This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and it is definitely hitting differently in 2020. We can’t be in buildings, getting the breath of fresh air that Teacher Appreciation usually brings in May. I always cross my fingers that I will get lucky enough to get teacher appreciation food from the culinary classes — one memorable year, I got hot wings, and it was incredible — but I also get the chance to appreciate the teachers around me. My own path to the classroom was paved by the teachers I had, and continues to be guided by the people I’m lucky to work with.

Things that I learned from the teachers who first taught me:

• Perception is reality. (Mrs. W, kindergarten. I got busted for cheating on a test when I really just wanted to see if my tablemate was smart enough to be my boyfriend. Sigh.)
• Make your own fun. (Mrs. C, first grade)
• It’s better to go together, if you can. (Mrs. M, second grade)
• Adults can make students feel ten feet tall…or six inches tall. The power is in their hands. (Ms. M, third grade)
• Baby chicks love duckweed. Also, the little things make people feel special. (both Mr. S, fourth grade)
• High expectations spread — and people will rise to meet them. (the “homework queen” of fifth grade)
• Be who you are, and do it with delight. (Mrs. W, sixth grade, who introduced me to Anne McCaffrey’s books!)
• There is a bigger world beyond the small corner we live in. (Ms. H, seventh grade, who ultimately helped me apply to Missouri Scholars Academy, a place that has had a tremendous impact on me.)
• It’s okay if you are terrible at some things; the important thing is trying. (my art teacher in eighth grade…bless her, my drawing skills were awful)
• Be a little crazy — it keeps people on their toes. (Senor C, ninth grade, who frequently spoke to the “elves” living under his podium when we acted foolish)
• Keep your sense of humor. (Ms. B, tenth grade)
• Sometimes, the most important step is to show up. Everything else will follow. (Mrs. C, eleventh grade)
• Doing hard work and thinking deep thoughts are their own reward. (Mr. P, twelfth grade)

To all the teachers I had and will have: thank you!