History is full of great teachers without whom the world wouldn’t be what it is today. From Yoda to Mr. Miyagi, teachers show us how to be our best selves and how to learn and grow, but most importantly, they show us how they devote their lives to their community.
An average day for a teacher here begins at about 7 a.m. when teachers arrive at school to beat the Wootton Parkway traffic and to begin their work: grading, planning and giving students extra help. A full time teacher has five class periods, and up to five different “preps,” or courses they teach. During advisory, teachers administer retakes and offer more help to students who need it. An unfortunate reality is that teachers often sacrifice their lunch time, which is guaranteed in their contracts, to give their students more help. This means teachers work for about four hours straight, in the morning alone, often without even time for a bathroom break.
Teachers like AP Biology teacher Christina Joung teach all three sections of double-period AP Biology offered here. Junior and AP Biology student Sebastian Thomas said, “I think it’s very important that teachers are recognized during Teacher Appreciation Week. Teachers do so much for students in terms of planning a curriculum that best helps students learn as well as planning activities that make learning enjoyable. One teacher I am grateful for is Ms. Joung. I appreciate all the effort she puts into preparing labs that help provide another aspect of learning that is fun.”
Another unfortunate reality is that teacher salaries have not kept up with inflation. According to the National Education Association, “teachers are bringing home an average of $2,100 less than a decade ago.”
However, teachers are compensated for their commitment in other ways. Patriot Ambassadors, for example, created posters for teachers around the school to show their gratitude. With the help of their sponsors, Patriot Ambassadors passed out snacks and drinks for teachers to enjoy on May. 6, the first day of Teacher Appreciation week. In addition, Patriot Ambassadors will be making cards, chalking the sidewalks with positive messages and raffling gift cards for teachers. Sophomore Patriot Ambassador Sierra Lease showed her appreciation by passing out snacks to teachers from the snack cart. “I definitely think it’s important to recognize teachers’ hard work because most teachers are selflessly putting their students first, sacrificing their own time and putting in effort that can’t be forced,” Lease said.
Students looking to share their words of gratitude to staff members can fill out this Google form to send an online certificate of appreciation to any staff member. “I’d like to thank the Chinese teacher, Mrs. Zheng/Westcott, for being an amazing, consistent teacher, and going out of her way to create fun and engaging lesson plans. I also appreciate the time that she’s willing to put in (one-on-one OR group) to ensure the success of her students,” Lease said.
