Real Talk
Let’s be honest – pandemic teaching has us fried these days. We’re burned out, exhausted, and bone-deep tired. The joyful moments in education are still here: light bulbs going off when a student finally gets it, the students’ eagerness when new activities are presented, and our awe for their resilience each day. But the day-to-day grind – it’s hard. Parents, if you’re wondering how to help, here are the top ten things you can do to make a teacher’s day.
10. Voice your appreciation
If you happen to meet us somewhere – morning drop-off, Zoom parent-teacher meeting, Target – this statement means a lot: “I don’t know how you do it, I could never do your job!” This tells us that you really see us and all the balls we are juggling every day. Parents, we love to be seen. A simple, “Thank you for all you do,” goes a long way, too. A quick email with those words would also make a teacher’s day.
9. Be part of the village
Send an extra school supply, lab fee, or snack with the note, “This is for a student who didn’t bring one.” Teachers often pull money out of their own wallets for those children who are without. It’s so nice when someone else helps, too.
8. Support teachers online
It means a lot to see parents share memes, videos, and other media about supporting teachers. You can make a teacher’s day by standing up for teachers when social media comments are negative. We see and appreciate the support.
7. Interact with our updates
When we post pictures and videos on a school webpage or social media, we appreciate reading your positive comments. It helps to know that you’ve noticed the post and enjoyed it. The same is true when we email newsletters or other parent communication. A quick reply of “Thanks for keeping us in the loop!” means a lot.
6. Acknowledge our efforts on that craft project your child gifted you
Teachers spend a lot of time guiding their students to make homemade Christmas/Mother’s Day/Father’s Day/etc. gifts. A quick note after the event to tell us what you liked about it makes the glitter disaster, paint on every surface, classroom crafting chaos totally worth it!
5. Tell us something your child shared
We often wonder what students say about us at home. Do they share their learning, talk about the fun parts of their school day, or are moved by something in particular? An email from you about something your child enjoyed in their day is a great way to make us smile!
4. Add to our comfort food stash
Coffee, tea, and chocolate will make a teacher’s day. Enough said.
3. End on a positive note
Sometimes parents are upset and need to email or talk to teachers about it. This is okay; we get it. But ending these conversations with the words “Thank you for all you do” acknowledges that you understand we are trying our best.
2. Remind your child to give us that card they made over the weekend
Child-made cards with notes like, “Thanks for being the best teacher” (even if spelled incorrectly) always bring a smile to our faces.
1. Share happy memories and life updates
The number one way you can make a teacher’s day? At any time through the years, if you and your child are talking about the good ol’ days, and they mention a special time from when we taught them, email us out of the blue and tell us that they remembered:
“She’s in college now. Thanks to the confidence you instilled in her.”
“He remembers how you were the teacher who could always help him understand the tough stuff.”
“She thinks of fourth grade as ‘the year of great books’.”
Parents, this is why we do this job, even though when we say goodbye to our students we rarely hear from them again. These blast-from-the-past messages keep us coming back each and every day, each and every year – even during a pandemic.
Pandemic teaching is harder than we ever imagined our job could be. However, a little support from parents can really make a teacher’s day so much brighter!
