May 5

On World Teachers' Day, Let’s Thank the Whole Village

by Meghan Fitzgerald

If you’re anything like me, you understand now more than ever the value of the village of incredible humans that teach, feed, coach and care for our kids. 

Where would we be without the custodial staff that keeps our children’s spaces clean? The security guards who make sure they’re safe? The art and music teachers, coaches and specialists, meal providers, caregivers and bus drivers?

We know now. And hoo boy, do we miss them.

This World Teachers' Day, let’s celebrate everyone who “teaches” our kids. This pandemic and all of the life difficulties it’s brought with it – teaching our kids at home while feeling stress and worry, suffering isolation from our communities and struggling to juggle more tasks than ever at once – has laid bare a crucial truth: We parents are people who need other people to make this whole thing work. 

During May's Teacher Appreciation Week, my preschooler’s Zoom opened with every child holding an apple (or a drawing of one – who can guarantee what groceries we’ve got in the house these days?) as a thank-you to teachers. They were thrilled, and the kids loved being able to participate in a group surprise (and eat the fruits of their labor). Let's show that kind of gratitude again today! 

Teachers, who were already heroes, have proven themselves superheroes this year, stepping up to the challenge of doing their jobs in very changed circumstances.

We’re so grateful to them; let’s widen the circle of gratitude even further. 

Need a simple idea? Write a note – or make a sweet video – to be distributed to all the team-members in your life helping to enrich your children’s lives. Maybe it’s your toddler’s music teacher, or the librarian who runs storytime. Maybe it’s the owner of a bookstore who never seems to mind the mess your little one makes. We know families are missing seeing their Tinkergarten Leaders in person, and our Leaders are missing them too! If you've joined one of our Circle Time classes, take a moment to connect with your Leader today — they're always happy to hear from the parents and the little ones they lead!

For bigger kids, reach out to both the teachers and the school staff who may get overlooked this week. Ask your administrator to pass on a message from the family to custodians, building superintendents, security staffers, kitchen teams and more to say thank you. Or, if you homeschool, reach out to the people and programs you pull in to support you and your child.

For even more impact, if you are able, pay it forward by making a donation or sharing with friends about the work of a charity that is stepping in to fill just part of the space teachers and schools fill in kids’ lives right now – No Kid Hungry and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America are two that aim their efforts at kids. Just make sure your pick has been vetted through Charity Navigator or CharityWatch.  

However you choose to recognize the everyday heroes that make your kids’ lives better (and yours, in return), we are sure it will be much appreciated. 






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Meghan Fitzgerald

Founder

After 20+ years as an educator, curriculum developer and school leader, I have my dream gig—an entrepreneur/educator/mom who helps families everywhere, including my own, learn outside. Prior to Tinkergarten®, I worked as an Elementary School Principal, a Math/Science Specialist & and a teacher in public and private schools in NY, MA and CA. I earned a BA with majors in English and Developmental Psychology at Amherst College, an MS in Educational Leadership at Bank Street College, and was trained to become a Forest School leader at Bridgwater College, UK. My worldview is formed in response to my environment, culture, family, identity and experiences. What I write in this blog will inevitably betray the blind spots I have as a result—we all have them! Please reach out if there are other perspectives or world views I could consider in anything I write about. I welcome the chance to learn and update any pieces to broaden our shared perspective!

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