“Teaching is the essential profession, the one that makes all professions possible.”

– David Haselkorn

Today, May 3, 2011, is National Teacher Day. As the National Education Association (NEA) so aptly put it, National Teacher Day is a day to “take time to honor … local educators and acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in making sure every student receives a quality education.”

Around 1944, Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began communicating with political and education leaders about the need for a day to acknowledge teachers on a national level. Woodridge got lucky after writing to Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1953, Roosevelt convinced Congress to declare a National Teacher Day. Later, the NEA, Kansas and Indiana state affiliates, and the Dodge City (Kansas) Local lobbied Congress to implement a national day to honor teachers and enjoyed victory as Congress named March 7, 1980 National Teacher Day. But success was short-lived as the official holiday was only observed that year. The NEA and its affiliates celebrated National Teacher Day in March until 1985, and then the NEA National Assembly voted to observe National Teacher Day on the Tuesday of the first week in May.

For district administrators and other school leaders: Visit the NEA’s website for different ideas and activities to help you celebrate the teachers in your school or community!

For teachers: Check out the NEA’s Teacher Thank You Project to view a thank you card for your services to the nation’s students, as well as other cool things that will remind you why you do what you do and help you reflect on why you love teaching!

For students: Do you have a teacher in your life that inspires you? Would you like her/him to know how you feel? Want to know how you can say THANK YOU today? Watch this video (top right of screen) to see how you can participate in NEA's Teacher Thank You Project. (Teachers, you should watch it, too!) 

The above quote is from Great Quotes for Great Educators by Todd Whitaker and Dale Lumpa.