Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week in North Carolina, so students and administrators in Macon County took on a few extra projects to show they care.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced on May 3 that the week of May 3-7 would be the state’s Teacher Appreciation Week and that May 4 would be specifically recognized as Teacher Appreciation Day. It was also a time to recognize the extra effort teachers put in to make the 2020-21 school year a success under extreme circumstances.
The week was, in part, an effort to raise awareness for teacher pay, which the governor supports increasing. The National Education Association reports teacher pay in North Carolina since the 2018-19 school year has dropped from 31st highest in the nation to 33rd highest.
“North Carolina’s educators work tirelessly to teach and support our children, including through a pandemic, and they deserve our gratitude, admiration and respect,” Cooper said. “Educators also deserve to be paid like the professionals they are. North Carolina must do better in teacher pay.”
While a nice gesture, many would have liked to have heard the proclamation before the week began. Schools were in a bit of a hurry to put together tokens of appreciation, but they found ways. Food was a common reward doled out during the week. At Union Academy, community members brought in snacks to offer teachers on several days, while principal Diane Cotton prepared a special Cinco de Mayo tamale lunch for her staff on Wednesday morning.
“We’re trying to do something small for them every day,” Cotton said. “They are being appreciated this week, although not nearly as much as they deserve with the year that they’ve had.”
At Cartoogechaye Elementary School, teachers were able to get a free car wash on Thursday afternoon. Seniors from Franklin High School were in charge of washing the cars and some of them also looked after the teachers’ classes while they were in line. The seniors participated on a volunteer basis and after a successful few weeks of special graduation activities, they were all eager to show their gratitude to the county’s school faculty.
“They do a lot for us, especially with the Grad Walk and everything going on,” volunteer Dylan Garcia said. “This is our way of giving back to them.”
Though they weren’t expecting these shows of thanks when the week began, Macon County teachers were happy to receive them. FHS counselor Robin Sumner said the final few weeks of the school year are a stressful time even in a year without COVID-19. An occasional treat is a good way for teachers to stay psyched up going down the stretch, and principal Barry Woody driving to Georgia to get his staff some Chick-fil-A for breakfast definitely qualifies.
“This is the time of year where it’s hard for us to keep up with anything,” Sumner said.
Teacher Appreciation Week has come and gone now, but with all the effort the students and administrators put in, Macon County teachers will hopefully keep feeling the love all year long.
“We all feel appreciated here every day,” Union teacher Leighann Hancock said. “Not just by the administrators, but by the students too.”