Thank You Educators, You’re Simply the Best

It’s the holiday season – a time when many of us are *attempting* to slow down, but in reality, it often feels like we’re juggling so many different priorities, racing toward the finish line. It’s a busy, exciting, and hectic time of year for many of us.

Despite the chaos and fun, the end of a calendar year brings an opportunity to reflect on the previous year and what we are most grateful for as we process and begin to think about the next semester and year ahead.  

Occupying much of that reflection for us at CoderZ is just how grateful we are for educators and all that they do. All that YOU do. 

Not all heroes wear capes, and that’s especially true for teachers and educators. You are superheroes, helping shape the future in micro and macro ways, and you do so much more than what is often credited for and what is outwardly expressed.  

While being an educator is not a monolith – one size does not fit all when it comes to what an incredible teacher looks like. Each educator brings their own unique flare, fun, values, priorities, experiences, and methods, but there are a few things that are true for every educator that we wanted to celebrate and bring to light: 

Every time we get to speak to or work with those in education, we feel inspired and invigorated by the passion and sense of care and dedication. It’s transformative, it’s uplifting, and it’s contagious. It may not always be known to the outside world just how much is going on behind the scenes to make all the magic behind education happen, but we know it is fueled by a deep desire to help students become their best selves.

To those in education – your pursuit to provide pathways of success for your students lights a fire in all of us to continue to work hard to provide the best programs, missions, resources, options, and to do so with care and consideration.  

Children are the future and what they learn today impacts how our world continues to turn tomorrow. There is so much that goes into a curriculum – many layers behind every skill and lesson learned.  

Educators are instilling a desire for curiosity and lifelong learning, driving students to think critically about the world around them, and helping as they navigate social emotional learning. Understanding emotions – those of ourselves as well as others, practicing and utilizing empathy, developing self-insight, are all skills founded in how we socialize and learn while in school.  

The background from which you come from, the experiences that you’ve had and bring to share, the activities you provide, and the labels you use to characterize your own personality are those that make you special and memorable to students. Whether you consider yourself quirky, optimistic, humorous, ambitious, out-there, or competitive, these qualities provide students with a new way to see the world.  

There is a wide and deep breadth to understanding the human experience and creating environments for students within the classroom (whether that is a virtual or in-person classroom) to be able to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance to gain the comfort necessary to be able to learn is something teachers often unknowingly provide just by being their awesome and special selves.   

Growth is not linear. Success does not come overnight. Learning requires a tremendous amount of practice, patience, dedication and perseverance. Teachers provide this and instill important lessons of flexibility, adaptability, grit and determination. Perceived failures can be debilitating to young learners, but with the help of teachers, students can develop qualities of resilience. This reminds students that not only is it okay to fall and to get back up, but it is normal to fall and necessary to get back up.  

A growth mindset is an important quality that students will need their entire lives, yet for many of us it is not always innate. Being confident in our abilities to learn and grow while moving through feeling of doubt, uncertainty, fear, and imposter syndrome is something teachers help learners develop every day. 

You are someone’s role model, mentor, favorite person, and safe place. The unique style and gifts that educators bring are something that will be a part of a student’s story and journey forever. Every shared classroom laugh, lightbulb moment, challenging conversation, nudge to keep going, word of affirmation, and whisper of advice are moments students will carry with them as they transform into the person they are growing up to be. It is such a special opportunity and one that is obviously cherished and taken with great attention and deliberateness.  

Through all the big impactful moments, the small daily micro-affirmations, the foundational building blocks, carefully crafted lesson plans, and, yes, even those lesson plans thrown together last minute, teachers are the real MVPs. Every day might not feel perfect, but every day that you show up for the next generations, you make a difference and change the world. You’re incredible. 

This holiday season we wanted to say, “Thank you, educators.” Cue Tina Turner because, ‘you’re simply the best!’  

It’s the perfect time of year to express gratitude to those we love and who have made a difference in our lives. Research has found that expressing gratitude also informs our own fulfillment, happiness, and resilience. If you aren’t in education and you find yourself reading this blog use this as your sign to go thank your favorite teacher, your child’s teacher, or your friend who is a teacher.  

Happy Holidays!