Thanks

My husband, Toby, teaches at a local middle school, and he just finished his last week of school. Throughout the week, he came home each afternoon with notes from students thanking him for how he helped them to grow and to feel passionate about social studies as well as for the creative projects that he had them do. Not one mentioned a particular historical event that was memorable, and all of them made clear that he made them feel special, or competent, or seen.

At the end of a long year, these notes are a reminder of why teachers do what they do and why teaching is a rewarding career. Teaching can also be disheartening when it seems that school districts and parents want more and more from teachers without recognizing the incredible cognitive, emotional, and sometimes physical performance that it requires. When we ask teachers to do more, we are also asking them to stop doing something else, which could be connecting with students or having time with their own children (or wife). Each week I write about how AI can help to alleviate some of that burden so that teachers can focus on what matters most, relationships with students, but this week I just want to say thanks. Thanks for all of the planning to create meaningful learning. Thanks for being a welcoming face to every student, every day. Thanks for going to bat for students who are struggling to make it within the school system. Thanks for all of the grading, and feedback, and report card comments. Thanks for creating communities where children feel seen, heard, and valued. And thanks for continuing to choose to teach, every day.