Blogs It’s time to CELEBRATE!!!
National Teacher Appreciation Day is Tuesday, May 7, 2024
National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10, 2024
To celebrate you, we’ve asked our K12 Coalition colleagues to share the names of teachers who have impacted their lives, and we are inviting you to contribute too!
To do so, we’ve created this Padlet. If you are new to Padlet, it is a place to post things, like a bulletin board, only digital. Click on the Padlet link, then the + sign to contribute.
Add the name of your favorite teacher (or a pseudonym if they prefer anonymity) and a sentence or two about how they impacted you. Then read and enjoy the other posts about teachers while you’re there.
Although there is a National Teacher Appreciation Week to celebrate you, we appreciate and celebrate you all year long!
Our Favorite Teachers
Dr. Leo McAvoy took our class on a 2-week backpacking trip and we had to do “really hard stuff.” Life-changing!
Ms. Riddle, my 7th grade ELA teacher, encouraged and pushed me as a writer, and now, it’s all I want to do!
Mr. Samsky, my 5th grade teacher, made me like school again.
Mr. Scott Fairweather is a band director with over 20 years of expertise in teaching “music and marching.” When he works with a marching band, he gently guides and helpfully critiques, and students can’t help but adore him. He’s one of the best teachers I have ever worked with by far.
Ms Larson read to us every afternoon and it swept me away. One of my favorite books was Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan. (If you’re looking for a book for a 4th-5th grader, this could be it!) I love reading because of her.
Mr. Brian Sawyer, was my middle school accelerated math teacher. He mage algebra and geometry, subjects that didn’t come naturally to me, always feel accessible and doable. Mr. Sawyer went above and beyond by teaching us different ways to memorize equations through singing and dancing (I still sing the silly song for the quadratic equation from time to time), showcasing visual ways to solve problems, and most importantly, building a strong classroom culture of love and support for and between every student.
Mr Steadman, my high school math teacher, drove me and helped me to push myself farther than I believed possible. He also kept the class entertained with tangents about poetry, his experience on a train in Soviet Russia, and the inflection point of the year.
Dr. Joel Samaha—As a young woman, I wasn’t often called on in class, until I was in his. I learned how to argue my perspectives and he had high expectations. He even read from a paper I wrote to the whole class. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was my paper. He impacted and boosted my self-confidence.
Mr Olsen was my 12th-grade physics teacher. At that point in my schooling, I had become convinced that I wasn’t “scientific,” and I was nervous to have him as my teacher because I had heard from older students that he was strict and mean. Imagine my surprise when he turned out to be one of the kindest teachers I ever had. He helped me see myself as a scientist and someone who was capable of understanding physics!
Ms. Griffen, my kindergarten teacher, drove a Harley. Yup. She was my kindergarten teacher and drove a Harley-Davidson. Consider this was in the 60’s and you get the picture, a Renaissance woman for sure!
Of course, we couldn’t celebrate Teacher Appreciation week without recognizing the amazing group of former educators working here at Teaching Channel. This astonishingly smart and hard-working group of teachers amazes us every day. They lead and collaborate with grace, have unmatchable work ethics, their senses of humor keep us laughing, and in true teacher fashion, they make it look effortless to keep a million plates in the air. Bravo!
About the Author
Susanne Leslie is a Professional Learning Specialist at Teaching Channel. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and a Master’s in Education. As a parent educator, Susanne’s specialty is Culture and Early Childhood instruction. In her current role, she writes courses and content, focusing on our Hybrid Blended Learning courses.
Fun Fact: Susanne has jumped out of two (perfectly good) airplanes!
