What does it mean to celebrate teacher appreciation week?
Let's chat about who WOULD do this job. Would you?
I wonder if it’s just me, or maybe it’s just that my school district recently went through bargaining… but it feels that teacher appreciation week is more like hollow words these days. While I mean it earnestly when I say "happy teacher appreciation week", it doesn’t mean much when our supposed allies aren’t doing enough to support educators (pay us more). By that I mean school boards, politicians, and lobbyists.
Teachers are leaving the profession en masse and honestly, it makes sense. I still feel invigorated to make change in the classroom, but I also relate to not feeling that way and not connecting with that sentiment. With food costs soaring, higher costs of living everywhere, low teacher pay, lack of in-classroom support, and bloated middle management admin in education… how are teachers supposed to really feel the sentiment behind Teacher Appreciation Week?
Even before I was an educator, I was the child of educators. What struck me as odd/alarming is the more we refer to people as “saints” (in any profession… nurses too), the more we dehumanize their very real lived experience. This Teacher Appreciation Week I made a comic about the reality of being a teacher in 2024 in America.
This Teacher Appreciation Week I made a comic about the general reality of being a teacher in 2024 in America. I'm aware this might not apply to certain geographic locations where teachers are paid well or highly respected. But generally... this does apply based on a lot of the statistics.
The reality is…
States are losing teachers of color at higher rates than their white counterparts. Source
1 in 10 teachers in America has been attacked by a student. Source
Teachers boast higher rates of professional burnout, depression, and job stress than their non-educator counterparts. Source
Earning more than $75,000 a year correlates to happiness (because life is less stressful when you can afford it). Source
I don’t mean this to sound negative. I just am being honest. And the honest truth is that I worry about the education system in this country.
You probably follow me here because you’ve read my books. Did you know that one day a week I’m also an elementary art teacher at a Title I public school? I am.
If you didn’t catch my last year’s blog post, I switched from higher education to elementary.