5 Ways to Bless the Socks Off Your Child's Teacher This School Year

As we swing into a new school year, let’s not forget to show appreciation for our children’s teachers. (If you are a teacher, God Bless You!) Today, I welcome The Better Mom contributor, Becky Kopitzke, to share some practical ways to bless our teachers week after week. 
-XO, Ruth

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I’ve never ventured to homeschool. For the past eight years, from preschool on up, I’ve released my children to someone else—someone brave and immoveable. A mighty soul who undoubtedly deserves my gratitude, my prayers, and my boundless admiration. I mean, how in the world does she (he) do it?

The teacher.

I love teachers. These heroes corral rooms full of boisterous young people without breaking a sweat. They fill young heads with knowledge and inspiration; endure recess duty, lost retainers, and cafeteria food for lunch; then live ‘til 3 o-clock each day to tell the tale. Under their care my children have learned to read chapter books, multiply double digits, and develop fascinations with geology and poetry and bugs. (Actually I kind of resent the bugs.) They are special people, our teachers. I’m grateful for them indeed.

So as moms who have entrusted our little people to their care, I think it’s only right to show our teachers love in action—not just at the beginning or end of the school year—but all year round. 

Here are some practical ways you and your fellow classroom parents can bless the socks off your children’s teachers week after week.

1. Pray. Of course, prayer is key. On the drive to school each morning, my daughters and I pray for their teachers to have wisdom, patience, compassion, and energy to get through the day. But beyond that, let’s pray for our teachers’ families, for their health and enthusiasm and endurance to use the gifts God gave them. Let’s pray for God to speak through them or—if they don’t know the Lord—for God to speak to them. Praying for the teacher’s salvation is one of the mightiest gifts we can give. (Jot those prayers down in The Better Mom Prayer Journal.)

2. Feed them. Many teachers juggle 30 kids all day long then go home to their own children who need dinner and homework help and baths just like ours do. Why not band together to make this process a little easier on the teacher? Create a meal train where classroom parents can sign up to supply dinner once or twice a week. Ask the school for a little space in the cafeteria fridge and send the meals with your kids in the morning. This relatively small blessing could be a lifesaver for a busy teacher’s workweek.

3. Donate hostess gifts. Plan a home-based party with the other moms from school and donate all the hostess rewards to your child’s teacher. Pampered Chef, Usborne books, Noonday jewelry, Thirty-One—the possibilities abound. Bonus if one of the fellow moms is a consultant and can benefit from the joint effort, too.

4. Speak up. Teachers deal with a lot of unhappy parents and complaints. Let’s tip the scales the other way by offering plenty of encouragement throughout the year. Thank your child’s teacher for a lesson or project your child enjoyed. Tell her you appreciated the way she handled a social conflict. Give her short notes or cards, telling her you’re praying for her and you’re grateful for what she does. We all know how a little encouragement can go a long way in boosting our own spirits. Let’s give our teachers enough love to sustain them.

5. Offer childcare. If your child’s teacher is a working parent and you have time to spare, offer to be a resource for childcare in a pinch. Invite her kids to stay with you on in-service days when the kids are off but the teachers must still report to school. Or if you’re especially brave, offer to care for her kids when they’re sick so she can go to work. Our teachers care for our kids day after day. Why not return the favor every once in a while?

One more thing. Let’s be sure to teach our own children to bless their teacher with good listening, kind words, and trying their best. Perhaps that’s the greatest blessing we can give them—and our kids.

Blessings,
Becky