Inspire Appreciation for Teachers

Everyone is a beginner at some point. No one, except maybe child music prodigy Mozart, is born perfect at their craft. Instead, you learn. Some people learn by themselves, but the majority learn from important figures in our lives: teachers.

(photo/Pinterest)

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. When I was younger, I wanted to grow up and become a teacher. I admired my elementary school teachers and thought I could be like them. If I hadn't discovered a love for writing when I was ten years old, I would probably be a teacher today.

There's so much to appreciate about teachers. Apart from our parents and other important authority figures in our life, teachers are the first people we meet who teach us valuable life lessons. Yes, they teach us everything we need to know about reading, writing, history, mathematics, science, music, art, and more, but they also teach us about life. They teach us how to share, communicate with others, discover our passions, and be curious individuals. They teach us how to be brave and to never stop asking questions...because there is no such thing as a dumb question.

Teachers inspire us to dream big. They want us to dream about a world outside their classroom. They want us to grow up and be good citizens, but also to follow our hearts. They're heroes without the capes. They often go out of their way, spending their own money, to influence us. They guide us, protect us, and touch our hearts with each lesson.

(photo/Etsy.com)

For that, I say thank you. Thank you to the many teachers who influenced me. Many of them inspired me to fall in love with reading, writing, music, and so much more. But they also taught me to always be curious about life. They saw 'tomorrow' in my eyes and helped me get to that special destination. They taught from their heart, not from a book, and I'll always be grateful to them.

Thank a teacher today. Let them know you appreciate their hard work. Sometimes, they need to be reminded that they truly are shaping lives.

They definitely shaped mine.

-KJL-