April 15, 2026April 14, 2026 Linda Markley

Champions

calling to make a difference, Passion, professional development, Purpose, Spirit of teaching, Teacher Appreciation, teacher hero, teacher mental health, teacher self-care, teacher struggles, teacher support, teacher value, teacher well-being, teachers as role models, Wholehearted teaching

It is that designated time of year again when we are to celebrate teachers with “Teacher Appreciation Week”.

So, I thought I would remind everyone what exactly a teacher is and why they deserve to be celebrated.

When we think of the word “champion”, we usually think of it in terms of athletes and sporting events (which, by the way, too many children idolize and want to be winning athletes who become famous and make ridiculous amounts of money! That’s another topic for another day for sure!)

When I think of champions, I am reminded of teachers and the powerful Ted Talk that Rita Pierson gave entitled “Every Child Needs a Champion”.

You can watch it here.  

Teachers ARE champions and should be celebrated and appreciated and compensated as such!

As a noun, the word “champion” is from Latin campus meaning field (of combat), which came to mean someone who is a “combatant in a field”.

As a verb, champion means “to fight for, defend, protect, maintain or support by contest or challenge”.

Many teachers feel like the classroom is a “field of combat” anymore because of all the accusations, allegations, instigations that are happening to them via parents, students and even admin and colleagues sometimes.

Teaching is hard…no doubt about it!

But I would like to share a different perspective that might inspire and give hope to teachers (and no, it is not toxic positivity, so don’t even go there!)

I thought of how a field is also where we can wander, explore and even grow food or flowers for sustenance or enjoyment.

What kind of field of “dreams” are we creating everyday in the classroom?

Basically, it is what we are doing as human beings every day of our existence.

That is the learning journey.

And we are all teachers and students every step of the way on this lifelong journey.

Wandering, exploring, discovering, trying again and again and again to figure things out.

There will be struggles.

There will be obstacles.

There will be successes.

And there will be failures.

But we keep going with faith and hope and dreams in our hearts waiting for the next opportunity to learn and grow…just like the plants in the fields and perhaps ask ourselves:

What (and who) is the sunshine in my life that makes me grow?

What (and who) are the nutrients that I feed my soul and help me grow into the next better version of myself?

What (and who) is the water that sustains me and keeps me going and feeling alive to keep trying again and again and again?

There is resilience.

There is perseverance.

But when we are “champions” in our own lives AND we show children how to be champions in theirs……the possibilities are endless!

Think about all the good you bring to the classroom and to your students (your “kids”).

And I know most teachers are willing to go into “battle” and fight for their kids to get resources, provide opportunities for every child, to differentiate, to see the value in every child and to inspire them and believe in them!

Teachers – THANK YOU FOR BEING A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN.

And I will leave you to exit the classroom to the tune of We are the champions, by Queen.

(PS – maybe that’s the exit we need to have every day we leave the classroom to remind us of the importance and the value of who we are and what we do! Try it!)

Image credit:

“Trophy” by jeffk is licensed under CC BY 2.0.