10 Reasons We Love Our Teachers

During Teacher Appreciation Week, we give a special thanks to all our amazing educators who go above and beyond for our scholars. But to me, every week should be Teacher Appreciation Week. Here are my top 10 reasons for being so grateful for our teachers every single day!

1. They make our scholars feel so loved when they greet them with a hug or a handshake every morning.
2. They are not just teachers; they transform into scientists, mathematicians, poets, historians, artists, dancers, athletes, and so much more each and every day. The talents of our teachers go far beyond what anyone would expect.
3. They are the most patient people in this world. Have you ever tried to get 30 kindergartners into their winter gear at the end of a busy day, or worked side by side with that sixth grader for hours until that difficult math concept finally clicks? Patience is a core competency for all our teachers.
4. Our teachers are funny! They know that joy and silliness are an important part of every school day. They love to dress up for Spirit Day and Halloween, and they don’t mind getting pie’d in the face or being dunked in water by our scholars.
5. They are learners who study and prepare, day in and day out, with the end goal in mind. Our teachers know that college graduation is in reach for all our scholars. They spend hours learning to become better teachers and preparing lessons that not only engage the whole class, but are tailored to meet the many varied needs of individual scholars.
6. They invest families in their scholar’s education and work side by side with them to ensure their scholars are successful. Whether it’s sharing feedback on scholar writing through a Google Doc or snapping a photo of a child’s A+ work during the day, the communication is frequent and the partnership is strong.
7. They collaborate as part of a community of teachers and leaders, both in their school and across the network. They understand the value of team and know that we are all working toward the same goals. Teachers often visit one another’s classrooms to learn best practices or give feedback peer to peer. Teachers plan together, study student work together, and problem solve together every single day.
8. They go out of their way to make learning engaging. From trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Botanical Gardens, to 3-D Google Glasses that take our scholars around the world, to heated debates about current events, to hands-on science experiments — our teachers give scholars access to a wide variety of experiences and make learning fun.
9. They are teacher activists. They rally and march for educational equity for all schools and children in New York and around our country.
10. Most of all, they love teaching and they love our scholars. That is the single most important thing we can do for our kids — give them a warm, loving environment in which they can flourish and grow. Our teachers do just that.