I sent out a Google form to Gilbert High School Teachers featuring questions that vary from their opinion of the education system to why they love teaching, and I received many responses. Some of my favorite responses were about the teachers themselves. Education has many thorns, but the teachers are the roses who make it beautiful.

I have heard many stories of how teachers have not only supported their students, but supported each other, and I wanted to hear more! So, one of my first questions for the teachers was, “What are some of the things other teachers have done for you?”

“SO MUCH! Other teachers are so generous with their knowledge, help, and support.”
“Other teachers have metaphorically saved my life on many occasions!”
“I can say with complete certainty that I wouldn't be the teacher I am today without the support, encouragement, and community formed with other teachers. I have made some of my best friends through teaching and I'm so lucky to have them. Everything from borrowed lessons, help with grading papers, sharing chocolate, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, or just sitting in silence while we let the events of a day or week wash over us, I couldn't do this job without other teachers.”
“Having teachers you can talk to that are going through the same stresses is a huge boost to your day/week/semester.”
“I am constantly learning from other teachers, whether they teach my subject matter or not. I always learn from their classroom procedures, behavior management, and many other things.”
“My fellow teachers are amazing. We have a wonderful department and we help each other plan and share resources. We are definitely each others' cheerleaders! I've learned so much from them even though we have different ways of teaching. We are constantly trying to improve. Just like our students, we learn new things every day!”
“Other English teachers share their materials. Ms. Peters, the other ELL teacher, keeps us organized and in compliance with the state. Coaches will talk to students who are having trouble behaving. Math teachers have been willing to come in my class during their prep to help students with concepts. All the teachers who have ELL students are willing to work with them, which makes my job easier.”
“Other teachers have helped me to broaden my thinking about new and different ways to teach and connect with students. This is one of the most valuable assets we have as teachers, the ability to collaborate.”
“Pushed me beyond what I thought I could do.”

Mrs. Milius, a true necessity to the Gilbert science department, specifically in the chemistry field, has a heartwarming story of how teachers support other teachers.
“The science department rocks and totally took care of me during my maternity leave. Mr. Sullivan gave up so much of his time teaching my substitute and teaching my students, Mr. G helped my kids by making himself available for tutoring and also conducted a lab for my classes. The science department held a baby shower for me during lunch one day. Not to mention, Mrs. Wagner gives me tons of advice and helps me come up with better lesson plans.”

Not only do teachers support one another, but many of the amazing teachers we have today were inspired by the wonderful teachers they had when they were in school!

“It is part of the reason I became a teacher- I have had a lot of wonderful mentors that helped me in a lot of different ways throughout my years. It took a while for me to believe that I could be that for other students, but I know that I can now so I do everything I can to pay it all back."
“My Auto teacher in high school helped me learn in alternate ways since I have learning disabilities. This opened up my world and changed my life. I spent over 40 years in the industry.”
“I had a few great high school history teachers who made me love history. They made it exciting and interesting. I try to replicate that in my classes to this day.”
“I have had teachers kick me out of their classroom, out of their course, and I have even been kicked out of elementary school. Those teachers held me accountable, but they refused to let me hold myself back. When I punched back (sometimes literally), they always maintained their focus on helping me through the rough times because they felt I was worth it.”
“My favorite teacher in high school (and we are still friends to this day) drove me to the city from our small town every week to take a life drawing class. It was a [hour and a half] round trip and was a 3-hour class. She has been my inspiration, model, and mentor as a teacher.”

I loved hearing the special stories of how past and current teachers supported one another and their students, but I had one more big question for the teachers about their careers. “What is your favorite part of your profession and working with students?”

“Without a doubt my favorite part of working with students is forming relationships with them, getting to know them, and being a part of their lives as they grow and mature. To watch that process happen is absolutely beautiful and one of my greatest joys in life.”
"My favorite part of working with students is that I can see both the unique individual that each of them are as well as seeing a little bit of me in there. The students remind me of the variety and vivacity of youth while helping me to appreciate the path I took to become who I am. When I hear a student discover a favorite band of mine for the first time, I think back to being their age and being thankful that I found that art in the world. I get that reminder on a constant basis. I also get to learn new ideas and language. I at least am aware of Ice Spice and I can use the word rizz properly in a sentence. So, I guess it is the shared life experiences that keep me coming back to school each day.”
“Making connections and building a community of learners is the best part of being a teacher.”
“I love seeing how much of an impact I have on the students and the relationships that carry beyond the material learned in class. Seeing students become functioning members of society will always be a great sense of pride for me.”
“My favorite part of teaching is getting to spend all day with my students. They're such cool people! It's so exciting to think of all the amazing things my students are going to go on and do in the world!”
“Giving them the knowledge I have…Nothing makes me happier than seeing a former student living their best life after high school.”
“I really love to know my students and hear about their lives. I see SO MUCH GOOD in my students and truly hope that they achieve their goals. I think teenagers get a bad rap, and it is so refreshing for me to see kids just trying to do their best, and doing it well.”
“I love seeing the growth of my students over a school year. By the end, they have gained so much knowledge and confidence. It is very rewarding.”
“Watching students' reactions when something finally clicks for them and the realization they have is incredible and always a highlight of my day.”
“Seeing the improvement over the course of a quarter. Watching them be freaked out and stressed about a piece of music I put in front of them, and then by the end of the quarter, they can play it masterfully.”
“I really enjoy seeing the students' progress. It's really easy to see with our ELL population. A kid who didn't know any English at the beginning of the year is able to have a conversation with you at the end of the year.”
“The relationships built and watching young people grow. I am lucky as many of our students are in our program for all 4 years. We conduct many activities outside of the class through the FFA which allows us to build those relationships with students.”
“They keep me optimistic because they haven't been jaded by adulthood yet. I absolutely love the subject that I teach and seeing how excited students get to learn about personal finance.”
“Seeing the students working with each other solving issues on vehicles that would cost thousands for them to have professionally fixed. The more you know about life the better you’re equipped to succeed. The Students Rock!!”

Teachers love and appreciate their students, so now it’s time for the students to show their teachers they care too. Next week, May 6th through May 10th is Teacher Appreciation Week. Take the time to show your teachers you care, even if all you say is thank you, it’ll mean more than you can imagine.