Hello API Job Corps Centers,
Today’s topic is “National Educator Appreciation Week.” Educator Appreciation Week is May 2-8, 2021. I would like to say 'thank you’ this week, and throughout the year, to the extraordinary educators who work tirelessly with our Job Corps Center students to keep them progressing toward their career goals despite COVID-19 and this stressful year.
We honor our all our Center teachers for a number of reasons as listed on edcite.com. My reasons include the following:
1. You work tirelessly for our students. Center teachers are constantly planning, grading, analyzing data, connecting with students, and helping their colleagues. The classes and the requirements are constantly changing. Distance Learning and Blended Learning added a whole new learning curve. The job is never done.
2. You are a constant source of creativity. Over the past year I have seen creativity galore. Math and science demonstrations with tubes in the hallways, heart grabbing videos, unique and youth-centered business meetings. and much more! Our Center teachers constantly come up with new ways to engage their students and give them meaningful and fun ways to learn.
3. You prepare students for life. Our Center teachers are always referring to the API norms (respect self, respect others, respect community and strive for excellence) and ensuring our students learn more than just the subject. They learn to be employable and they learn how to succeed in life.
4. You make a difference in every single student’s life. Most of our Center teachers have everything our students want—a family, a car, a driver’s license, a job, a future. They have considerable influence over each and every student by the way they speak to them, the care they give them, and the gentle advise they provide. Students come back years after they have graduated to thank our teachers.
5. You are appreciated now more than ever. Gretchen Weber, from the American Institutes for Research, says, “I’m glad more and more people are recognizing what teachers do in terms of instruction and learning. If ever there was a year to make Teacher Appreciation Week the biggest celebration ever, this is the year. I don’t even know where to begin to say my words of gratitude to my own children’s teachers, my friends and colleagues, and all teachers across the country. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Our Job Corps Center teachers are some of the best, most caring, and most competent people I know. Soon we will add more students to our rosters with Virtual Enrollment. Let’s keep our Centers open and stay safe!
Dr. Wild
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