Teacher Appreciation Week
Teaching is one of the most challenging jobs one might opt for. It is the closest representation of every parent's responsibilities. And as we all kind of know taking care of kids is not a joke. A teacher has to put all their care equally to more than a dozen of kids at the same time. Many don't know how difficult it can get a child to be comfortable around a new adult apart from the parents.
A Child requires constant attention and a positive influence on their identity and future. So as an appreciation for every Teacher out there, during the first working week of May, students and parents show their thankfulness through gifts, cards, encouragement, or even flowers.
It turns out that it is not so difficult to make a teacher's day. Like everyone, teachers also need appreciation for their constant hard work. So if you haven't yet thanked your teachers for their input in your academic and personal life, you can still do it. It's better to be late than never!
The beginning of the teaching profession
If we looked back a long time ago, it could be seen that 'Teaching' is one of the oldest professions in history, starting around the late 500BC. The first-ever private Teacher was known as the most learned man in 561BC. During that time, people practiced Confucianism, one of the ancient Chinese beliefs which put a lot of importance on morality and ethics.
Teaching children started from the very first Confucius with this philosophical belief. Ancient Greece put great value on morality and ethics when teaching children, and later on, around the 1600s, many Pilgrims started emphasizing Confucius's philosophical views.
But it was still a long way to go to make 'Teaching' an official working post. During the 19th century, people started to understand the importance of education, even for politics and social order. Thus, education did not stay private anymore. Infrastructures for Elementary schools through University classes started to be built. The need for more and more teachers with knowledge and ethics began ever since.
The history behind the Teacher's appreciation week.
Although 'Teaching' became an official public working post, it still took a long time to recognize the importance of teachers in society. Many children could not attend school, so home-schooling remained a popular option. It was cheaper and less time-consuming. The economy's struggle around the late 19th century also made things harder for people to enroll in schools for proper education.
When so many things deprived children of adequate schooling, many teachers began free classes for everyone eager to learn. The good intention of teachers and their hard work started to pay off. Society accepted the essential roles of teachers in children's lives. Soon people began to show appreciation to all the teachers as their excellent work shined in every student's success.
The beginning of the official Teacher's appreciation week in history is confusing. Painstaking research led to the conclusion that a teacher from Arkansas named Mattye White Woodridge proposed to all the politicians and educational professionals and demanded a day to appreciate all the teachers in America.
However, the proposal took about 10 years to reach the ears of Congressmen with the support of Eleanor Roosevelt. Finally, in 1953, the government adopted March 7th as National Teacher's Day. The day was practiced yearly until 1985, when the single day was transformed into a whole week of celebration.
It is still a mystery how the National Education Association (NEA) decided to give a whole week to teachers. Many believe that students were responsible for this phenomenon. Students felt teachers deserved more than a single day for all their hard work and responsibility for so many children at once. Hence the students' demands were heard by NEA, and Teachers were given a whole week for themselves.
It was a surprise to everyone as when a single day of appreciation took about a decade, how was a week given without much consideration? But it can be understood how every Teacher does deserve a whole week of gratitude. After all, they should be honored for all their long-lasting contributions to our lives.
How to show appreciation to your teachers?
It can get a bit overwhelming how to show appreciation to a teacher if you do not know much about their likes and dislikes. Gifting a teacher for their influence in your life is much different than giving your mum a Mother's day present. But don't worry! Showing appreciation does not mean that gift is the only way to do that.
For a student, a mere hug from a teacher can make the Teacher's whole day fantastic. A teacher feels a sense of fulfillment when they see their students succeed and represent good virtues for others. That is how the whole 'Teaching" began—a simple share of knowledge from one to many. So next time you see any of your teachers, let them know how they influenced your life.
Appreciate their presence in your success; they will know your sincere appreciation for parents who want to show their appreciation, too. But sure, a gift wouldn't hurt anyone. There are now so many ways to appreciate teachers through presents.
Some even bake fresh cookies for them. Simple things with sincerity reach the heart sooner. Let them know how they are also a part of why children learn valuable moral and ethical lessons. Teachers should know when they make a difference in a child's life. Being appreciated for one's hard work is something everyone should demand.
So a teacher is no different from any of us. So this year, let us sincerely understand all our teachers in our lives. They are the next adults in our lives, after parents who watch over us, teach us, and guide us to the right path like guardians. Without their presence in our lives, we wouldn't be the same person we are today. Our sincere appreciation should reach them directly.
