It's Teacher Appreciation Week, and while I know our teachers appreciated the little gifts we have taken them everyday, I always feel guilty for not doing more.
After the recently school shooting in Colorado this week, I'm not going to lie, what I really wanted to purchase them is pepper spray or a bat.
Most of the time it doesn't bother me but there are times where my mind takes off and I get anxiety about dropping my kids off at school. We live in a town where everyone knows everyone and I am so very grateful for that. Its always comforting knowing that my kids are loved and their schools have their best interest at heart, but my ultimate hope is for their teachers to be able to teach without fearing for their lives and for my lingering worry and the "what-if's" to go away.
Ya'll, school violence breaks my heart and the dreadful truth is we have become too familiar with hearing about school shootings. The more I think about it, I can't imagine them actually really feeling appreciated when praying is our only option for protecting our schools. It shouldn’t have to be this way.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure teachers are grateful to be recognized this week for their hard (extremely hard if you happen to have one of my crazy kids, ha!) work, but I know that if I were them, I would be so much more grateful for the ability to do my job without fearing that one day I'll be called to do much more than teaching rowdy 3rd graders division.
Sadly, Teacher appreciation is only limited to one week.
One week.
One week to appreciate our teachers who wake up everyday and muster the courage to return to work after such a tragedy to teach the kids they love.
Mrs. Drake, Mrs. Benzing, Mrs, Milburn, Mrs. Brewer, and our favorite nurse Wiggins - I hope you know how much the Long family truly appreciated everything you do.
