Do you remember your favorite teacher? Most of us have one. The one who stayed late to help you master your multiplication tables, or inspired your career as a welder, or saw potential in you that you didn’t know existed. Maybe they wrote you a letter of recommendation for college, or made sure you had a snack at school because you arrived hungry or forgot your lunch.
May is Teacher Appreciation Month, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the educators in our community. I have spent an immense amount of time in our classrooms and recently had the opportunity to present an Outstanding Educator of the Year Award to one teacher at every Jordan District School in our city. I’ve also had amazing opportunities to spend time with incredible teachers at our private and charter schools. One of my favorite quotes at a recent event was given by Utah’s Teacher of the Year, who said, “Teaching is the profession ALL other professions come from.” A profound statement. This month, I encourage each of us to thank a teacher, any teacher. Maybe they’re teaching your child, maybe they taught you, maybe the teacher is your own mom, or brother, or neighbor. Most of us know a school teacher. I have the privilege of knowing many of them and can assure you, they don’t ask for much. A simple thank you, a note of kindness, maybe a gift card to their favorite soda shop, or supplies for their classroom. Teachers in every school care about their students and work hard to teach and love them, and sometimes they get a bad rap. As with every profession, there may be incidences where someone is less dedicated, needs more experience, or makes a poor decision. However, for every negative experience, there are thousands of professional, dedicated, and amazing teachers working hard, loving their students appropriately, and making our community better. So happy Teacher Appreciation Month to ALL of the teachers in South Jordan! We appreciate you and all you do for our students and our community.