It has been 14 long months since schools shut down across America due to covid-19. These long months have taught us so many things about our students, our communities and ourselves.
Having been on the front line of education and trying to run a building during the worst pandemic in 150 years as a principal, I want to give our teachers a shout-out this year for Teacher Appreciation Week because what they have endured is unprecedented in the history of education. They have been doing the work for our country's youth and for our communities, and it is time we all acknowledge their dedication.
When I tell you we have been going 100 miles per hour, I really mean it.
We have turned over every stone looking for the answers to help our students, their parents and our communities. The teachers have learned new things at the most rapid pace in the history of education. Thousands of teachers had to develop webpages, slide decks, video chat rooms; you name it, and they have tried it. Even our veteran teachers, who started teaching when chalk was a thing, stepped up to the plate to learn new technology to help their students.
Most educators have not had a day off since the summer of 2019. It has been amazing to watch our teachers and the innovation that happened inside the covid vacuum.
Why did all these teachers do this? Because teachers love their kids, because teachers believe in their kids, because teachers are front-line workers and the need was there, because that is what the heart of education is about. It is about learning to fight through fear and failure so that we can all come out on the other side better and together.
It is why teachers got into the profession in the first place: because they have a heart for community and a caring soul.
This May it is our obligation to thank teachers all over Arkansas. I know the teachers in my district have stepped up and have done amazing things in a short amount of time, and I am almost certain that thousands of other teachers across Arkansas have done the same. It might not show up in state-mandated test scores, but it shows up every day in the hallways and classrooms where we have smiling, safe, and happy students.
Thank you, teachers, for everything you have done this past year. I challenge everybody that reads this to thank a teacher this May; it is the least we could do as a society to show our appreciation.
I am hopeful as we move forward that our state and local governments will continue to honor teachers with positive legislation and listen to the teachers when making new laws and policies. The best way to appreciate our teachers is to listen to their voices and hear their thoughts about what is needed and what works best for students.
Thank you, teachers, for showing us the way out of covid and guiding us to new horizons. The future is bright because of your dedication and commitment to education and to our communities. Thank you!
John Unger of Fayetteville is the West Fork Middle School principal for grades 5-8. He holds an education specialist bachelor's degree from Arkansas State University, and a master's in education degree from LSU-Shreveport.