouri's future, with which they've been trusted.
There's no question that it takes a special person to teach. So we salute our classroom teachers, on behalf of all of the grandparents, mothers, fathers, students, principals and town leaders. Every teacher is committed to helping children learn and fulfill their dreams. It's a challenging job, but the rewards are plentiful.
Thank you Missouri teachers, for putting kids first.