Teacher Appreciation Blog

Teacher’s day won’t be very favorable for some teachers in some parts of the United States. Not only teachers has the probabilities of losing their jobs next month but including school nurses, librarians, school administrators, and school bus drivers as well.

Plus, the possibility of changing the bargaining of public workers is at hand which will mean compromising some trade union rights and limiting teacher negotiations. While many layoff notices are coming way too fast before teachers can even prepare themselves for a probable temporary leave. National Education Association director Kim Anderson describes this as a massive attack against teachers of the nation.

Education experts find this phenomenon as the worst teacher layoff of the year. The blood line for education funds seems to be raveled and dried to the seams. The federal stimulus and property taxes are seriously exhausted “which is the major source of funding for education.

The budget hole amounting as much as $27 billion is pulling the entire designated fund for education by $9 billion which torn Texas lawmakers to under fund education, and compromise teacher welfare or trading off other budgets in order to cover the deficit in education funds.

Los Angeles does have the same problem. Teachers are being prepared for a 7,032 employee layoff which will include 4,485 teachers. For a $408 million budget deficit, even the proposal of a special election in June in order to extend tax hikes might not be a full solution to the deficit. However, this will give the state an additional $183 million. The state also requested for a seven-day leave which will save up to $100 million as well as unions to cover some portions of the school employees’ health care premium.

Another attack on teacher’s right is the disregarding of teacher unions in order to hike employee fees to further add up to the dying budget. Governors and lawmakers are saying that their will be quicker fund raise due to employee contribution requirements.

In Tennessee, a bill removing teacher collective bargaining had been approved. However, teacher union officials argue that the elimination of collective bargaining will hurt the collaboration of teachers which is critical for school success. The contracts are essential in regulating classes, amount of time set aside for planning, and extra duties for teachers. Dealing with disputes will also be harder this time because of the elimination of collective bargaining.

According to teachers, the elimination of collective bargaining is like taping their mouths and stopping them to provide inputs for the success of the education system. Teachers feel that they have something to say when it comes to school safety, class sizes, and other educational issues. This is defiantly not a cool gift for our educators in this coming teacher appreciation week.

The English language has grown to be the most influential lingua franca of the world. This is complemented by the American progress and industrial advancements which enticed different Asian countries to learn the language.

In Asia, particularly Korea, they have begun to adapt the western culture these days. Many Koreans are traveling internationally to study in various American universities. Part of their reasons in studying in the US is to learn English. The influence of the United States has also opened opportunities for ESL jobs in the Korean land ” which is a major advantage for native and fluent English speakers all over the globe.

How about including in your teacher appreciation week ideas to teach English in Korea? It will be a great opportunity to discover the different side of your self and a vacation away as well. The environment in Korea, particularly South Korea is good for loosening up all the stress in school.

The country is open for ESL jobs since they believe it’s a major advantage in understanding prospective investors in the West. And gradually, Korea’s lifestyle is incorporating the western culture which adds up to the significance of speaking English. Schools in the country ensure quality education is offered to their students. That’s why teachers coming from English speaking countries are highly demanded.

There are many cities in Korea which offer jobs in ESL for foreign applicants. One of these cities is Busan which is located near the beach. While teaching English to Korean students, teachers will be earning about $2,200, and the employer will provide an apartment with two bedrooms plus the travel expense is accounted as well.

Other benefits include, pension plan, health benefits, vacation leave, and severance pay. Teachers will not be asked for a TEFL or TESOL but a bachelor’s degree in teaching will be required.

Another possible designation is hagwon teaching. These are special classes with fewer student ratio and subject matters are taught in separate classes. Foreign teachers are lucky here since they will be handling an easier batch of students compared to traditional classes. Most English teachers opt in teaching hagwon classes because of its convenience.

The language school in Gyeonggi, Suwon is another option to teach English with. The classes are limited to 12 students for 30 hours peer week. They will also be receiving 2.0 to 2.6 won monthly while helping students learn English.

However, qualifications are tighter here compared to Busan schools. Teachers must be native speakers of the English language which automatically requires a United Sate; Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand residency; plus a bachelor’s degree in teaching. Don’t worry because Korean students are taught on teacher appreciation and violence in the country is very minimal.

Africa is the second most-populous continent after Asia and home to 1.0 billion people in 61 territories. Despite its abundance in natural resources, it remains to be the poorest continent of the world. The continent suffers with prevalent HIV/AIDS and malaria. Not only diseases eat the richness of the continent but also the corruptness of its government.

Poverty, malnutrition, and -Illiteracy are the main reasons for much volunteer work neediness in the country. Most children have no formal education until they are around 7 to 10 years old. And the sad fact is only boys are routinely educated bounded by the hands of tradition. Women in Africa are only considered to care for be married, and care for home and children.

