Last year, for this article, I wrote the following introduction. Forgive me, but I said it best last year and thought I would steal from myself.
—Depending on when you’re reading this, you’re either in the midst of, just missed or coming up to the next teacher appreciation week. I know this isn’t a big national holiday and it probably doesn’t even rank up there with Sweetest Day, but think about it, we have a lot of people in our lives to thank for all that we have become. Many of us go about our daily lives and celebrate our victories, but sometimes we forget to say thank you to the people who help get us there. Of course, I’m a little selfish because I know how hard the teachers at Springfield work. I know the stories of those who have become doctors, lawyers, moms, dads, great citizens, coaches and a whole list of amazing careers. And I, too, have my own story of having my own kids graduate from SHS.— The introduction I hope shares the idea of thinking about appreciating who helped you become you. This past week, I was once again reminded of how important teachers are at the annual “I Make a Difference” breakfast sponsored by the Toledo Area Educational Service Center. This tradition has been going on for many years. Top scholars from each school in the local area are offered an opportunity to say thank you to a teacher and discuss why in all of the teachers they have had, this one … STANDS ABOVE AND BEYOND. I have been to this breakfast many times and the stories are absolutely incredible as they were this past week. This year’s top scholars, Chase Stuard and Lily Altstaetter, represented Springfield masterfully. Chase chose to honor his physics teacher, Julia Morrin, and Lily chose assistant band director and percussion director, Trisha Hoskins. Hearing Chase and Lily speak, you could see what it meant to their teachers. Both teachers had the honor of hearing how their hard work helped to shape who they are. Speaking from experience, students telling us what we did for them means the world and recharges the battery quickly.
Chase and Lily did an amazing job honoring their teacher, but this year I took another common theme and it wasn’t necessarily about the content. There were a wide variety of teachers recognized; band directors, coaches, foreign language coaches, Science Olympics team advisers, and in all the speeches it was more about how the person treated them. Each of the students talked about the little things, the special conversations, the moments of weakness, the times of triumph, the moments that the kids remember are those personal moments that “Make a Difference.”
During the speeches, one of the sponsors who spoke gave a personal challenge to everyone in the room to remember to recognize those who help shape you and your success. What a great reminder. This week is teacher appreciation week, reach out to a teacher who made a difference. Remember that teacher also could be that work mentor, the big brother or sister or grandma and grandpa. Take some time this week and send a note to a former teacher letting them know your gratitude for making a difference in your life. If you are up to it, send a note to one of your children’s teachers to tell them that what they do makes a difference. This type of note means the world to those working specifically, to “make a difference.”
