Happy Mother's Day - #100DayProject - Day 038

Image Source: TattooFab

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there. And Happy Mother's Day to all the teachers out there as well. Wait, why all the teachers out there? Not all teachers are Mothers and in fact, some teachers are guys, so how does that work? Allow me to explain something. How many of you, men and women educators, have ever been called Mom? I'm sure most of you have, even the guys. I know I have been called Mom many times, but also Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, etc.

Why do kids call teachers other things besides teachers and especially titles of loved ones? Think for a minute, how long do you spend with your students during the day? Elementary teachers spend more hours with the same kids, but even secondary teachers are with students many hours each day. In fact, sometimes, kids see us more in a day than they see their own parents. Let that idea sink in for a minute, some kids spend more time with their school teachers each day then they spend with their own parents. That is a sad but alarmingly true statement. So why do our students sometimes call us titles of their loved ones, because they see us in that role, even if it's only subliminally.

I challenge all of us educators, myself included, to remember that tomorrow and each day the rest of this school year and into next year and beyond. Sometimes we are the only caring adult that kids see during the day, so let's be a great example of what a kind, loving, supportive, and helpful adult can be. Let's remember what the great Kayla Delzer always says, "Relationships first, everything else second!"