Teachers play such a significant role in our society.
They are in a position to shape future leaders that will one day contribute to positive and inspirational change for generations to come. Great teachers change lives for the better. They have the ability to shape their students’ young opinions while pushing them to achieve goals, encouraging them to be more creative, and helping them to develop passions in life.
When information can be complex, great teachers are able to simplify and make it accessible to every type of student and every learning style. Teaching students in a way that they can understand information, interpret, and remember it, and then practically use it is one of the most impactful skills a teacher can have other than inspiring their students to push themselves. Making learning enjoyable is not the easiest task but, when done right, is life changing for young students.
However, teaching can be a hard, complex, and multi-faceted job!
Within the job of teaching comes multiple, dissimilar roles. Not only is a teacher an instructor, but they are also:
- A counselor: teaching is a ‘helping profession’. Teachers create meaningful relationships with their students and must be equipped with the basic knowledge of when to identify and refer students to a professional counselor. However, students often look up to great teachers and seek advice from them. Some teachers are also the only safe space a student has. It is an excellent opportunity to be the shoulder, safe space, and ear that some students may not have at home/in their personal life.
- A manager: this is often the most tedious part of teaching, but teachers must complete routine paperwork, prep lessons, order required materials, maintain attendance records, report cards, keep up with state requirements, and more.
- A Public Relations Specialist: to be a teacher, it is often required to maintain working relations with caretakers, the community, and other staff members. This involves communicating any changes with students or curriculum with caretakers in a professional and respectful manner.
- Professional Development Rockstar: there is an obligation to maintain and advance your education as a teacher throughout their career. This could mean formal degrees such as a bachelors or master’s degree, attending seminars and courses throughout the year, and maintaining proper certification.
- Role Models: children aspire to be like their favorite adults, which includes their favorite teachers! Teachers are individuals we can look up to and wish to emulate throughout life and are able to make a substantial and positive impact on their students. Teachers are often a source of inspiration and motivation, pushing students to do their best even when their student might not otherwise believe in themself.
At The Nest Schools, we push our teachers and staff members to try to always do better than their best. To encourage and support this, we have formed The Nest University, an unparalleled training and professional development program for our staff of all levels. The Nest Schools also encourage teachers to pursue their education in Early Childhood Education by providing them access to obtain their CDA at no cost to them along with other tuition reimbursement benefits. Each highly skilled educator uses our proprietary Nest Play curriculum and encourages a love of exploring and playing. Teaching is more than just a job at The Nest, it is a promise to make a difference in the lives of the children we are so fortunate enough to teach.
We firmly believe that teachers are more than just caretakers – they are educators. They are a valued investment towards bettering the world for future generations to come.
This Teacher Appreciation Week, please be sure to say a few kind words to your favorite teacher. Whether it be your child’s teacher or even a teacher that impacted you, your words will mean more than you could imagine and will remind them, even on the hardest work day, just why it is they teach!