Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week: We Appreciate You
Our leadership team is lucky enough to work with teachers on a daily basis and, behind the scenes, we’re constantly developing new ways to support their success in the classroom.
To help celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we asked the whole leadership team to contribute the reasons why we appreciate our teachers. Keep reading to hear what we said.
Also, please stay tuned this month for a stellar line-up of teacher feature blog posts to learn more about some of our individual teachers.
Why We Appreciate Our Teachers
From Staci (Operations Director):
“I appreciate how dedicated our teachers are to their students' success. It's been a really hard year with a lot of changes but our teachers have rolled with the changes, adapting to meet their students' needs. They are always willing to brainstorm, try something new, and think outside of the box to get each and every student exactly what they need to thrive. Our teachers form such close mentorship bonds with their students that many of them end up working with that same student for several years. I love that commitment!”
From Kathy (Instructional Coach & Manager):
“I appreciate how much excitement our teachers exude working with students. In our 1:1 environment, teachers get to form increasingly deep and meaningful relationships with students, which gives them the opportunity to personalize every discussion and activity. Teachers get to know about the student’s interests in sports, how many siblings they have, their favorite tv shows, and then use that information to give real world examples connected to the content they are studying. When providing teacher coaching and feedback, it is clear that this personalized approach to learning is what makes our teachers thrive and our students excited to log into class.”
From Anna (Dean of Students):
"What I appreciate about our teachers is how much they genuinely care about whether their students are enjoying their classwork, and will work closely with us on the back-end (something caretakers don't always see!) to hone their lesson plans in order to ensure their students are engaged. They're incredibly proud of what their students are accomplishing, and will send us samples of student work (unprompted) to share their progress. I often receive video clips or links from teachers when students have completed hands-on projects. My favorite featured a student who made an air-powered bottle rocket as part of a science experiment. I loved seeing the video, but it also warmed my heart that the teacher was so proud of what the student had accomplished that she wanted to share!"
From Mel (Dean of Academics):
“I appreciate our teachers for the care and support they provide to each of their students, and for the thoughtful and individualized approach they take toward each of their student's lessons and learning styles. It's incredible to witness the growth our teachers are able to make with students and the kind and wonderful relationships they are able to develop together.”
From Melissa (Admissions Director):
"I really appreciate the thoughtful communication between our teachers and leadership team. We speak with our teachers often about student progress and lesson plans throughout the school year. In particular, I love seeing all the student projects that are specifically designed for them. For instance, one student's family traveled to Taiwan and his teacher assigned a research project on the country while the student was actually there. Our teachers are flexible and adaptable - which both our leadership team and families appreciate!"
From Liz (Resources Coordinator):
"I appreciate how adaptable and creative our teachers are. They truly care about their students getting the most out of each moment of class and it shows in their creative lesson plans. I love when our teachers share examples of what they're working on with their students, and the whole leadership team really appreciates when they share their work! The rapport that teachers build with their students shows in their creativity and adaptability by bringing in elements that their students love to their lesson plans. It's such a treat to be able to see how committed they are!"
From Erika (Curriculum Specialist):
“Our teachers work diligently to ensure that lessons are meaningful, engaging, and rigorous. They personalize each step of a lesson. They offer authentic touch points so students feel seen, heard, and supported. This requires knowing the student personally and academically, which all of our teachers excel at. One example of this is when a teacher planned a ballet Spanish class as a culmination for their unit. This student loves ballet and through this session they learned about dance culture, music, and best of all - had fun!”
From Jesse (Head of School):
“I appreciate that our teachers always go the extra mile for students. They plan ahead and think about how each child will connect with the lesson. If it seems like the content might be too easy or too hard, they modify the lesson to the appropriate level of the student. Teaching is hard. Finding ways to engage each child based on their unique learning differences is hard. I appreciate that our teachers take the extra time to make sure that each lesson is engaging for each student.”
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