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2-4-6-8...Who Do We Appreciate?

My goal with this blog has always been to share out the awesome things happening at Neuqua Valley High School. Every classroom I visit, teacher I talk to, meeting I attend, student I observe...I write it here in order to document why this place is so special. As I'm sure you're aware, it is Teacher Appreciation Week, and we have been celebrating our wonderful staff all week long. As the week comes to a close, I want to share some of my reflections about this week, when we celebrate educators all over the world who work diligently to make a difference in their students' lives.

This year, our school provided an option for students, staff, and parents to share their appreciation with staff members at the building. There were a few options, but the most popular option - by far - was for students, parents, and staff to send a nice note to a staff member that would go directly to their inbox. I am excited to share that over 1,100 emails were sent to staff members in our building from other staff, students, and parents. Yes, I said 1,100. WOW. Isn't that awesome? I'm sure any staff member would agree, there is no greater feeling than reading a personal note to you to share thanks for a job that we are all so passionate about.

Yes, my friends, we are doing this. We are making a difference. Hours spent planning, grading, reflecting, learning, and improving are all worth it when you hear that it has made a difference in the lives of others. We are influencers. What an empowering feeling!

During my classroom visits this week, I continued to reflect on our daily work. I witnessed review lessons for upcoming AP testing, coaching and mentoring students as they worked through producing our weekly media show, preparation, execution, and clean up of science labs, creative lessons that ask students to take the lead and have fun with the content they are learning, and so much more. We are not just teaching; we are motivating, planning, coaching, modeling, facilitating, supporting, listening, and most importantly, providing authentic learning experiences for our students to help them grow academically and personally. It is a pretty awesome responsibility.

We teach. We listen. We laugh. We reflect. We assist. We improve. We learn. Yes - to anyone reading this blog -  we, too, learn from our students and colleagues every day. The funny thing is that if you ask any teacher how they feel during Teacher Appreciation Week, I am confident that a majority would say that they appreciate their students just as much as the students appreciate them. The students. They are the reason we come back every morning. Every school year. We learn just as much, if not more than they do from our experiences in and out of the classroom. It is pretty special.

Educators are rockstars. That is all.  #whatsup #thankateacher

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