According to the United Nations Development Programme of 2009 (adult literacy rate), western African states has the lowest literacy rate “Mali with 26.2 percent; Niger (28.7); Burkina Faso (28.7); Guinea (29.5); Chad (31.8); and Ethiopia (35.9) percent. South Africa has the highest literacy rate of all the states (88.0 percent).

Teachers in Africa are highly needed in order to elevate its literacy status. However, the atmosphere is not some teacher’s day ambience as teaching in developed countries. Violence is prevalent on the streets and teachers are not safe from malaria. This becomes a great challenge for all teachers who aspire to help the condition of African children. But for volunteers, this is not some case to consider, the education of children out there matters most.

Peace Corps Volunteers is one organization to work for when considering helping children in Africa. Developmental programs include HIV/AIDS prevention, girls’ education, and eco-conservation. There are about 27% education volunteers in Africa as of the recent period.

Volunteers in Africa Foundation is one of the few non-profit organizations where teachers can coordinate with. V.I.A provides classroom materials, instructional supplies, volunteers and school construction and improvement in Southern California and West Africa. Their programs are geared towards respect and appreciation of cultural, religious, and racial diversity. The program is also an opportunity for teachers to experience a cross cultural internship.

Non-teaching degree individuals and gap year students can also apply in teaching volunteer work programs catered by many organizations worldwide. Many of these voluntary opportunities are provided by the travel company.

This teacher appreciation week, let us give back the gift of knowledge which African brothers and sisters need. If you’re a teacher who dreamed of changing the world for the better, maybe the classroom is not the only place you should share knowledge. There is a greater world out there that needs an educator like you. Believe us; life will never be better once you help out those who are in great need.

-I slept and dreamt that life was joy ¦ I woke and saw that life was service, I acted and behold, and service was joy “Mother Theresa.

We love out teachers just like our mothers. We treasure them in our memory because they make us feel special by rewarding us with our good works. Teacher’s never really got tired and never stops to talk. If we had problems, they are always there to give us some walk.

Do you remember the last time you made a poem to please your teacher? Perhaps that could be 10 years ago “back when you were just beginning to explore the wonders of the world. Teacher appreciation poems never get old and will last forever to teachers who had read it. The good news is, you have the power to write another poem and give it to your teacher or simply keep it in your heart in celebration of the teacher’s day.

“My Teacher, My Friend
-by teachers appreciation blog

-I love my teacher in many splendid ways,
She cheers me up, on my lonely days,
With hands open and a smile on her face,
She took my hand and dances in grace;

-She told me lessons in life, which I am new,
Opened the doors and let me see through,
Even in darkness she stands upright,
And when I’m falling, she holds me tight;

-Oh teacher, you are the kindest thing!
That heaven has given, and man could bring,
You are our light when were to fall apart,
My second mother ” treasured in my heart

This is an example of an informal poem which can be easily written at home. Poems don’t have to be very symbolic in nature. A phrase or two can become Shakespeare’s words if written with gratitude. There are also a lot of poems which can be found on this website.

Teacher appreciation poems are great complements of teacher appreciation gifts such as baskets, flowers, pots, souvenirs, etc. It can also be written in beautiful cards or sang as songs. Reading them out loud in the class can also be very inspiring. Videos, and mix tapes are also good recording gadgets where students can perform their teacher appreciation gimmicks.

This teacher’s day why don’t you made your own poem and present it to the class. The celebration only comes in a year and you can only have such unique teacher in a lifetime. Poems can also be copied from online resources. But be sure to check for copyright and terms of use as respect for its owners.

In the end, we all have mistakes and bad things we done to our teachers. Think about saying sorry through teacher poems and imagine how your teacher feels. Hug your teacher after presenting your poem and believe it, your teacher will likely burst into tears “how about that for a teacher appreciation gift?

This teachers day let us give honor to some of the world’s greatest teachers ever lived. Many of them came from different status in the society; some were rich and some were not. But regardless of the position they have been settled in the ever unfair society, they have dedicated their lives in sharing wisdom in the past in which we use today.

