We’re half way through one of our favorite weeks of the year – National Teacher Appreciation Week! Throughout the week, communities come together to honor some of their most important contributors – teachers. While many businesses and restaurants are offering special promotions for teachers, each one of us should do our part to spread the love.
The NEA & National PTA are currently promoting their #ThankATeacher campaign, and we encourage you to join the conversation. We can all recall a memorable teacher that has shaped our mind, touched our heart, or boosted our spirit. So post a photo or jot a quick note on social media to honor that special teacher, include #ThankATeacher, and share it for the world to see.
But here at Source4Teachers, we know that it doesn’t stop at teachers… substitute teachers deserve acknowledgment too. Did you know that each day in the U.S. more than 185,000 teachers require a substitute? That’s more than 33 million absences per year covered by a sub! In fact, by the time a student graduates high school, it’s estimated that they spend a full year learning from substitutes. We simply can’t overlook their contribution. Here’s just a few more reasons we love our subs:
Subs step in at a moment’s notice to make every day a valuable learning day for our students; they are incredibly flexible, quickly adapting to new situations, and always fine-tuning their problem solving skills.
Good substitutes are worth their weight in gold to school administrators and full-time teachers; they make sure the day goes smoothly, curriculum continues, students are well-supported, and headaches are avoided.
It only takes one defining moment to positively impact a student’s life, which means substitutes are just as capable of making a difference as full-time teachers, and they DO make a differece… every day.
With that said, we encourage you to #ThankATeacher this week, but don’t forget to #ThankASubstitute too!