Every year towards the end of the school year, some schools dedicate a week to teacher appreciation. With the end of the year and graduation coming up, many students appreciate and feel grateful for different teachers making an impact on their learning.

“I appreciate Mr. Stenlund and feel like he impacted me more than any other teacher this year because he explained problems we didn’t understand in ways we could understand them,” freshman Taylor Channing said. “Without Mr. Stenlund, I wouldn’t be able to understand Algebra problems as well as I do now.”

With students showing and appreciating teachers who impacted their learning experiences, many stop to wonder: How do teachers feel about Teacher Appreciation Week?

“I don’t know if there should be a Teacher Appreciation Week,” Mr. Hayano said. “I think it is a made up thing that people created, but I appreciate and love the food we get, like on Monday, we had a really good breakfast.”

Teacher Appreciation Week has been portrayed as giving gifts to teachers to show your appreciation, but it really is about realizing and knowing the impact your teacher had on your learning growth through the year.

“I appreciate Mr. Preator and his ability to help me understand and grow in Spanish,” freshman Lily Welch said. “Mr. Preator is a teacher but also makes it really easy to talk to him about anything and is like an adult best friend; he explains things to his students in ways they individually will understand.”

Students and their growth in learning is impacted by the teachers around them. Some teachers impact students more than others.

“Mrs. Moore is the teacher I am most grateful for because she describes and breaks down literature in a way I can understand personally,” sophomore Kaprina Haney said. “She helps me and is easy to talk to about anything, including things that are not related to her class, and that gives me peace knowing I have someone to turn to for advice.”

Teacher Appreciation Week is more than thanking teachers, it is also understanding and knowing the impact a teacher can have on your life and learning. Without teachers leaving more than knowledge in schools, many students wouldn’t succeed as much as they do in school.