Transcript

Hey there teachers. I'm Antoine McCoy, and welcome to the Teacher Support Network podcast. This week's episode is all about the different ways teachers can feel appreciated in the classroom and their teaching practice overall. And it's a guide for anyone who loves their teachers and wants to celebrate and support them in meaningful ways.

So if you're a teacher listening right now, I see you. We see you. You are on the front lines every day, helping to encourage, support and teach valuable academic and social skills to your students. And as a fellow teacher and mentor, I know how much you give your time, your energy, your heart, and this episode is about honoring you.

And if you're a school administrator, school leader, a parent. A student or a fellow colleague looking to show real appreciation to a teacher, you're in the right place as well. 

Today we're talking about the Five Love Languages Teacher edition. So what are love languages? Well, the concept comes from Dr. Gary Chapman, who wrote the New York Times bestselling book, the Five Love Languages. 

In the book he discussed the five ways people feel most loved and here are what the five ways are: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. And yes, we're gonna look at these five ways and how they apply beautifully to teaching.

I'm gonna break down each one of them, and I wanna see which ones really kind of stand out to you and make you feel appreciated. So the first love language is words of affirmation. And if this is your teacher love language, you light up when someone takes time to affirm you and encourage you with their words.

.Just hearing just words of affirmation and hearing people say they recognize the good job that you're doing really kind of lights you up and makes you feel appreciated. And if you're a person who supports teachers, don't underestimate the power of your words.  You can write a thoughtful note, you can send a kind email. You can maybe even ask a student to share what they love about their teacher. The impact is really huge. Why does this matter? Because teachers often work a lot without a lot of feedback at times, and a kind specific positive word of encouragement can go a really long way.

The second love language is acts of service. So if this is your teacher love language, you feel supported when others jump in to help lighten your load- whether it's cutting out lamination, maybe making copies for you, helping you with dismissal or another duty and so forth.  

People who support teachers offer for your time.  Ask, “what can I take off your plate this week?” Then follow through with that request. Maybe cover a duty, bring lunch, help decorate a bulletin board. There's so many different ways to show acts of service for a teacher who has so many responsibilities. Why does this matter?  This matters because supportive actions show that a teacher's time and energy are really valued.

The third love language is gifts. So for my teachers out there, if your teacher love language is this, then small gestures that are inexpensive, like your favorite coffee drink, maybe a new set of pens or markers or another type of supply, or a favorite snack, can make your day. If you're a person who supports teachers, it's not about the price, but it's about the thought.

So a personalized gift or even a gift card with a kind message can say you matter, and it can go a long way. And it can be something to their favorite teacher store or any place that really a teacher can use to help support the students in their class and themself personally. And why does this matter?

Because this is a real tangible way to show appreciation, especially when it's personal, specific to the teacher, and helpful in their teaching practice. 

I remember in my mentoring responsibilities at the beginning of the year, I would always have teachers fill out an interest card about telling me about themself. It would ask things like what's your favorite drink? What's your favorite coffee drink, your favorite snack,  the supply that you always might need for your class and need replenishing during the year? Things like that. Then what I would do sometimes is bring a favorite drink to my teachers when I knew they were having a bad day, or randomly.   It really didn't matter. But I just wanted to show them that they were appreciated. I saw them working hard and I hope that it really helped make their day and they're week. I wanted them to know that they were seen.

So the fourth floor love language is quality time. And if your teacher love language is this, you crave and enjoy connection. These are my teachers who really enjoy connecting with others. So, a check-in from your admin, a real conversation during lunch with a colleague or a student, or just even just a quiet moment of collaboration with someone else really can help fuel your sense of belonging in your school community and make you feel seen and heard.  

People who support teachers make time to see the teacher.  Invite genuine ways to connect with them and see how they're really doing. Not just what they're doing on the outside, but how they're really doing. Check in and connect with them. That's really quality time. Why does it matter? Because teachers value being heard and respected as competent professionals and people who have lives and interests outside of the school building, not just in the classroom.  Just giving teachers quality time to share who they are really goes a long way. A

The fifth love language is physical touch when it's appropriate and handled with care. So if this is your teacher love language, you might really feel comforted by a warm handshake, a high five from a student or colleague or even a kind pat on the back. If you're somebody who supports teachers with permission and cultural awareness, physical gestures like high fives, handshakes, fist bumps can mean more than you think and especially when you're working with students, they really enjoy those things as well.  So it matters because some teachers really find connection in simple, kind, caring gestures. 

So as we wrap up this episode for my teachers out there, take a second to think which of these love languages speaks to and resonates with you the most?

So is it words of affirmation, acts of service, gifts, quality, time, physical touch, or it could be a combination of them? If you were to rank these five love languages and how you feel appreciated, what would be your top one and what would be the one that would be number five.

Anyway, let me know in the comments section on the show notes page for this episode on which one of these love languages makes you feel the most appreciated. 

And for those who are supporting our teachers, your challenge this week and going forward is this: Choose one love language and use it to make a teacher feel truly seen and appreciated this week.

So whether it's a word of affirmation, act service gives quality, time, quality, uh, physical touch choose one. And make a teacher feel appreciated this week. So you could write a thank you note, bring in a cup of coffee, or just ask, “how can I support you today?” Know that your words and actions matter, and sometimes it's not the real big things, it is those little things that stand out the most and have the greatest impact. 

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the podcast. Be sure to share this episode with a fellow educator or someone who supports teachers like yourself. And before you go, grab your free gift in a resource section on the show notes page for this episode-The Gen Ed and SpEd teachers collaborative conversations guide to really help you in your partnership with other teachers. 

Well, that's it for now. Until next time, keep teaching, keep loving and keep lifting each other up. And remember, you are appreciated. Bye for now.

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