Teachers will be celebrated across the province this week as part of a movement that started in 1994 to recognize the remarkable commitment of all those who work in our schools and centres. The theme for this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week, as chosen by the Quebec government, is “Every day we measure the significance of your role.”
It is a lovely sentiment, but this phrasing suggests the work done by our teachers can and should be quantified. One would think that following the extraordinary dedication shown by teachers and staff during wave after wave of pandemic-fueled stress, it would be understood that what teachers, and all staff, bring to our schools and represent within society is simply beyond measure.
A more appropriate theme would have been, “Every day we marvel at the significance of your role.” Within the New Frontiers School Board, Teacher Appreciation Week has been adapted to recognize and include all staff members as vital players in the daily functioning of our schools. And rightly so. Teachers, office and IT workers, daycare workers, noon-hour supervisors, special education technicians, and attendants all bear a tremendous weight as role models and partners in instilling a passion for learning that our children will carry as they grow into adulthood.
This week represents an opportunity for all of us to show our appreciation. We all have a teacher or staff member that inspired us or motivated us to succeed. And in a climate where teachers may feel like they are being measured, and when some are leaving the profession, a reminder that they have had a positive impact in our lives could be enough to keep them going, doing everything they do to help us learn and live our lives. Sarah Rennie
