Thanking Our Educators
By Tara Armstead, M.Ed.
Online Faculty, College of Education
Educators, whether we admit it or not, have the most influential impact on the next generation of learners and adults. An educator is also a mentor, mother, father, doctor and, at times, lawyer.
Appreciation for the job is not often displayed in media as much as it should be, but at the end of the day, those who stay in the field possess an innate understanding of what it means to work with their heart. When administration and other important individuals connected to the school give thanks and appreciation for educators, it not only impacts the quality and empowerment of the individual, but also the organization as a whole (Bostanci 2012).
Displaying appreciation towards teachers in the field of education can be done in many ways. Some are very public, such as recognition on local news network, while others are more private, such as a thank you card or simple word of affirmation.
From personal experience, it is not what is given or relayed to the educator that makes the difference—it is how it is done. The trick to displaying your personal respect and appreciation is to make sure that it fits the heart of the educator. After all, not all educators like apples and cups of coffee!
Appreciation is not difficult or technical. Appreciation in its simplest definition is recognizing someone or something with gratitude and being thankful for the opportunity in life.
With that being said, how would you prefer to be shown gratitude and appreciation? What would stick to the strings of your heart many years down the line?
The best way to learn is to do, so take some time to reflect on your favorite educator or the one that you think of all the time and show them a little gratitude. You never know how the action will impact their lives or how it will return to you in the future!
References
Bostanci, A. P. D. A. B. (2012). Administrative Responsiveness Towards Teachers at Schools. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 599.
More About Tara:
Tara is an online full-time faculty member in the College of Education at Grand Canyon University. She is also a researcher and passionate writer. Tara has the spirit-led passion to write about spiritual topics as well as various topics in education such as bullying, classroom management, technology in an online classroom and the important traits and characteristics of being an effective educator in the field while combining faith and learning. She is currently working on her Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Organizational Development.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
