LAUGH
Image Source: Teacher Style Box
It’s true the little things often make the biggest impact. It’s also true that these same things tend to go unnoticed or unappreciated. However insignificant or surprising they may appear to outsiders, here are 21 things teachers hail as unsung school heroes.
1. The sole surviving hair tie, discovered buried in your desk drawer, just as the classroom temperature reaches a balmy 85-degrees.
2. The across-the-hall restroom for when you’ve gotta pee real quick and it’s not your allotted bathroom break time.
3. The chocolate stash hidden in an old file folder box: a necessary mid-day pick-me-up.
4. Email. Because they can’t see you rolling your eyes.
5. Masks. Because they can’t see your WTF face.
6. Casual Fridays. Bless you, tennis shoes.
7. Baked goods that mysteriously show up in the faculty room. I don’t know where they came from, but I’m going to eat them anyway.
8. Those times the copy machine doesn’t jam on you. It prints, collates, and staples like a boss.
9. Washi tape because without it, your Ruler Center is just a Pringles can.
10. The hacks and Pinterest boards geared toward teachers of older students. Not all of us need another “fun yet effective way to line the kids up quickly and quietly.” Okay, fine. Bad example, but you know what I mean.
11. That dusty cardigan hanging on the back of your desk chair. It sure does come in handy for those surprise early morning fire drills that no one told you were coming, but hey—why would they tell the teachers?! It’s not like we need to plan around that stuff. It’s fine. Everything is fine.
12. The incredibly insightful comment your student contributed to the class discussion. You’ll be riding high on that bad boy for weeks!
13. The faculty room Keurig. And coffee in general. Caffeine is one of the biggest unsung school heroes.
14. That sawdust stuff the building and grounds angels throw on fresh vomit. It helps with the smell and keeps us all from stepping in it.
15. Restock day for the soda pop machine. Weeee!
16. Two words: snow day. The happiest days of the year.
17. When the stars align and not one teacher is absent. Therefore, you do not forfeit your planning period, you are not forced into hall duty, you assume no extra responsibilities. This is even better when it happens on a Friday.
18. When the faculty meeting turns into an email. Here’s to hoping this becomes a trend!
19. Pressing play on a video that will take up the whole class period so you can catch up on grading. Your students think they’re getting a treat, but you’re the one winning because now you don’t have to take that pile home.
20. When you see that student’s name on the absentee bulletin. We care about all our students, but sometimes we need a break.
21. When you call a parent and their voicemail picks up. Jackpot.
Be it a random item, perfect timing, or physical proximity to a potty, these unsung heroes are rarely touted as assets to a school day, but teachers know better.
Come connect with other educators who understand the wonder of these unsung school heroes in the #teacherlife community!
