Teacher Appreciation

Divine timing happened for me this week. As I have been working tirelessly to build our new product and course offerings and our brand new website (with the incredible support from my team), I realized that the launch date aligned perfectly with Teacher Appreciation Week. 

So much of my inspiration and work at Kind Mind comes from teachers I have worked with, learned from, those who nurture MY OWN children, and the teachers I remember from my childhood. Our new website, our new offerings, and the development of Kind Mind materials have all been enhanced and improved based on what teachers have expressed they like, could do without, and want more of. 

Teacher Appreciation

The system is a little backward when it comes to supporting our teachers, in my view. You see, everything I know about building resilience in children is strongly impacted by the adults in their lives and their ability to help the child feel SAFE, SEEN, and HEARD. Many times, this adult is the child’s teacher. 

But, if our teachers are underpaid, overworked, and underappreciated, how can we expect them to feel resilient themselves? How can we expect them to have the energy, the excitement, and the skills even, to help translate these fundamental needs for resilience with our children? 

Think about when you are stressed and overwhelmed. Are you patient with your 1 or 2, or maybe children? Now imagine a classroom FULL of them, all with needs tugging at you, not to mention the needs of parents and administrators. This is a heavy burden. 

I am amazed because even under all of this pressure, our teachers pull through and still give our children the safety they need to feel successful at school. At Kind Mind, we want to help teachers have it all. And we feel that promoting resilience within teachers first, and then offering simple ways to support social-emotional learning in the classroom, as well as considering a new system of support based on TEACHER INPUT, has the ability to transform our entire future. 

I envision a future where all children have a strong sense of purpose and belonging. Where we believe in ourselves and dream big, AND have the confidence to go for it. My vision is a world where we accept our human traits, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and find ways to show and receive compassion first. For me, this all starts with parents and teachers. 

Remember, how our teachers FEEL directly impacts our children. Let’s come together and support teacher resilience, so we can impact more children, and build a stronger, more connected world. 

This week, practice having a conversation with your kids about their teachers. What do you love about your teachers? What can you do to help your teachers this week? How can you show appreciation for your teachers and all that they do?