Image from About.com

1. Aristotle ” a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato, and the teacher of Alexander. Aristotle wrote many subjects such as logic, rhetoric, theatre, poetry, metaphysics, music, politics, physics, zoology, and biology.
2. Pythagoras ” one the greatest mathematicians until the present day. The famous author of the Pythagorean Theorem ” an important subject matter in mathematics.
3. Galileo Galilee ” The father of scientific revolution, an astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher. He brought several improvements in the telescope as well as astronomical observations.
4. Albert Einstein ” Nobel price for his help in the Theoretical Physics and discovery of photoelectric effect.
5. Confucius ” a Chinese thinker and Philosopher. He put heavy emphasis on governmental and personal morality. The author of the golden rule and creator of Confucianism which heavily influenced Asian countries such as Korean, Taiwanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese thought of life.
6. Sir Isaac Newton ” his Philosophy Naturalis Principia Mathematica laid the groundwork for classical mechanics.
7. Ayn Rand ” The novels of the Russian-American novelists and philosopher changed enormous changes in the world government. These includes; -Atlas Shrugged, -The Fountainhead, -Anthem, -We The Living, and developed the system -objectism.
8. Johann Amos Comenius ” A Moravian teacher, writer, scientist, and educator. He is the earliest champion of universal education.
9. John Locke ” English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience. He strongly believes that knowledge is needed to be taught. He insisted of teaching character first and academics later.
10. Booker T. Washington ” a renowned American political leader, orator, author, and definitely an educator. He was from the generation of blacks who suffered from black slavery and fought for civil rights of their brethren.
11. Friedrich Froebel ” The student of Pestalozzi who founded the modern education basing on the research that students have their own specific needs as well as capabilities for learning. The creator of the kindergarten concept.
12. Noah Webster ” An American lexicographer, spelling reformer, textbook author, word enthusiasts and editor. Also known as the father of American Scholarship and Education.

These are men and women from history which build the foundation for today’s education. Without them, there would hardly be any progress. Teachers of today also holds the responsibility to sculpt children to be better individuals, the same way these men and women were taught by their teachers. The National Teacher Appreciation Week will be in honor for all the teachers who changed the world, currently changing the world, and will change the world in the future.

This National Teacher Appreciation Week let us revisit all the funny and unforgettable moments we had with teachers. Mostly, every school has their own set of hilarious experiences. But to mention a few, there are common wacky moments which teachers and students all over the world had experienced. Some of these are:

-At the first day of class, the teacher walks confidently into a class of new faces and immediately grabs her/his attendance record and says, -Mr. Richardson, Davis, Smith, Peter? the teacher keeps on reading the attendance sheet while students are having question marks on their face. -Anyone minds raising their hands? the teacher continues. Hopefully, an extroverted student brought the courage to say, -Excuse me maam? We would love to have you as our teacher but I’m afraid your class might be the next room…

Another thing which is very common among schools worldwide is the teacher label. Students often label their teacher into unique personalization of their characters being shown in the class. Some would be very embarrassing and few are quiet positive. These are some of them which students and teachers can revisit this teacher’s day.

• Mrs. Terror ” these are teachers where students feels terrorized by their means of implementing class rules. At the first place, teachers do not meant to horrify students with their strict character, its just they find strictness as effective ways of handling a naughty classroom. But deep inside, these teachers are caring mothers and more friendly at the same time when showed with respect.
• Miss Smiling “some of these teachers are practicing teachers and new ones. Because of their enthusiasm in having their first batch of class, they can’t help but smile at every student they encounter. Definitely, it’s a good thing for old and new teachers to smile because emotions are contagious.
• Miss/Mr. Universe ” these teachers are found to be very attractive to students and many male students are forced to listen whatever subject they handle because of their charm.

If students can make a video of all the fun experiences they had with their teacher, a full length DVD disk would not be enough. All of these memories serve as a priceless teacher appreciation gift for them either good or bad experiences.

Baltimore City ” teacher’s day won’t be that happy for some teachers in the school district. Teachers will be laid off in order to mitigate the effect of several budget cuts in the state. Parents are having great concerns on how would this affect the education of their children. Others are angry about the initiative because it merely focuses on financial aspect and not on student’s education.

The buyout plan states that teachers with more than 10 years of experience will be offered with an early retirement plan covering 75 percent of their salary over five years. The normal salary of a teacher in the state is $60,000 annually which means $45,000 is the 75 percent divided into 5 years “so teachers will be expecting $750 package monthly.

Aside from an early retirement package, those who will be accepting the offer will be granted full pension benefits when they reach the retirement age. However, they won’t be entitled to any fringe benefits, such as health insurance and the privilege to enter the education system again except from substitution.

It is the first early retirement package in Baltimore comes at a time when the state is grappling with the $73 million budget gap including a $15 million state budget cut in education.

Officials are hopeful that this will put ease to the problem of budget cuts despite parents’ discordance of the initiative. The scheme will definitely, put teacher’s skills into a big challenge and only those effective ones will have their teacher appreciation gift of being able ton stay on the teaching field despite budget cuts.

