As a former teacher and a mother, I see educators from both sides of the classroom. I know the long days, the emotional weight, the endless responsibilities, and now, as a parent, I also see the incredible impact teachers have on my own children every single day.
Teacher Appreciation Week feels personal to me because teaching is one of those professions people often underestimate until they experience it firsthand.
Teachers wear more hats than most people realize. They are educators, yes, but they are also counselors, encouragers, organizers, nurses, mediators, mentors, cheerleaders, and sometimes even a safe place for children carrying burdens far too heavy for their age. Before the first bell rings, many teachers have already answered emails, adjusted lesson plans, handled paperwork, and prepared themselves mentally for whatever the day may bring.
And no two days are ever the same.
Teachers are expected to meet academic standards, manage classrooms, support students emotionally, communicate with parents, navigate testing requirements, and somehow still create meaningful, engaging lessons for every type of learner sitting in front of them.
What many people do not see are the quiet moments that happen behind the scenes.
It is the teacher staying late to help a struggling student. The money spent out of pocket on classroom supplies. The weekends spent grading papers or planning lessons. The teacher who notices a child seems withdrawn, hungry, anxious, or overwhelmed. The educator who shows up to ballgames, concerts, and school events simply because supporting students matters to them beyond the classroom walls.
As a mother, watching my own children be loved, encouraged, and guided by wonderful teachers has deepened my appreciation for the profession even more. Teachers help shape confidence, character, and curiosity in ways that often last a lifetime.
In fact, when my family relocated to North Mississippi from Hattiesburg nearly a decade ago, we found our sweet little town and school system because of the guidance of my oldest son’s kindergarten teacher. She had once lived in Tupelo herself and encouraged us to look in this small pocket community of Lee County while we were trying to decide where to put down roots. Nine years later, I still think about that conversation and how much it shaped our lives. It ended up being exactly the right fit for our family.
That is the thing about teachers—their impact often reaches far beyond the classroom.
Here in Mississippi, educators have helped lead remarkable strides in literacy and academic growth in recent years, drawing attention from across the country. Once overlooked in conversations about education, Mississippi has become an example many other states now study, particularly for improvements in early reading achievement. Those successes did not happen by accident. They happened because teachers kept showing up, adapting, encouraging students, and doing the hard work day after day.
Most people can still remember the name of a teacher who changed something for them.
As a community, supporting teachers starts with gratitude, but it should not stop there. Encouraging words matter. Patience matters. Partnership between parents and educators matters.
This Teacher Appreciation Week, I hope we take the time to truly recognize all that teachers carry every single day.
Because behind every successful student is almost always a teacher who gave a little extra of themselves along the way.
