Teacher appreciation week highlights need for educators
May 10, 2012
This week marks Teacher Appreciation Week in the United States. While schools, districts and parent-teacher organizations nationwide use this week to recognize teachers, many parents have also done things to thank those who teach them and/or their children.
Small, inexpensive gifts such as flowers, plants, mugs, cookies, candy, tote bags and candles are common gifts that help students of all ages show their appreciation for teachers. According to Education.com, other ideas include books, themed gift baskets in which several people contribute items, gift cards and handmade crafts.
In addition to using Teacher Appreciation Week to show gratitude for teachers, the U.S. Department of Education is working to recruit new educators.
"On this Teacher Appreciation Week, let's think more meaningfully about what it means to appreciate teachers so that we build a profession that retains its best teachers and recruits the next generation of great talent," a blog on the website suggests.
The Department of Education reports that over the next five to 10 years, at least 1 million teachers - or about one-third of the work force - will be eligible for retirement. This may make the reported nationwide shortage of teachers even worse.
NSEA.org reports that America will need 2 million new teachers in the next decade, and experts predict that half the teachers who will be in public school classrooms 10 years from now have not yet been hired. The greatest teaching shortages are in bilingual and special education, mathematics, science (particularly the physical sciences), computer science, English-as-a-Second-Language and foreign languages.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) confirms that demand for teachers is expected to grow by 17 percent through 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Teaching is a profession that has historically appealed to mothers, as it allows them to work when their kids are in school and to be home when their kids are, such as on holidays and during the summer.
According to the BLS, all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia require public school teachers to be licensed. Licensing criteria varies by state but often requires a bachelor's degree. In addition, some states require teachers to obtain a master's degree within a certain time period after they begin teaching.
Moms who want to go to college in order to pursue a teaching career should know that they can use various grants for parents, scholarships for mothers, single mother scholarships and other financial aid to offset the cost of their education.
They can also choose to get their degree at a traditional brick-and-mortar learning institution or online, as many colleges and universities now offer online teaching programs.
