When is Teacher Appreciation Week?: Celebrating and empowering educators

If you're wondering when Teacher Appreciation Week is... it's the second week of May. Teacher Appreciation Day is in the first week of October. Teacher Appreciation Day or Week, is an opportunity to celebrate the amazing educators who help to nurture our children and foster a love for learning. While I think all teachers are amazing, I have incredible respect for early childhood educators and primary teachers in particular. 

The Importance of Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week

Many children spend a good portion of their week with their teachers and classmates, and under seven children are soaking it all in. This means that teachers and the classroom environment play an important role in shaping our children's nervous systems, social emotional wellbeing, and outlook on life. Little things that seem insignificant, just like in parenting, can leave a lasting impact on our children.

• Were they allowed to cry? What was said and how were tears handled?

• How were difficult friendship situations explored?

• In what ways are children taught to tune into their body, understand, and express their emotions?

• What philosophy is explored in diversity and collaboration? How are challenges handled?

• How do we support children who have emotional outbursts? And how is this approached with other children in the classroom?

These are all complex issues, that are navigated by policy, awareness, and resources available. I appreciate many parents are also struggling with limited resources, to include time. However, when we are able to explore ways to nourish our nervous systems as parents and teachers, we are better able to lead our children by example. We can set the tone of the family and classroom, and establish rhythms that offer greater support for our children to learn and grow.

Did you have a teacher that really stood out to you? For tweens and teens, having a middle or high school teacher your child can turn to, is gold! Youth at this stage are again going through incredible transformation, and one teacher can leave a lasting impact! This is why my work focuses on empowering educators with tools to nourish their nervous systems, so they can empower themselves and lead by example to create healthy classrooms, conducive to learning.

"Being able to recognize emotions as they happen is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence."

- Goleman

Teachers Foster Social-Emotional Learning

Teachers play a pivotal role not only in imparting academic knowledge but more importantly in fostering the social-emotional well-being of their students. At home we set the stage for healthy social emotional learning (SEL), but in the classroom teachers see what we have taught our children play out, and often in challenging circumstances. Many teachers are stretched with limited time and resources, a major gap in our systems. Unfortunately this leads to burnout of educators, but also doesn't allow them to show up as they wish to for their students. This is why for teacher appreciation week we like to give them something to nourish themselves, time and time again. 

The Importance of Nurturing Social-Emotional Skills

Social-emotional learning is a big part of my work as a holistic therapist and educator. Here are just some of the reasons SEL is so important in each of our lives, and to nurture in our children:

• Self-Awareness encourages students to identify and express their emotions, strengths, and challenges to help them develop a deeper understanding of themselves. The emotion wheel pdf below is a great tool!

• Self-Management promotes activities to support students in navigating their emotions to make responsible choices, from stress management to achieving their goals. Helping children learn to take a pause before responding can be powerful!

• Social Awareness focuses on perspective-taking, empathy, and appreciating diversity help students develop a greater understanding of others and build positive relationships. Again a breath or pause is powerful here!

• Relationship Skills foster communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution skills enable students to navigate social interactions effectively and build strong connections. Games that require cooperation, critical thinking, and communication are both fun and helpful!

• Responsible Decision-Making encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and evaluating consequences empower students to make informed and responsible choices. Games again are helpful tools here.

Fun Ways to Nurture SEL in the Classroom

There are many resources out there including worksheets, games, the emotion wheel pdf, and more offering frameworks to bring learning to life, such as; Teachers Pay Teachers, Super Teacher Worksheets, and CASEL. I have shared many workshops with school districts, combining knowledge of and practices around nourishing the nervous system in trauma and culturally sensitive ways. Without this background, SEL can be limited as to how far it can reach. 

Support Engaging Social Emotional Learning Curriculum

gloWithin offers the Empowered Educators course, based off of our highly regarded Registered Children’s Yoga Training, designed to empower educators, therapists, and parents with tools to nourish children and teens from ages 1 to 15. Recognizing teachers are tapped for time, our virtual, on-demand Empowered Educators course brings it all together making it accessible and fun to integrate these learnings into the classroom in age-appropriate ways. 

gloWithin’s Empowered Educators course offers:

• Wide Range of SEL Activities: Videos and lesson plans that focus on emotional recognition, conflict resolution, communication skills, and other crucial aspects of social-emotional development.

• Age-Appropriate Content: Learning and lesson plans are thoughtfully designed to cater to different age groups and developmental stages, ensuring that the activities are relevant and engaging for students of all ages.

• Engaging and Interactive: Incorporating games, puzzles, and creative exercises, this course makes SEL learning fun and interactive, capturing students' attention and fostering a positive learning environment.

• Teacher Support: Through video, audio, journaling, and community support, we provide guidance and tips for educators on how to effectively implement SEL activities in their classrooms, empowering them to become champions of emotional well-being.

• Flexibility and Customization: Teachers have the freedom to adapt the worksheets to fit their classroom dynamics and individual student needs, allowing for personalized SEL instruction.

By integrating these resources into their teaching practices, teachers can nurture emotional intelligence, build resilience, and foster positive relationships amongst their students.

Beyond Teacher Appreciation Week: Sustaining SEL Integration

While Teacher Appreciation Week serves as a focal point for celebrating educators, the commitment to SEL should be an ongoing endeavor. Schools and communities can play a vital role in supporting teachers' efforts by:

• Providing Resources and Training: Offering professional development opportunities, access to SEL curriculum materials, and ongoing support for teachers in implementing SEL practices.

• Creating a Positive School Culture: Fostering a school environment that prioritizes SEL, where students feel valued, respected, and empowered to express their emotions and build healthy relationships.

• Engaging Families: Encouraging parent involvement in SEL initiatives and providing resources to support social-emotional learning at home.

In order to teach, we must first experience ourselves. gloWithin offers courses for parents and educators to help them nourish themselves with simple, powerful, science-based and intuitive somatic practices. They not only offer practices for adults, but also practices adults can share in playful ways with children, to nurture healthy classrooms and families. Additionally, gloWithin created Award Winning Children’s Yoga Cards, to further explore the games and practices in a playful, tangible way. Play, or connection, and laughter are some of the best ways to nourish the nervous system and support learning. 

Teacher Appreciation Week: Recognizing the Heart of Social Emotional Learning

While gloWithin offers invaluable support, let's not forget the heart and soul of SEL integration: our teachers. Teacher appreciation week serves as a dedicated time to express our gratitude for the unwavering commitment of educators in shaping not only the minds but also the hearts of their students. Teachers embody the principles of SEL, modeling empathy, compassion, and effective communication in their interactions with students. They create safe and inclusive learning environments where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and taking risks. During Teacher Appreciation Week, let's go beyond traditional gestures of gratitude and recognize the profound impact teachers have on the social-emotional well-being of their students.

Thank you to all our teachers for your unwavering support, particularly through the challenging times. We see you, and appreciate immensely all you do for our children and future generations.

Thank you!

Want to Learn More?

• Read other articles here, like "Window of Tolerance" & "Emotion Wheel"

• Get our Award Winning Children's Yoga Cards with fun practices for healthy classrooms!

• Explore our Award Winning Empowered Educators course!