We all know why we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, but do we know how this week came to be?
Back in 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt recognized the importance of our teachers, as well as the importance of keeping morale high for them. No matter how many times it was turned down, Eleanor kept pushing for Congress to make a specific day to recognize teachers, the protectors and educators of children, the future of our entire world. Though some states did adopt this as a day of celebration, it unfortunately did not become a nationally recognized holiday until 27 years later, when the National Education Association started lobbying Congress for this to be a recognized day. The first National Teacher Appreciation Day was celebrated on March 7th, 1984. Eventually, people realized that one day was not enough to celebrate the many years teachers spend forming students into productive members of society. And so, Teacher Appreciation Week was born and moved to May rather than March.
People are influenced most by the people who are most involved during their formative years, these people are teachers. Teachers dedicate their every waking hour to planning lessons, finding ways to challenge and better their students, and finding ways to ensure their students’ success. With all that teachers do for us, this one week dedicated to celebrating them is the least we can do to repay them. Make sure to thank your teachers for everything that they do for you, especially this week!
