Counselor’s Corner - May 1, 2023 Issue

Dear Teacher,

In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, I loved this story shared by Mrs. Arensberg, a Floridian elementary teacher:

Teacher gifts.

It's so easy to compare what we receive for things like Teacher Appreciation Week, Christmas, end-of-the-year gifts and so on.  I know teachers who could go to Starbucks for a year with the gift cards they rack up.  I've seen spa days, and lavish Home-and-School celebrations and thought, "Wow!  They must be so loved!"

Here are the gifts I received for Teacher Appreciation Week one year:  A used wallet, an already burned candle, a half-empty bottle of body spray, and an open packet of tissues.  Does this mean I'm not loved as much as the other teachers I see online?

Absolutely not.  My worth is not found in a gift bag... or maybe it is.

You see, this was my FAVORITE set of gifts I've ever received.  That wallet was gifted to me after my student saw that the zipper on mine was broken.  The tissues were a gift while I was recovering from a cold.  The candle came from a student who learned that lit candles are part of my "calm environment" at home (At the beginning of the year, we learn the environments that make us feel most calm).  The body spray came along with a note that said 'Your hugs always smell good.'  If anything, I feel MORE loved because these gifts were thought about, personal, and given from the heart.  And the amount of pride these students had on their faces while handling me these gifts could never be loaded into a gift card.

Sometimes our kids have nothing to give but a warm hug, a flower from the walk to school, and that drawing they spent all day on.  Not all schools have parents who can provide lunches, parties, class gifts, and gift cards, but may provide affirming words of thankfulness and gratitude instead.

So teacher, there in your classroom, remember that the items that fill your gift bag don't determine whether you're a valued teacher or not.  The students that have the least, will often give the items that mean the most, because it's all they have to give...and they chose to give it to YOU.  Your "gift bag" may be filled to the brim with those who don't need a holiday to show you how much they love you!

Especially celebrating you this week,
Mindy Salyers
Christian School Counselor