How to really appreciate a teacher

Over the years, I can say I got some pretty good gifts from students. The most expensive was a bottle of perfume, which I thought was pretty nice, and a little strange since it was from a young man. But the gifts I will have forever are the notes that students wrote to me over the years. I have every last one of them, and plan to keep them well into my demented old age.

Many teachers have these mementos in their possession, or can recall a thoughtful action a student gave them as a way of saying thanks. But this year, I’d like those of you who are no longer students to also give to the teachers in your area. I have a few ideas for what you could offer them that would move them to tears. Last year, the National Education Association asked teachers what they’d like for National Teacher Day (coming up Tuesday, May 6, with the whole week being National Teacher Week). You’d be surprised what kinds of things topped their lists.

For starters, “give me control over my students’ education” got the most votes. This reveals the frustration many feel today due to the increased pressure on testing, and the plethora of “experts” who convince leadership that their new curriculum, professional development, etc. is the thing that will improve their schools’ scores.

One time, I had a principal say to me, “I could take away all the technology you have, and leave you with a textbook, and you’d still be a good teacher.” I took it as a compliment, and wish that more leaders, particularly those in the state legislature, regarded the education and experience that teachers have that highly.

The second most mentioned thing teachers would like was to “stop the standardized testing mania.” I couldn’t agree more. I visited an elementary school in Oklahoma City recently to see teachers who should have been having a regular faculty meeting hunched over posters they were making to encourage their children to do well on the standardized tests.

It breaks my heart to see our teachers under such pressure to perform when they have so little control over the outcome. They themselves grieve the stress their students are under - elementary children, who are so worried about these things they can’t eat. This does not make learning fun, and we need children to view it as fun so that they will engage in it for the long term.

As one might expect, teachers would also like to be paid the salary they deserve. Leaders, politicians, average citizens alike all pay lip service to teaching being a noble profession, but when it comes down to it, our actions show we don’t value education. We value many more things more than education; this year in Oklahoma, it’s tax cuts and roads and bridges. How are our teachers supposed to compete at the Capitol with lobbyists who are paid six figures to tout their clients’ opinions?

I’d like to ask each of you to take five minutes to make one phone call or send one email to your legislators. Tell them you do believe in public education and want to return power to the classroom, and take it away from the testing companies. Tell them that you don’t want corporate for-profit education, but universal education.

And finally, tell them you are OK with your taxes not being cut, maybe even going up, if it means that teachers will be paid a salary commensurate with how we as a society value them. Then write a letter to your favorite teacher telling him or her you did. It will be the best Teacher Appreciation Day they’ve ever had.

by Jennifer Seal, Education Columnist

The Gayly – May 4, 2014 @ 5pm