This week is a very special one for anyone that is a teacher and a parent of a school aged child.  This week is officially National Teacher Appreciation Week.
We often forget just how important our children’s teacher are.
Teachers, especially those that teach our youngest children from Preschool through Kindergarten are often our child’s first exposure to a school experience and how they perceive learning.
Our Teachers know that every day that they spend with a child is an opportunity to share their love of learning and exploration with their students.  They take great pride in knowing that they have the opportunity to create a warm and nurturing environment for the children in their classes and that hopefully they will be the teacher remembered as someone who instilled the love of learning in them.
Deanna and I cannot say thank you enough for everything our amazing teachers do every day and how much we appreciate them.  Below is a letter from George Lucas that was published this week in his educational newsletter.  We believe it really says it all and worth a quick read.

Why Teachers Matter

A Letter From George Lucas

When I was growing up, I didn’t enjoy school very much. I liked English class, and shop. (Those were the days when we had shop . . .) But when it came to math and science, I didn’t do that well. The truth is, I barely made it through high school.

Today, our educational system looks much different than it did when I was a student. Especially in recent years. Kids today grow up immersed in a world of digital technology.  Digital technology can do so many amazing things for the learning process, but it can’t be human.

When you really think back about your best teachers, they were the ones who connected with you. They might have been classroom teachers, after-school coaches, parents or principals. They patted you on the back, knew your name and made jokes with you. They were human beings offering encouragement and building confidence, saying things like, “I know you can do this. Come on.”

And this is one way in which the world hasn’t changed: teaching is still the most important job.

To me, there is nothing more exciting, fulfilling and wonderful than watching a kid finally grasp a concept, then take the information and use it in the real world. Teachers make this happen. Teachers motivate. Teachers synthesize information to help students understand. Teachers listen, coach and mentor.

Teachers matter.

On behalf of the rest of the staff at The George Lucas Educational Foundation, thank you, teachers!