Teacher appreciation week is a time to honor all the work teachers do for students and the school. During this week teachers receive their appreciation from students, faculty, and parents. Some things that you can do for teacher appreciation week are give gifts like gift cards, flowers, or a special gift. Another thing you can do is decorate their classroom. You can also make them a hand written note or craft. All are great ways to appreciate your teacher.

This week Osbourn’s faculty has done a lot of things to appreciate the teachers. On Monday, donuts were given out. On Tuesday, An ice cream social was hosted. On Wednesday, lunch was hosted. Teachers got pizza and salad. On Thursday, Positive Change Ambassadors dressed teachers doors with messages from their students. Teachers also got a Nathan’s Ice Cream card for a bonus treat. On Friday they had a snack cart with a variety of snacks.

A career in teaching offers the chance to make a positive impact on students lives. Teaching is a profession that allows individuals to turn passion into purpose. “My favorite part about being a teacher is building relationships with kids and engaging with them,” said PJ Zenewicz an honors pyschology teacher.

Teaching isn’t just a job, it’s a calling, a occupation that holds the power to shape a brighter future for all. ” I became a teacher because It was a way to see positive outcomes for kids. I used to be a social worker so I only dealt with hurt kids, after that I decided it was time to switch roles to see more positive things,” said  USVA history teacher Shelly Zenewicz.

One of the reasons for becoming a teacher is to contribute to your community in a meaningful way. ” I became a teacher because I wanted to give back to the community that helped educate me. I am a Manassas local, I went to Osbourn Park. I really just wanted to come back to connect with students and give them a sense of belonging,” said Dagmawi Mamo, a biology teacher.

“I started teaching because my wife was a teacher in Africa so it was in my nature,” said Saul Badjie.

Others had people who influenced them to become teachers. ” I became a teacher because my mom was a teacher and she inspired me. I also had this philosophy professor at Newport that was excellent. He never would give an A on a paper because he said no papers are perfect. He also said that it was okay if it was not perfect because life itself isn’t perfect and that really stuck with me,” said Mr. Zenewicz.

“The person that inspired me to become a teacher is a teacher at Osbourn Park. She didn’t teach me but she made such a big impact on my life. She inspired me to get into community service and engage with the community. She has a lot of responsibility for shaping me into the person I am today,” said Mr Mamo.

Teachers dont just have to work at schools. Teachers can be anyone who teaches a lesson that sticks with you forever. ” I think that everyone can be a teacher, not just so-called teachers. My favorite author is Kurt Vonnegut, he was never a teacher but I’ve learned a lot from his books,” said Mr. Zenewicz. “President Obama and JFK have also inspired me to be a teacher,” said Mr. Badije.

Teachers have a lot of impact on students’ lives. “My favorite teacher throughout my middle school years was Ms. Hannesdottir, she was there for me through rough times in my life. She always helped me whenever I needed it. She was the person I always went to whenever I was feeling down and her advice is always in my heart and mind. I will never forget all her help even if she wasn’t my teacher. She was also my soccer coach. She taught me to be better and to never give up. She made a great impact on me with all her advice and love that she showed towards me,” said freshman Claudia Flores.

“My favorite teacher is Mr. Kaercher because not only does he teach his students physics, he guides them and advises them about real-life situations. He’s always there to support you and make you laugh. I respect how humble he is and I know he knows he is one incredibly smart individual,” said senior Stephanie Cruz-Garcia.

Teachers at Osbourn High School are really appreciated because they put a lot of time and effort into making sure that the students succeed.

Appreciating a teacher can be because of many things it could be how they teach “I appreciate Mr. K. because he is the nicest and he teaches well,” said Gabriella Reyes.

Teachers also help us so many students have so many things going on outside of school and maybe they don’t have the energy to get the work done or they have things going on in their lives that they need people to care about to check on them. I appreciate Mrs. Pogue she is so nice and motherly she always checks in on you and asks how your day is and is really caring,”  said Derek Bolo.

Teachers can also be people who make you seem like equals and give you advice and understand some of the things that you may be going through “I appreciate Ms. Snively she is very helpful and understanding and she gives good advice,” said Amiya Marshall. They help you out when you are stuck on something and they try their best to get you what you need “I appreciate Mr. Liddle he helps me with my homework and he is nice,”  said Sarah Reyes.

Teacher appreciation is not always vocalized but students do really appreciate their teachers. They may not always say it but teachers really are the glue that holds this school together “I appreciate Mr. Edwards because he is nice and lets us hang out in his class when we are able to,” said Neyci Rubi Hernandez

Sometimes students are really lucky if they appreciate a teacher and they get that teacher more than once “I had Mr. Whitley last year as well as my leadership teacher but this year he was my world history 2 teacher,” said Rosalyn Rivera Borjateachers are patient and understanding. They also create spaces that make students feel safe so that they can feel free and talk and listen “I appreciate Mr. Whitley because he is an amazing teacher he is very patient with our class and he teaches very well,” said Rosalyn Rivera Borja.