A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Teachers

home insemination Kit

My first position after finishing graduate school was as a library media specialist in an elementary school. That was over 20 years ago, yet it feels like just yesterday. My colleagues and I were all underpaid and undervalued, but I quickly realized that teaching isn’t about the paycheck. It’s a public service vocation—one driven by a passion that transcends monetary concerns.

Unfortunately, our society continues to undervalue teachers, piling on bureaucratic red tape, constantly shifting educational theories, standards, and testing requirements. I can’t think of another profession that endures such challenges.

And still, every fall, teachers return. Why? Because it’s a calling. It’s not merely a job; it’s a mission. Teachers are motivated by a profound desire to shape our children into responsible adults. It’s undoubtedly one of the noblest professions out there. If I asked you to recall an adult from your childhood who significantly influenced your life, chances are you’d mention a teacher. I can easily name five who shaped me, especially my middle school librarian, Mrs. Thompson, who welcomed me into the library every morning to help stamp due-date cards. Her encouragement was pivotal in my choice to become a librarian.

To all educators, I extend my deepest gratitude.

• Thank you for stepping in as a second parent to the children in your classrooms.
• Thank you for supporting the child who lacks help at home.
• Thank you for uplifting the child who hears nothing but negativity at home.
• Thank you for spending your own money so that little hands can explore treasure boxes, particularly when there are no treasures at home.
• Thank you for thinking of the child who drives you crazy all day because no one is praying for him at home.
• Thank you for reading aloud to the child who never gets that experience at home.
• Thank you for embracing the kid who pulls away due to a lack of affection at home.
• Thank you for greeting each child with a warm smile in the morning, especially if they might have just come from a difficult home.
• Thank you for encouraging kids to dream big, especially when they’re told otherwise at home.
• Thank you for grading papers on Saturday nights, for setting up bulletin boards late on Fridays, and for enduring planning days that offer no real planning time.
• Thank you for mastering the art of holding it until a designated time to use the restroom and for squeezing in lunch in just under 7 minutes.

Lastly, thank you for your dedication to a profession where your efforts often go unrecognized. Thank you for teaching the same lessons year after year while questioning whether anyone will remember. I assure you, I remember, my children will remember, and someday, one of your former students will recall you fondly, smiling at how you made a difference in their life. They will go out into the world and read (because you showed them how), calculate (thanks to your guidance), and think critically—all because you taught them.

And a special shout-out to Mr. Johnson, my seventh-grade English teacher. I once thought you were the most daunting person alive due to our endless sentence diagramming sessions. Now I understand—you gifted me a vital skill in crafting words that resonate with others. Wherever you are, I’m going to diagram this sentence just for you!