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Childcare providers, early education providers, elementary school teachers, middle school and high school teachers...one could argue that they provide the largest, most significant and longest-lasting services to society of any profession. Yet, in the United States, at least, we live in a society that consistently undervalues the work they do. Providers of care to young children, in particular, feel that their work is undervalued and not respected by society, even among the families who partake of their expertise.
show me the money
There are many reasons for this disparity. The education required to become a childcare provider is, sadly, less rigorous than the education required to say, learn how to market tanning beds online...at least to enter the profession. Indeed, there's little reward for advancing one's education and staying within the field, because wages are so low (despite the high cost of childcare for most families). 95% of childcare providers are female, and in case you haven't heard, there's a little bit of a wage gap between what men and women earn. We're making strides toward evening that out, but my guess is that the professions that utilizing "feminine" skills like nurturing, educating, and fostering growth will be the last to change.
So, before getting bogged down in these depressing (and long lasting) realities, what can we do TODAY to make a teacher's life better and her (or his) work more respected?
SAY THANK YOU
Sometimes it really is as simple as expressing one's appreciation. No, it's not the same as a pay raise. No, it's not a free class, or a car payment. But it does mean something to acknowledge that the work teachers do is important, skilled, meaningful and appreciated.
On Valentine's Day, we often think about the romance in our lives, or lament the lack of it. Often, we fail to recognize the love coming at us from other directions: the toddler hugging us morning til night, the boss congratulating us for a job well done, the mother who is protective and concerned even as we enter middle age, and the teachers that help us cultivate our family's real treasure.
Love Letter to a Teacher
Send a teacher a Valentine this week and let her (or him) feel the love!