Everything I am I owe to my teachers. I am grateful beyond measure to them for the difference they made in my life.
It’s National Teacher Appreciation Week in America, and today is National Teacher Appreciation Day.
I’ve been fielding a lot of calls and emails recently from school districts inquiring about my availability to speak during their opening of school faculty and staff in-service days.
These are some of my favorite events to speak at because I leave them reminded of how much of a difference teachers can make in someone’s life—when they choose to be good teammates. One good teammate can change everything.
I love asking teachers during in-services to tell me about the teachers they had as students. With warm, nostalgic smiles on their faces, they will inevitably tell me that their favorite teachers were the ones who took an interest in their lives.
But I am quick to correct their responses by saying, “Those teachers weren’t just interested in your life; they were invested in it.”
When someone is interested, they ask questions. They’re curious about how things are going for you. And they’re genuinely happy for your success.
When they’re invested, they do everything someone who’s interested does, plus they see your problems as their problems. And they become as committed to helping you overcome your problems as they are to overcoming their own problems. To them, it’s not your problem; it’s our problem.
The nature of the teaching profession, coupled with the challenges of the current socio-political landscape, can leave some teachers feeling burned out, jaded, or otherwise disenfranchised. They wonder if their contributions matter. Are their sacrifices worth it? Will any of their efforts make a difference?
Whenever I encounter teachers struggling with these issues, I remind them that one good teammate can change everything and I share with them Loren Eisley’s story about The Star Thrower.
Eisley’s story has been adapted countless times over the years. Most variations include an on older man walking along a beach covered in starfish that a storm had washed ashore.
The man notices a child in the distance picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. He approaches and asks why the child is doing this. The man proceeds to point out to the child that the beach is long and there are many starfish. He tells the child, “You won’t make a difference.”
The child smiles politely, throws another starfish into the ocean, then looks at the man and says, “I made a difference to that one.”
Building meaningful student-school-home relationships requires teamwork—and teamwork doesn’t happen without the presence of good teammates. It behooves us as a society to have teachers who are committed to being good teammates to their colleagues, students, and communities.
If you or someone you care about had a teacher whose investment made a difference, reach out to them today and convey your appreciation. One of them may be reflecting on their life and wondering if their contributions, sacrifices, or efforts mattered. Letting them know they did will undoubtedly make a difference to that one.
As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
