2008 Woodie Awards
A refection on teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week
Andrea Kerry
Issue date: 5/8/07 Section: Opinion
Teacher Appreciation Week is being celebrated nationally during the week of May 7th.
Now, if Teacher Appreciation Week is meant to inspire students to appreciate their teachers, the timing couldn't be worse, with class workloads peaking and finals looming.
But admittedly, teachers, like everyone, deserve a little appreciation and recognition. It's easy to appreciate the teachers we liked and remember fondly. But what about the teachers who we didn't like?
I had an English teacher in high school who I didn't really like very much. As is turned out, the feeling was mutual. She was outspoken and emphatic about her political views and they were contrary to my own.
She was quite fond of a few students who I considered to be butt-kissers. And they always got good grades in her class.
However, I always felt like she gave me lower grades than I really deserved, and I have always attributed this to our mutual dislike. I was convinced that her opinion of me affected her opinion of my work.
In hindsight, I would say that was a most valuable experience, because I remember what it felt like to be treated unfairly. I decided I didn't want to be the kind of person who gives preferential treatment to those who she likes or those who always agree with her.
Furthermore, she is one of the people who helped to teach me that, while I don't have to love it, I have to accept that life isn't fair.
Another one of my teacher's comes to mind as I ponder Teacher Appreciation Week. It was my third grade teacher, Mr. Rhine. As I recall now, it is obvious that he was a wide-eyed idealistic young new graduate when he inherited my class.
But he had no idea what he was dealing with. We had what I'm sure the other teachers considered the class from hell. There were a lot of trouble makers in that class.
It seemed like every morning there was a huge brawl of some sort. I remember one incident where my friend and I were sitting together and talking during story time. Mr. Rhine asked us to be quiet, but we kept talking.
Now, if Teacher Appreciation Week is meant to inspire students to appreciate their teachers, the timing couldn't be worse, with class workloads peaking and finals looming.
But admittedly, teachers, like everyone, deserve a little appreciation and recognition. It's easy to appreciate the teachers we liked and remember fondly. But what about the teachers who we didn't like?
I had an English teacher in high school who I didn't really like very much. As is turned out, the feeling was mutual. She was outspoken and emphatic about her political views and they were contrary to my own.
She was quite fond of a few students who I considered to be butt-kissers. And they always got good grades in her class.
However, I always felt like she gave me lower grades than I really deserved, and I have always attributed this to our mutual dislike. I was convinced that her opinion of me affected her opinion of my work.
In hindsight, I would say that was a most valuable experience, because I remember what it felt like to be treated unfairly. I decided I didn't want to be the kind of person who gives preferential treatment to those who she likes or those who always agree with her.
Furthermore, she is one of the people who helped to teach me that, while I don't have to love it, I have to accept that life isn't fair.
Another one of my teacher's comes to mind as I ponder Teacher Appreciation Week. It was my third grade teacher, Mr. Rhine. As I recall now, it is obvious that he was a wide-eyed idealistic young new graduate when he inherited my class.
But he had no idea what he was dealing with. We had what I'm sure the other teachers considered the class from hell. There were a lot of trouble makers in that class.
It seemed like every morning there was a huge brawl of some sort. I remember one incident where my friend and I were sitting together and talking during story time. Mr. Rhine asked us to be quiet, but we kept talking.
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