Meanwhile, city school leaders are finding ample ways of finding funds and mutually beneficial solutions for teachers and students. In the last three years, the district has made continuing effort resulting to tremendous progress “definitely, caused by effective teachers of the state.

Students get confused of the gift they should to their mentors on teacher appreciation week and teacher’s day ” when in the first place they will only look into their selves to find the perfect gift. Yes, students who are trying hard to perform well in their studies are the best gift for teachers.

Here’s how to be a good student and offer the best teacher appreciation gift for them everyday.

¢ Come to class on time ” perhaps the gift of being punctual is the hardest favor for many students but think of how annoying for teachers to see arriving late at class.

¢ Participate in class discussions ” a class discussion is like having a conversation with your close friends. To make the talk more lively and interesting, everyone must participate. In that way, there is a mutuality and bonding created.

¢ Make and pass assignments on time “again, think of assignments as favors asked by your mother. Seriously, you won’t like your mother to get upset by not fulfilling their small requests.

¢ Say the name of your teacher ” calling them with their beautiful names gives them the feeling of being appreciated.

¢ Do your best in class ” the pride of teachers are on the hands of their students and the attitude of students will always be pointed towards their teacher. How about giving your teachers the respect and reputation they deserve? Love and adoration for good teachers and understanding for those you do not love much.

¢ Be polite to them ” greeting them along the way is not only a projection of courtesy but reflects the kind of family you came from.

¢ Be straightforward and don’t be intimated by classmates ” if you like to continue making your teachers happy, then you must go straight to your goal and never mind those classmates who are calling you names.

All of these actions will never be easy to follow throughout the year. However, once students make their teachers happy? They won’t have to get crazy about any material present for teacher’s day “because these things are not new to them and will always be part of their selves.

The Mel Hambelton Ford, the Wichita Ford dealer created a teacher appreciation program in order to let them focus on their main mission “shaping the minds of the future generations. Programs include:

Employee Pricing ” teachers will be paying what Mel Hambelton Ford employees pay. They will be offered the best prices without any hassle, no haggle, and just the best prices available on stock in all Wichita.

Special Financing ” educators will have their teacher appreciation gifts with special finance rates as low as 0 %.

Complimentary Maintenance Package ” This will include a free 2 year 30,000 mile maintenance plan.

Complimentary cleaning ” Any service with the local Wichita Ford dealer will automatically qualify for a free full car detail.

Registration assistance will also be taken care of the dealer. Perhaps a half day waiting in line of the tag office will make your teacher’s day shorter. Teachers will just drop their registration fees at the office and they will be the one to register the vehicle. The dealer also enabled a concierge pick up/delivery service for teachers. Just make an appointment to have your vehicle serviced and they will pick the vehicle from any nearby school, perform maintenance and bring it back before the school day ends.

Aside form rebates being kept and various vehicle incentives, Teachers will also receive all these services free of charge. There will be also 0 percent APR on approved credits. So how’s that for a new car on teacher’s day?

About Mel Hambelton Ford in Wichita, Kansas:

The Mel Hambelton Ford Wichita is a leading automotive dealer in Kansas. Since the opening of the branch, they have been giving a wide selection of cars. And in celebration of the National Teacher Appreciation Week, they have given large incentives and freebies for teachers who will be availing any of their stock.

National Teacher Appreciation Week “what does the week celebration mean to teachers, students, and parents as well?

This is nothing ordinary like hectic schedule of teachers in school, but because of the appreciation and love, children, parents, and students will give back to their mentors “this is the day where teachers get pampered and cared back.

Teachers spend most of their lives sharing knowledge, cultivating wisdom, and moving children’s life and no gift could ever repay such kindness. They serve as second mothers of students and do not get bored of doing it everyday. Despite the economic hardships, unfavorable weather conditions, and minimum wage benefits, teachers all over the world continue their mission of educating the hungry for knowledge.

And to honor all their sacrifices, the teacher appreciation week serves as a week-long thankfulness for all proud teachers of the world. Teachers receive different teacher appreciation gifts from parents and students. But they won’t mind -what they will receive for they are happy with the thought that -they are remembered for their efforts.

Students may also give cards, write poems, and just say -thank you to their second mother. School programs dedicated to teachers are also prevalent in most education sectors. Students can also organize family meal for teachers; present a gift for a spa service, cleaning and beautification of the classroom can be small ways of showing gratitude for teachers.

Of course, homemade teacher appreciation gift ideas will never run out of place. Parents can give baked cookies in different shapes and flavors. Students can make picture collage of their class with their teachers. Teachers also love indoor plants such as African violets, Meyer’s lemon, Croton, Orchids, and many more. Students can also paint a portrait of their teachers or give personalized cards telling how you love your teacher.