As it’s lunar New Year break, we should look at something positive. There are several truthful five-word idioms. Enjoy reading it no matter you are a teacher, a parents, or just the general audience who read this post out of your interests.

1. Kids learn when they’re loved. —Andie M.

That pretty much sums it up.

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• Kong Xi Fa Cai 恭喜發財: Good luck getting more wealth.-> I hope you will be prosperous in the New Year.
• Kong Xi Fa Cai Nian Nian You You 恭喜發財 年年有餘：Nian Nian- year by year; You You-sybolism for “fish”, to have more than enough, to have a surplus-> I hope you will have ample surplus in the coming year. I hope your year will end with more than enough.
• Xin Xiang Xi Cheng 心想事成：Aladdin and magical lamp —may all your wishes come true
• Wang Xi Ru Yi 萬事如意：Wang Xi-10 thousand things; Ru Yi-as you wish ->May all things as you wish. May everything go as planned.

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Let’s be honest – pandemic teaching has us fried these days. We’re burned out, exhausted, and bone-deep tired. The joyful moments in education are still here: light bulbs going off when a student finally gets it, the students’ eagerness when new activities are presented, and our awe for their resilience each day. But the day-to-day grind – it’s hard. Parents, if you’re wondering how to help, here are the top ten things you can do to make a teacher’s day.

10. Voice your appreciation

If you happen to meet us somewhere – morning drop-off, Zoom parent-teacher meeting, Target – this statement means a lot: “I don’t know how you do it, I could never do your job!” This tells us that you really see us and all the balls we are juggling every day. Parents, we love to be seen. A simple, “Thank you for all you do,” goes a long way, too. A quick email with those words would also make a teacher’s day.

9. Be part of the village

Send an extra school supply, lab fee, or snack with the note, “This is for a student who didn’t bring one.” Teachers often pull money out of their own wallets for those children who are without. It’s so nice when someone else helps, too.

8. Support teachers online

It means a lot to see parents share memes, videos, and other media about supporting teachers. You can make a teacher’s day by standing up for teachers when social media comments are negative. We see and appreciate the support.

7. Interact with our updates

When we post pictures and videos on a school webpage or social media, we appreciate reading your positive comments. It helps to know that you’ve noticed the post and enjoyed it. The same is true when we email newsletters or other parent communication. A quick reply of “Thanks for keeping us in the loop!” means a lot.

6. Acknowledge our efforts on that craft project your child gifted you

Teachers spend a lot of time guiding their students to make homemade Christmas/Mother’s Day/Father’s Day/etc. gifts. A quick note after the event to tell us what you liked about it makes the glitter disaster, paint on every surface, classroom crafting chaos totally worth it!

5. Tell us something your child shared

We often wonder what students say about us at home. Do they share their learning, talk about the fun parts of their school day, or are moved by something in particular? An email from you about something your child enjoyed in their day is a great way to make us smile!

4. Add to our comfort food stash

Coffee, tea, and chocolate will make a teacher’s day. Enough said.

3. End on a positive note

Sometimes parents are upset and need to email or talk to teachers about it. This is okay; we get it. But ending these conversations with the words “Thank you for all you do” acknowledges that you understand we are trying our best.

2. Remind your child to give us that card they made over the weekend

Child-made cards with notes like, “Thanks for being the best teacher” (even if spelled incorrectly) always bring a smile to our faces.

1. Share happy memories and life updates

The number one way you can make a teacher’s day? At any time through the years, if you and your child are talking about the good ol’ days, and they mention a special time from when we taught them, email us out of the blue and tell us that they remembered:

“She’s in college now. Thanks to the confidence you instilled in her.”

“He remembers how you were the teacher who could always help him understand the tough stuff.”

“She thinks of fourth grade as ‘the year of great books’.”

Parents, this is why we do this job, even though when we say goodbye to our students we rarely hear from them again. These blast-from-the-past messages keep us coming back each and every day, each and every year – even during a pandemic.

Pandemic teaching is harder than we ever imagined our job could be. However, a little support from parents can really make a teacher’s day so much brighter!

Reference: https://boredteachers.com/post/make-teachers-day

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According to the World Health Organization, mental health is about being able to cope with the normal stressors of life; to work productively and fruitfully; and to be able to make a contribution to your community. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being.

We suffer in solitude, silenced by stigma. All of us need to realize that our mental struggles do not detract from our virility, nor does our trauma taint our strength. We need to see mental health as important as physical health.

We need to stop suffering in silence. We must stop stigmatizing disease and traumatizing the afflicted. Talk to your friends. Talk to your loved ones. Talk to health professionals.

Be vulnerable. Do so with the confidence that you are not alone. Speak up if you’re struggling. Being honest about how we feel does not make us weak; it makes us human. It is time to end the stigma associated with mental illness.

The Chinese New Year is coming in a week. I just finished my EDFN 508 class. After struggling during the last fully online class, I did not expect that this research-based on would be smooth. To be honest, I thought it would be tough for me due to its nature. However, “You if you don’t try, you never know.” I am glad that I took the class.

Here’s the email I sent to my professor.

I did enjoy the process that the professor shifted the focus from GRADES to LEARNING PROGRESS, which took the stress away and made me become a teacher researcher. She showed me a different and innovative way of teaching in a limited time. This demonstrated that education has changed little by little during this decade. I am really glad to witness and participate in this positive educational evolution in the front line, the “classroom”, as a student and a classroom teacher.