Reply to Teacher Appreciation Week ... Here we go.

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[quote=Anonymous]I don't understand the level of anger this all generates on both ends.  I fall in the camp of people who think there is not enough you can do for a good teacher -- volunteer in the room, send extra supplies, leave cookies in the lounge, etc.  On the other hand, I also never want a child whose parents choose not to participate, or who cannot participate, to feel left out.  I can see how it would be stressful to parents who are short on time and money to continually be asked to chip in.

It seems to me that there is often an assumption that the volunteers who come up with the ideas for teacher appreciation are trying to make everyone else's life harder or somehow "one-up" other people.  I think it is more likely that they are trying their best to involve as many people as possible and do something nice on a very limited budget.  Organizing a group effort is difficult at the best of times and you can never please everyone.   Many people like to contribute to a group gift or effort (organized days) because it does not require original thought and smaller contributions can have a big impact.  Others are indignant that someone dared to ask for any contribution of time or money.

I think people need to avoid attributing the worst motive to the people who take the time to organize these efforts.  We should all do our best to shower our children's teachers with help and appreciation on a daily basis.  They get to spend more time with our kids than we do.  Let's face it, even with the most well-behaved kids, that is not always easy.  If you have spent any time in your kids classrooms lately, you have seen that managing 25-30 different personalities with their own moods, needs, and wants is no easy task.  A happy teacher helps make happier students.  If knowing that people cared enough to try to show appreciation with a flower makes the teacher's day a little happier, mission accomplished.

Finally, if you take issue with "forced" appreciation, what would you suggest as an alternative?  I bet the other parents would love it if you want to volunteer to be in charge of organizing the effort next year.  I would love to hear ways to get all the kids and families involved in building teacher morale without "bothering" anyone.

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