Don’t hate, appreciate
Students often complain about the excessive amounts of homework they have and how much sleep they lose studying. However, what they fail to realize is that teachers spend just as much time, if not more, outside of class for the benefit of their students. Yet the hard work that teachers pour into every class, every individual student, is often overlooked.
Link Crew’s teacher appreciation committee is making an effort to acknowledge the dedication of teachers.
“Link Crew has done several things for teachers. Last week we gave each teacher a decorated pumpkin muffin and in the past we’ve sent them thank you cards from students,” senior Link Crew leader Fatima Khan said. “Teachers do a lot for us like posting grades and other things that require work outside of school. A lot of students think that’s part of their job, when it really isn’t.”
Although leadership students have taken initiative for teacher appreciation, there is still much progress to be made. For all the extra work that teachers put in when they could be spending time with their families or just relaxing, they deserve more than just a simple “thank you,” yet they sometimes don’t even get that.
What teachers do outside of school is not limited to just grading papers and entering grades on Aeries. They draft worksheets, notes and create lesson plans all because they want their students to learn and to enjoy their learning.
“I work all the time on the weekends; I work at night; I work at two or three in the morning…I just do what I have to do to make sure that I am getting information to students,” AP Chemistry and Science Research teacher Peter Starodub said. “Teachers work twenty-four hours a day and take out a few minutes to sleep.”
Also, teachers who teach juniors and seniors take on an extra burden that they do not receive pay for: recommendation letters. When a student asks a teacher for a rec letter, the teacher has every right to say no. However, most will agree to write dozens of these letters every year to improve students’ chances of acceptance to the college of their choice.
The next time you stay up late doing homework, think of the teachers that do the same exact thing voluntarily. Teacher appreciation week comes once a year in May. However, if students step back and just count up all of the things that their teachers have ever done for them, they will find that all the days of the year will not be enough to thank them.
