It’s the time of year when you receive teacher gifts. You may receive gift cards, flowers, fuzzy socks or coffee mugs. You may be lucky enough to be given those student-created heart felt cards or something crocheted by a parent who wants to give you a gift but can’t afford a larger one. Now matter the object, its a gift that you appreciate.

What if you turn it around this year? What if you gave a gift to those that inspired you? Remember that one student you fought hard for because they needed more help when you were told they have enough assistance or that quiet student whose mother told you something wasn’t right and you saw it. Because you learned how to teach a child that wasn’t described in your college classes you became a better educator. In all those days of stress, exhaustion and searching for creativity it was because of the students. The one thing that children don’t know is that they inspire you. They push you in a way that you didn’t expect. They get you to laugh at the silliest of things-even  yourself! They convince you that it’s not a game of tag but a game of prey and predator on that first perfect Spring day. Teaching them that there are two high tides and two low tides is understand in a greater way when you stand on a chair, then your desk for the high tides then reverse it for the low tides. (Or those tricky tides where there is only one low tide and you have to jump from the desk to the floor! Sure was glad my class was in a trailer at that time.)

Your final challenge of the year isn’t to make it to the end of the school year by filling up time but maybe thinking about it differently. While your students are enjoying the movie based on the story you just finished, what if you took the box of blank cards you were given for teacher appreciation week and wrote a letter to each student telling them what they taught you? Prefer to type, send an email to the parents telling them some of the amazing things their child accomplished this year. Are you an artist, use a drawing program to express your thoughts through pictures. After all, the reason we all became teachers is because of the moment when the light bulb goes on, when the child bursts with excitement because they surpassed their goal and you were lucky enough to witness that moment.