Students give thanks to their teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Each year, the first full week of May is dedicated to celebrating teachers. This year, Teacher Appreciation Week takes place from May 6 to May 10. During the week, students are encouraged to show appreciation for the work their teachers put in to help every student.
“Teaching is an underappreciated job. I think that students, including myself, should be doing more for teachers,” said Carlmont sophomore Ella Henderson.
Teachers work hard to ensure their students receive quality education, often sacrificing personal time to improve their student’s futures. Teacher Appreciation Week helps motivate teachers to persevere towards the end of the year.
“I think mentally, the spring semester is always a little bit harder. We have a longer stretch with fewer breaks,” said Carlmont Chinese teacher Mindy Chiang.
Similar to many staff, Chiang encourages students to give out cards of thanks to different Carlmont staff members. She offers extra credit if students give a message of appreciation.
“I have my students give out messages, and I keep getting emails from teachers about the notes,” Chiang said.
Chiang is continuing to try to find the best way to encourage students to show recognition in any way they can. Additionally, some students choose to show appreciation in their own way.
“Last year, I baked for my teachers, and I think it was a great way to show appreciation,” Henderson said.
Tokens of appreciation can vary in scale and come in many shapes and sizes, including hand-made notes, cards, gifts, and full letters of thanks. Even though the item given varies, what is most important is showing any recognition in the first place.
“When I received gifts, I felt seen and appreciated. It’s not what the gift is. It’s the fact that they thought of me as more than this instrument that delivers instructions and grades,” Chiang said.
Increasingly over the years, people are interacting less and less. However, by giving gifts and showing recognition, students develop a closer and more personal relationship with their teachers.
“I think it’s beneficial to students to have a closer relationship with their teachers because it could help them academically and socially,” Henderson said. “If you’re having a rough time, sometimes confiding in a teacher can be helpful.”
By helping those who have worked hard for you by giving thanks and recognition, you are also helping yourself.
“Giving thanks to my teachers made me feel better about myself because I felt like I was improving my teacher’s day,” said Carlmont sophomore Theo Scherer.
Building human connection and showing gratitude to teachers gives much more than the cost of the short amount of time it takes to write a note of appreciation.
“Teachers emailed me to say some students’ messages were heartwarming, and the students showed they learned about the teacher as a person. They wrote in their favorite color or mentioned the things the teacher likes or enjoys. Those are the human connections we want to encourage and foster,” Chiang said.
