State of Massachusetts Teachers’ Day – September, 11th
September 11: A very important day for the teachers of America! With such a history, this is a great day for teachers and pupils alike, though especially for those living in Latin America or Massachusetts as this is their Teacher Appreciation Day.
It is celebrated in Argentina to commemorate President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento’s death – a greatly respected politician and educator. This is a date on which, in 1943, all countries of Latin America united for the Interamerican Conference on Education (Panama). A great show of unity, this is a date for the history books! However, in spite of this, many Latin American countries have veered from this day and have various different celebrations related to country-specific events/heroes – in Brazil for example, the Dia do Professsor takes place on October 15th whilst in Mexico, they will have to wait until next May when on the 15th of the month, their education world will come together for the Día del Maestro.
Back in the United States, 11th September is an important day too. Over 30 years ago, in 1976, the state of Massachusetts adopted this day to celebrate their educators. Though it currently uses the first Sunday of June as Teacher’s Day, why not look into the history behind this September date? Occurring right at the beginning of term, it could be a great opportunity to bring a new class together.
The Massachusetts Teacher Association describe how the majority of teachers, questioned in an April 2007 poll would prefer just a simple “thank you” to any extravagant gift. A brilliant reaction to this is the giant thank you card plan which has been in progress since May this year: pupils from all over the country are being asked to write an e-thank you card (either online or by post) which, in December, will be merged into one giant card and travel to major cities…an excellent and timely demonstration of Teacher Appreciation!
