What Teachers Need to Feel Appreciated

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!!

Last week, I asked teachers like you what would make you feel especially appreciated this week - and you may be surprised by the answers.

Teachers in our community were not asking for anything fancy, complicated, or unrealistic … they were mostly asking to be seen and heard.

Check out the 3 most common teacher responses to “What would help you feel more appreciated?” below, plus two quotes, and one question that I think is especially important to consider this week.

3 Things Teachers Need to Feel Appreciated (from teachers like you!)

I.

More Genuine “Thank Yous”. From students, from their parents, from admin, from teachers they work with … The most common answer teachers gave is that they would like their efforts to be recognized more frequently with a simple, heartfelt “thank you”.

II.

More Genuine “Good Jobs”. Teachers put in a lot of effort for their community during the school year, and between teaching evaluations, concerned parents, and frustrated students, it’s easy to get more criticism than praise for all the effort. One of the most common responses to “What do you need to feel appreciated?” was wanting more confirmation and recognition that they’re doing a good job.

III.

To Feel Heard. Teachers want their voices heard - by administration, policy makers, parents, students. The third most common response was wanting their feedback acknowledged when people ask for it.


2 Quotes from Others

I.

“Everyone deserves to have their voice heard.” - Candice Patton

II.

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” - John F. Kennedy


1 Question For You

How can your school community work together to continue appreciating its teachers beyond this week?

If you enjoyed that, please share this post with other teachers who may benefit!

Until next week,

Emily Hemmingson

Health Coach for Teachers

Creator of The Teacher Wellness Center Membership Community

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Thank you for taking a moment to join me, and for giving yourself a moment to consider your needs this school week. You can get more actionable ideas in my popular email Teacher 3-2-1 newsletter. Each week, I share 3 of my teacher wellness tips, 2 quotes from others, and 1 wellness question to think about. Thousands of teachers are already subscribed. Enter your email below to join the community!

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