I remain in awe of all of you, ❤️

 
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Newsletter Volume 8

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day. First and foremost, for those of you who are educators, thank you for everything you do for students every single day. Although I have never been a classroom teacher, I had the privilege of collaborating with inspiring educators across the country during my eight-year tenure at The George Lucas Educational Foundation (known to the world as Edutopia), and I can tell you that what you all do is nothing short of a miracle. I remain in awe of all of you. In fact, LCG exists to support and uplift educator voices. Your passion, sheer determination, and utter selflessness continue to inspire me daily and LCG’s team of former educators empathizes with all of the things you are juggling this school year. We see you. We hear you. And if we could, we would give you all a big hug. ❤️

We know that thanking teachers one week a year is not even close to the recognition and respect that is deserved. If you’re not a practicing educator, I challenge you to brainstorm ways that you can authentically support and thank teachers as often and in as many ways as you can. This newsletter issue is packed full of helpful resources that can help you get started.

On a more personal note, Teacher Appreciation Week also includes my birthday, and on this birthday I’m celebrating a decade milestone. (I’ll let you guess which one.) As a result, I’ve noticed that I’ve been more reflective than usual. I’ve specifically been thinking about how when I needed support the most in my life, it was a teacher who was there for me, and not just any teacher — my fifth grade teacher, Mr. Follett. He was the first person that took the time to really see me. He challenged me, believed in me, and showed me how hard work and determination could help me in all aspects of my life. Heck — he even got me out in my yard pulling weeds because he would always say, “Commitment applies to every part of your life, not just school.” I think of him often. Sometimes I think of how many kids didn’t get a Mr. Follett in their lives and it fuels me to support more educators. Every student deserves great teachers who believe in them, and every teacher deserves the support they need to become the great teacher they’ve always aspired to be.

Thank you for being that teacher for your students, and if you’re not in a classroom, thanks for doing everything you can to support the educators who are making a difference in the lives of children.
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* Please take note of my word choice. It may sound like a small detail, but it’s an important difference. I said returning to “school buildings” and not “going back to school.” School has been in session; teachers have been teaching classes in all sorts of ways since the pandemic started.

Gift Guide

Let Teacher Appreciation Week kick start your year-round attitude of gratitude for teachers. Our updated guide now includes gift ideas for every budget, non-monetary gift ideas, things to consider when giving gifts, and helpful logistics and planning resources.

 
Spring Cleaning

The sun is out, and summer is almost on its way! Use any upcoming downtime you may have to tidy up your social media channels. This free checklist includes helpful tips on security, updating your profiles, cleaning up who you learn from, and so much more.

 
 
 

In honor of May the 4th Be With You (Follow the celebration all day long on Twitter #MayThe4thBeWithYou), we’ve translated five reasons we love educators into Wookie.

  1. aarrragghuuhw wrrhw huurh uughguughhhghghghhhgh (Teachers are inspiring.)

  2. huurh huurh aarrragghuuhw awwgggghhh uughguughhhghghghhhgh (Teachers believe in students.)

  3. aaahnruh raaaaaahhgh raaaaaahhgh huurh aarrragghuuhw uggguh wuuh (Teachers instill a love for learning.)

  4. uughghhhgh huurh raaaaaahhgh raaaaaahhgh uughghhhgh (They make learning fun.)

  5. huuguughghg huuguughghg wrrhw uughghhhgh uughghhhgh (They are lifelong learners.)

Use this handy Wookie translator for anything you want to emphasize today or any day!