A lot of attention is given to the fact that teacher's are grossly underpaid and unappreciated. They are certainly underpaid considering the level of education required to become and remain certified, for the amount of time and outside study involved in being successful in their field and for the amount of their own money which is invested into the students they teach.
I disagree with the notion that they are unappreciated though. I suppose it depends on how one defines and measures appreciation...
If gratitude is demonstrated by quarterly or annual bonuses for outstanding achievement - then you may disagree me.
If gratitude is a pat on the back and encouragement from the general public in which you are indentured ~ my premise would be found false.
If gratitude is expressed through gift cards, Bath and Body baskets and notes and cards of praise ~ then I have missed the mark entirely.
However....if we measure appreciation as the sincere expression of admiration,thankfulness and well...even love for another...well then...that's a "whole other story!"
I am lavished with love and admiration on a daily basis. Just this past week I was the humbled recipient of a dangling, purple plastic and genuine gold earring from a 5 year-old.
Another day I was honored with a carefully clipped-out store ad for the boys favorite new toy which comes complete with, "A latch!".
Original masterpieces are stapled to my wall, having been commissioned by admiring kindergarten children who depict me as a stick figure (hey, I can roll with "that!") with a crayon-yellow flipped "do" and glasses...and rainbows....lots and lots of rainbows.
A forlorn little girl whose home life could best be described as "hell on earth" brought me a dirty, cotton cat. A knock-off of the plush Beany Babies, less a few
dozen beans. I took it home and washed it and treasure it.
I have been lauded with gaudy velvet roses, a menagerie of whatnots and "lots of cheap chocolate"
Teacher Appreciation Week can be viewed with optimism or pessimism at my inner city school. The pessimist complain that their college friend who teaches in West Omaha got a gift card for a massage, theater tickets, monetary gifts and other lavish expressions of appreciation from their articulate and involved families, while they only got a single card last year.
Then there are the optimist...my friend Alicia was surprised one year to receive a hand-crocheted tube top made by the mother of one student. This odd expression of appreciation is compounded by the fact that Alicia is a Lane Bryant sized woman!
The most memorable teacher appreciation gift, and one that has yet to be topped is my friends Molly's pancake. I walked into her room and spied a pancake in a ziploc bag on her desk ~
"No time for breakfast?" was my pithy comment.
"That is my teacher appreciation gift from Diego", she replied with a twinkle.
We exchanged understanding smiles and continued our conversation.
We have all been called to work. Work is noble and necessary. It is part of the human experience. If we can keep our eyes on Him whom enabled us to work we will be able to keep our perspective and gain the wisdom to discern what gifts are true and eternal.
If you are feeling unappreciated, underpaid and unimportant today ~ maybe you need to throw out your measuring utensils and look to Jesus for understanding the paradoxes of truth.
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'I tell you the truth,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
The Word of The Lord.
My prayer today is that My eyes will not be turned away from what is true and sincerely rich for the temporal and gaudy things humans attach themselves to. Let me offer my work to Christ, for His approval alone. Let me be constantly reminded that I am His and He is mine and that His approval transcends my toil to that which is divine. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord grant us peace. AMEN
~Tami
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