4 Things Every Teacher Needs in 2021

I’ve thought long and hard about what teachers need this Teacher Appreciation Week. Gift giving in the pandemic is just not that simple. To make matters worse, last year’s Teacher Appreciation Week was kind of cancelled – no flowers, no special lunches, no apple coffee mugs. So the pressure is on in 2021. This year feels a little different because this year was A LOT different. 

In case you missed it, teachers (and all educators this year) were, and still are, legit pandemic front-line heroes.

I don’t know about you, but we don’t give our Navy SEAL team coffee mugs or cute vases of flowers. No, we give them things that say, “You are incredible,” and “We would not be surviving without you,” and “Thank goodness you are amazing and up there doing the thing and not me.”

Likewise, our education heroes don’t need a coffee mug.

But here are 4 things they do need:

A morning to sleep.

These people are working 12 hours on some days. At least 7 of those hours are filled with kids for the majority of the week. When they are not talking about school, they are most likely thinking and dreaming about it. Sleep is medicine for your brain and your body. In order to get all those conversations processed, you have to sleep for a long time. Which is the exact opposite of how most teachers spent the last year. If you live with an educator, give them a morning to sleep! Let them sleep until they actually wake up. Cover the windows with blankets, turn their air down, shut the door as you get up, and manage the rest of the house. Think about the best sleep you ever had. That is what our people need! This is a free and easy miracle you will thank me for later.

Some fun.

This year has been a lot of things, but fun is not one of them. One of the best things about being in schools with kids is enjoying the unplanned funny moments that remind you why you chose the job. Another great thing is laughing with your co-workers so the strain of the day gets chipped away before you even get home. Restrictions and stress have limited those moments in school, and we know they have also been limited outside of school, too. Give a teacher you know the gift of fun! (And as a reminder, your fun is not everyone’s fun. We suggest actually asking your teacher what they like to do before you buy the Murder Mystery game set.) Gift tip: Target can be really fun. A gift card to a place that is sparkly and full of useful items as well as books and electronics and patio furniture and chocolate and wine is never a bad idea. 

An empty email inbox.

This one is a little bit trickier, but you can at least help this move in the right direction. Most educators want a really good relationship with families. And vice versa. They won’t tell you this, but I will: they get about 40 million emails a day. And if you are a chronic emailer, they love you but hate you at the same time. My advice? Be very selective about what you send and respond to. Have a half-idea? Do not send the email. Have a question the internet can easily answer for you? Do not send the email. Unless this person is actively mad at you, it really is not necessary to send a thank you response for everything. And for the love of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, do NOT reply all. Just don’t. 

Prayers.

Yep. No matter what or who you believe in, praying for educators won’t hurt. This is not about dogma or religion. This is about taking time to be mindful and purposeful with our energy and thoughts around another human. The simple act of prayer does not necessarily change the circumstances. Instead, it changes us. And we can change circumstances. 

Happy Teacher Appreciation week to all our educators. You are in the home stretch. We thank you, we appreciate you, and if we have to pandemic, then we’re really glad you’re on our team.