Teacher Appreciation Week extra special due to pandemic challenges

RAPID CITY, S.D. — It’s been a challenging year for teachers, making teacher appreciation week that much sweeter this year.

Between Zoom classes and stressing the importance of masks to students, teachers have been challenged like never before. Meadowbrook teachers say they’ve taught students about building and taking care of their community. This year, that meant social distancing, and lots of hand-washing. To show their appreciation, faculty, parents, and students showered teachers with gifts, sweets, and kind words this week.

“What I appreciate most as a teacher is just the cards from kids,” said third grade teacher, Ashley Julius. “Just hearing with their words that you mean a lot to them, and that all those hours you put in, it makes an impact in their lives and their families lives. So, I love the gift cards and the treats, but the cards from the kids, their words mean everything to me. So definitely that.”

Teachers are glad to be remembered and appreciated, but they are also excited to be back in the classroom, and they’re proud of how well students adapted to changes this year.

“I teach first grade, so I‘m used to bringing kids to the carpet, reading them stories and being able to give them lots of hugs and stuff,” said first grade teacher, Brandi Sperle. “That’s been a little bit different this year. Kids have been troopers because they’ve had to sit at their desks all throughout the day. And that’s hard, especially on the little ones, but there haven’t been many complaints, and they’re just happy to be here, they want to be here.”

For all the challenges this year, teachers are glad to have had the support of their schools, district, and parents. They also say they are very much looking forward to getting back to normal, full in-class teaching next school year.