This is something that some teachers crave, whilst others see it as a nice bonus to the profession. Although we don’t actively wait around for it, appreciation is a nice gift to receive after all of your hard work. Whether it be appreciation from parents, other staff members or the children you teach. Feeling appreciated somehow makes the late nights of planning, endless piles of paperwork and frustrating moments in the classroom worth it.
There have been many moments during my teacher training that I have felt underappreciated. Times when I felt like I needed someone to say ‘you’re doing a good job’ or ‘thank you for doing that for me.’ Teaching is a stressful profession and sometimes I think we all get caught up in the busyness of the day, that we forget that a simple ‘thank you’ makes all the difference.
There have been moments during my training that I have felt on top of the world. Overwhelmed by the appreciation I have received from other staff members and the children. I have smiled at the adorable pictures that children have drawn for me. Felt valued by people saying ‘thanks for that’, ‘you’re a star’ and ‘you really didn’t have to do that, thank you.’
Something that I have realised after completing both my beginning and developing placements was the difference was in the people that worked in the school. Some staff members act like a family, constantly reassure each other and keep up a positive spirit (even when it’s the last week before the half-term break). Others focus entirely on their on teaching, walk around with sour faces and don’t even appreciate their own class, never mind the other staff members that work with them. I know what type of school I would prefer to work in.
There are many ways that people can show their appreciation for what teachers do on a daily basis. Yes, it’s nice when we receive gifts and cards from children and teachers at Christmas time or when we leave to go to another school. But I have found that just a simple word of appreciation can keep you motivated and remind you that you are training to do the best job in the world.
