Take a moment this week to thank a teacher!

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week — unfortunately. It’s unfortunate because, for the community heroes who deserve our gratitude the most, the timing couldn’t be worse.

For many parents, these last few weeks of the schoolyear are busier than the rush between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Almost daily there seems to be a can’t-miss event on the calendar. Of all the weeks we could choose to thank teachers… does it have to be now?

When my calendar gets stacked up, I become like the world’s worst juggler: dropping balls everywhere. So far this week I’ve shown my (opposite of teacher appreciation) by being the last parent in pick up line, forgetting my daughter’s end-of-year conference, and — I wish I was making this up — parking in the principal’s reserved spot. (I was rushing to bring in materials for an end-of-year celebration.)

It’s not just me. Today I heard about a parent taking a vacation day to stay home alone and do laundry.

So I’d like to humbly propose to the National Education Association to move Teacher Appreication Week to a less busy time of year. My vote: Mid-March, to commemorate the time in 2020 when schools were shuttered and every parent felt firsthand just how appreciative to teachers we all truly are.

If you’re a parent struggling with moderate to severe Maycember, my prescription is simple: a concentrated, genuine moment of gratitude for the educators in your life and the lives of those you love. As busy as you are, this is the one event you shouldn’t miss.

Stay Scrappy,

Grant