Teacher Appreciation??

How is an office supply store like a religious school classroom? Well, both have pencils, chalk, notebooks, and loads of copy paper. But that's not the answer. You knew that, right? So, in the spirit of Midrashim and shtetl folktales, let me tell you a (true) story.

Recently, I attended "Teacher Appreciation Day" at a nationally known, big-box office supply store. For several weeks, there had been a sign in the store announcing the date and time of "Teacher Appreciation Day," including those words which are music to any teacher's ears, "Free Gift." Of course , I went.

At first, I thought I'd come on the wrong day. There was no indication of any special event at the store. No "Welcome Teachers!" sign. No section with "Teachers' Specials." No handouts detailing how the store's products could make our classrooms and our students shine like polished apples. No one giving out free gifts. Nothing! I wandered up and down all the aisles, picked up a few things I needed anyway, and went to check out.
"Did you find everything ok?" chirped the cashier.
"Well, not really," I said. "I didn't see anything going on for "Teacher Appreciation Day" and (sad voice, eyes downcast) I guess there are no more free gifts left."
"Oh, no. I think they're doing something. Did you check the end of Aisle 15 (ie. far,far corner of this very large store)?" she asked.
"No," I answered. "Hold this stuff for me, please, while I go look."

I left the checkout and trekked to the end of aisle 15 to find a wall of loose leaf binders and an open door leading to a stockroom that's usually off limits to customers. I could see some tables among the ceiling-high shelves, stacks of cartons, and cleaning supplies. This was it! I went to the first table where a store worker gave me my free gift, a loose leaf binder with paper and a plastic pouch of pens, pencils, and such. At the second table, I could select a handful of tchotchkes - colored paper clips, metal clips, clips shaped like hands and feet - cute. On the third table were boxes of muffins from a local bakery and some bottles of juice. The tables were bare, rough, stained worktables. I grabbed a muffin and left.

That was that! Teacher Appreciation Day. Did I feel appreciated? Did I feel like the store really valued me as a customer and wanted my business year 'round? No, no, and no. Before I had even returned to the checkout, I had thought of a dozen ways the store (this billion dollar, publicly traded enterprise) could have had a real Teacher Appreciation event - and for little more than they'd invested in the binders, clips, and muffins. What a missed opportunity to inform and encourage potential long-term customers!

Nu, what does all this have to do with us, as Jewish Educators? We have a golden opportunity to show our students and their families (our "customers") that we appreciate their presence in our school; that we consistently celebrate Jewish wisdom, observance, traditions, heritage, and language through our lessons; that we provide the means for our students and families to be informed, active participants in life long Jewish learning (our proud "product").

How can we make every class, every project, every event an "Appreciation Day?" Unlike the hapless office supply store, how can we do it right and do it well? That's what this blog is really all about.
Shavuah Tov.

Much, much more to come...