7 Things You SHOULD Say to Teachers
Okay, so we’ve covered the things you should absolutely not say to your teacher friends or relatives. But we don’t want people to walk around on their tip-toes, either, afraid to offend the hard-working teachers in their lives.
So we turned to our Facebook audience once more, asking them what questions and comments they appreciate hearing from friends, family, and colleagues. The things that make them feel supported, valued, and loved.
Here’s what they had to say.
Thank you. Mille grazie. A thousand times thanks. We can’t emphasize enough how much these simple words mean to teachers. In fact, most say they’d rather get a heartfelt thank you note than another teacher mug or candle any day. So thank your teacher, your kid’s teacher, your cousin who’s a teacher, ALL the teachers. They deserve it.
2. "What do you like most about your job?”
From the low pay to the long hours to the relentless efforts of lawmakers imposing new standards, there are a lot of downsides to teaching. But the upside is that nothing is more magical than when a close reading lesson comes together or a kid finally gets long division. Ask teachers what they LOVE about their jobs and you’ll bet met with a smile and more stories of these triumphs than you can count.
Whether it’s saving paper towel tubes for an art project or coming in to speak about your career, small acts of kindness are incredibly appreciated by time- and cash-strapped teachers. Like, you will instantly shoot to superhero status in their eyes. Not to mention the difference you’ll be making for 30+ kids!
4. “Hey, Ms. G., I still remember that lesson on graphing…”
Or maybe it’s the one on writing a friendly letter, Greek Myths, or Shakespeare’s sonnets. No matter the topic, teachers love to hear that what you learned in their classroom made a lasting impression. So if 20 years later you still can’t shake that catchy rhyme your math teacher used to teach cosines, shoot a Facebook message to let him or her know… and make their day in the process.
5. “I understand how hard your job is, and I’ve got your back.”
It may sound melodramatic, but between the pressures of standardized testing, large class sizes, and small budgets, many teachers feel that their profession is under attack and that it’s getting harder by the day to reach and teach kids. An acknowledgement of support can make a world of difference. Even better? Standing up for teachers at a school board meeting and knowing the issues when it comes time to vote.
6. “I don’t know how you do it.”
As one teacher on our Facebook wall put it, “Honestly, there are some days when I don’t know either, but at least it shows that they are noticing all I do and all I deal with on a daily basis, and that they respect that.”
7. “Enjoy your spring/summer/winter break. You deserve it.”
Because they do. Enough said.