In Celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-12, 2001

To be a teacher is to forever be an optimist, for every day we are in the presence of the enormous potential that each child holds.
- Michele Forman, Vermont
2001 National Teacher of the Year

As teachers, our role is one of leadership, vision, and commitment to exemplary teaching and high student achievement. The theme for National Teacher Day on May 8 and Teacher Appreciation Week May 6-12 -- "Quality Teachers, Achieving Students, Outstanding Classrooms" -- encourages the entire school community to celebrate the teaching profession and recognize outstanding teachers.

What characteristics do successful teachers have in common?

• Successful teachers are committed to what they do and share a passion for the teaching profession and the deeply significant role they play in the lives of their students.
• Successful teachers share a vision for helping their students explore, discover, and thrive in a challenging world.
• Successful teachers demonstrate strong leadership skills in their school, in their districts, and in their communities. Their classrooms are alive with learning activities.

We all have teachers we remember vividly, teachers who had the most positive impact on our lives. Take a moment today to contact a teacher who made a difference in your life or one who is making a difference today in the life of a child you love. Both you and that teacher will be richer for the acknowledgment and the recognition.

There are few accolades, little applause, and no battlefield medals for teaching. But the rewards for teaching wisely, patiently, and virtuously are intrinsic. There are smiles, feelings of satisfaction and contentment, and student academic success stories. Let’s promote the teaching profession by the example we set as teachers.

On National Teacher Day and every day, Teacher Universe salutes teachers worldwide and recognizes their dedication to the noblest profession of all where each day brings new opportunities to teach and inspire students.

To learn more about National Teacher Day and Teacher Appreciation Week, visit the NEA website at http://www.nea.org/teachday/.



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