LETTER: Take Time to Thank Teachers

The following post was submitted to and edited by Patch in honor of National PTA Teacher Appreciation Week. 

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” —Cynthia Ozick

When it comes to teachers, I could not say that any better myself. We take time every year to thank teachers, but the reality is we should thank them every day.

When I sat down to write this, I did a little exercise. I looked at where I was at in life, what I was doing, then how I got here. I am a retail manager—meaning math, sorting concepts, personal interactions and money handling are all skills I picked up somewhere?

I am also the Anne Arundel County PTA president—meaning, speaking, reading, writing, leadership and negotiating skills. I have been touched by more than 100 teachers in my lifetime, elementary, secondary, college and trainers of all sorts.

All of these teachers have left their mark on me in some way. I see them as part of my internal makeup, a genetic code of sorts. My better skills, I can track back to specific teachers. Most everything I know I owe to a teacher. Thanking them is the least we can do.

The next time you see a teacher from your past, reach out and shake his or her hand. Teach your children to respect them, in and out of class. Support them and volunteer to help them, ask them how you can help. You will be surprised at all the opportunities that present themselves.

So teachers …THANK YOU, for all that you do, all you have done and all that you have yet to do. Without you, we would be nothing.

Ray Leone
President
Anne Arundel County Council of PTAs

Do you have a teacher you'd like to recognize in the Crofton area? Tell us in the comments and please list the name of the school.