Whether it’s staying after school to tutor students or fully engage a class in discussion, teachers have earned a day of appreciation as well.
At FHS, teachers were given gifts on May 3, National Teacher Appreciation Day. High School Principal Mr. William Deal and High School Assistant Vice Principal Mr. Ryan Smith were the ones who led the celebration. They were given Sharpie markers on the first day, complete with the pun “You are a re-mark-able teacher. Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!” Officer Tom Liberty also brought doughnuts in for the staff one morning. A parent also provided lunch on May 6, the in-service day.
“In early May, we start to count the days to the end of the year. It’s at that point where people feel a little burnt out, and they need a reminder that they are appreciated. And here is a token of that appreciation. Yes, it’s very small, but it’s the thought behind it that matters,” Deal said.
All over the United States, schools celebrated this day in similar ways. President Barack Obama was inclined this year to thank his 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Mabel Hefty, for inspiring him as a student.
“She reinforced that essential value of empathy that my mother and my grandparents had taught me. That is something that I carry with me every day as President. This is the simple and undeniable power of a good teacher,” Obama wrote.
As for our FHS’s principal, his own teachers influenced his development as well.
“I had a high school math and science teacher that really stood out to me. My chemistry teacher had a huge influence with me, since that is what I chose to pursue in college. He was very helpful even when I was out of high school and passed on things to me as an adult. My math teacher definitely helped me stay grounded and remember what reality was all about… I was hard on myself in high school, and she really reminded me to keep my eye on the larger goal… not worry about the small stuff,” Deal said.
Students in FHS also feel their teachers inspire them every day.
“Mrs. Porter was really influential on me, because she helped me not only to understand, but really like a subject. I don’t like history, but she definitely made it fun,” Freshman Gabriella Regalado said.
Deal also mentioned making this a yearly event
in order to bring students and faculty together in appreciation.
“We try to do a little something every year. We will definitely continue in future years,” Deal said.
When it comes to the teacher-student relationship, sometimes the simple gift of an education can be enough to affect a person for a lifetime.