Teacher Appreciation Week
Teacher Appreciation Week is about celebrating the teachers who work endlessly to support their students. In 2024, teachers wear many hats, from instructional time to staying after school for events. Without teachers, many students would lack guidance and support.
This year, Kempsville offered a variety of activities and gifts for teachers. Administrators arranged a create-your-own trail mix day, a hydration bar, a relaxation room, treats, and snacks. Some of the most eye-catching activities were catering from Fuddruckers, pizza lunch, and cuddles with dogs event.
To be loved is to be seen, and here at Kempsville “administrators know their teachers and the culture in the high school. Our administrators understand how much teachers like to dress down – they let us wear jeans. It’s huge and it does matter.” says Kempsville teacher Mr. Morris.
To Mr. Morris, this holds weight here at Kempsville High. Teachers like to dress down and be comfortable when they are teaching. To teachers, this is a major way to be appreciated while also being comfortable.
“They don’t have budgets where they can go buy things for teachers, or post-it notes, I don’t need more pens. Their hands are a little bit tied with the types of budgets they deal with. It’s the intangible things that matter.”
To assistant principal Mr. Barber, appreciatingappeirating teachers has become a necessity in the current day. As a former teacher and a husband of a teacher, Mr. Barbour has insight to what it’s like to be in the classroom with students.
“While times have changed, the role of teachers has expanded, in the role with social and emotional. Sometimes I think people don’t understand how much that is draining as they try to support the kids, and how much that takes out of them,” Barbour adds on the importance of teacher appreciation week.
While teacher appreciation week is over, this does not mean opportunities to appreciate your teachers are gone. As the end of the year goes on, take the time to give your teachers some love.
Like Mr. Morris said, the intangible things matter, and the intention behind your actions matters.
“It may look like bringing a gift, but in higher grades, it’s being intentional and doing some small things to facilitate a conversation to tell the person “what you do is not easy” “what you do not everyone can do it, and we value you,” says Mr. Morris.
Some easy ways to show appreciation to your teachers as the school year comes to a close, is to write them a letter or email detailing how they have impacted you or get them a small gift that has meaning.
