Welcome to September. We all know what that means for us Minnesotans…endings and new beginnings. As the Great Minnesota Get “Back” Together wraps up this year on Labor Day we come to the unofficial end of summer. With that, it also brings many of us to a new beginning – the start of a new school year.
As we venture into this new school year, there is no better time to express gratitude for those that inspire and encourage our youth – teachers. If you think back over the course of the last year, it’s hard to express enough gratitude for those that educate our children. Their normal routines and approaches were totally disrupted due to the pandemic. They had to find novel ways to deliver material and to find different ways to bond with their children in this new world of distance learning. But, for the most part, kids and teachers are back in the classroom this year…fingers crossed, it stays that way.
Before we grow up and start doing this “adulting” thing, our “job” is to go to school. From the time we are 3 or 4 years old, this “job” takes us from preschool to high school and beyond for some. Over the course of this journey we are greatly influenced by our educational system. Education is at the very root of our society and something for which we should all be grateful. But at the core of the education system is teachers. Teachers have an undeniable impact on today’s youth and play a huge role in their mental, physical and emotional development. Teachers help to raise children into functioning members of society and provide them with the skills and abilities to be successful as they transition this phase of “adulting”.
Of course, teachers educate their students about facts in subjects like English, Math, Science and History; however, so many teachers do so much more. They teach us about life. When many adults look back on their childhood and educational experience, they seldom remember the teacher who simply taught them the facts. Rather, they remember the teacher who taught them the intangibles of life like respect, kindness, compassion and gratitude.
I think we all have had a teacher in our lives that is “that” teacher – the teacher who sticks out in your mind as the one who really “taught” their students. For me, it was an English teacher by the name of Mr. Ayers. You might be familiar with Mr. Ayers as he was a teacher at Waseca High School for many years. But all of us had (or have) teachers who fill each day with gratitude and positivity. That teacher who fosters a classroom environment that welcomes each student and makes them feel comfortable. That teacher who conveys information in a way that a student can relate to, but more importantly, who focuses on helping each student become their best version of themselves. That teacher who teaches that honesty is important, respect is necessary and appreciation and gratitude for the little things in life are just as important, if not more important, than the facts.
Who is that teacher for you? Who is that teacher who taught you about the intangibles like grace and compassion, empathy and gratitude in addition to the facts they were “supposed” to teach you? It is important to reflect on these teachers, because they helped us to develop into the people we are today. But, it’s not just about looking back. It is important to recognize and be grateful for the impact current teachers have on today’s youth – and appreciate the life lessons they are teaching them as it is our youth that will shape our society moving forward.
So, given the impact teachers make on us and on our children every day, perhaps we can use this as an opportunity to express our gratitude back to the teaching community. But how? There are lots of ways. Consider simply saying “thank you” the next time you see a teacher. Consider a small gift card to a local coffee shop. Or take a moment out of your day to write a quick “thank you” card to “that” teacher – the one that impacted your life in so many beautiful ways. And with that, I’m off to try to find the mailing address to get a thank you card in the mail for him!!!