Summer has fallen, Autumn is here: Harvest, a natural time for Thanks-giving. Appreciation for what we have, with care to make sure that we make it thru the Winter.

            It’s been a fine time of year since 1921 for the nation to take stock of public education and to give appreciation where it is due--namely to everyone including you and me who make it happen and keep it going. So American Education Week was born, and someplace along the line it was pretty much forgotten. Maybe it was because “Teachers” week in May became accepted. School means classroom teachers: that’s pretty much it, right?

            Well we can actually give thanks to many people, as you can see in this issue, in the long list of essential contributors (my dad was a good school custodian) in the City of Seattle proclamation of Public Education Week.  Prominent among them, substitute education employees are getting our “props”, too!

            I say often that if ‘subs’ want more respect, we need to give it to ourselves: in what we call what we do, and by sometimes rolling out our own red carpet and beating our own drums. This fall, when our fellow educators are so busy, in fact many are stressed, is no exception. Fact is, they can use OUR help, to take a moment to give and receive- well, THANKS.

            Thankfully, the revival of American Education Week (AEW) makes many ways to celebrate education/educators easy to do. Each year since 2003 when Substitute Educators Day was added to AEW, more and more schools, districts and municipalities are using the resources available at www.nea.org/aew to thank everybody dedicating themselves to raising up our student learners. (Info is on Sub-Port of course, too. And if you don’t have a computer, SEA will mail you a packet.)

            I’ll model this by a beat on my own drum, and our union’s. 5 years ago a twinkle came to my squinted eye. “We’ll never get anywhere until people recognize what we do as crucial”, I said to myself, “like relief pitchers, or special forces for that matter! So, what is the opposite of being ignored?”  And I went to the representative assemblies of my union. First SEA, then WEA, then NEA (10,000 reps: whoa!).

            I was reminded from the beginning, “You know substitute teachers aren’t the only substitutes, Rick!”  Substitute EDUCATORS Day took shape, and found a home in American Education Week, on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

            If we expect a parade that day or that week, we will have to pick up an instrument and play. And if you expect to attend and enjoy our annual Substitute Educators Celebration Salmon Dinner Nov. 15, come prepared to tell your table what you played or tried to play to raise the level of education/educator appreciation leading up to and/or during AEW.

            We can encourage OTHERS, for instance. Take a fresh look at the schools you go to: in what ways could you surprise and thank school secretaries, paraprofessionals, or custodians, or parents- the First Educators- before and during AEW? Could you gently help a struggling teacher or whole school get up-to-speed on the Best Practice For Substitute Teachers (Appendix N in the cert contract, available to copy on-line at SEA, in CD form and at all school offices)?

            American Education Week provides a 5 day recognition opportunity for substitutes AND for everybody they substitute FOR.  What if we at least sought our and helped EACH OTHER each day leading up to Substitute Educators Day? Here’s what some of YOU have said. 

“I’d just like a special Hello or Thank You! Often everybody’s so busy with their own little thing, so I feel invisible on arrival and departure, and left out at lunch.”

“If I could have my choice, I’d have the teachers spend the time to prepare for me to do my job in the classroom.  For instance, I don’t think they realize how important updated seating charts are, so I’m able to start class by calling students by name.”

“Yes, a totally complete Substitute Folder, with roster and emergency route, and all those little procedures that are taken for granted, like drinks and pencil sharpening—and students you can trust to explain ‘the right way’ quickly.”

“I love it when I see the day’s materials, all stacked sequentially or even laid out with Post-It notes: I can see I’ve got what I need to have a Good Day.  Who needs flowers and stuff?—…of course they’re nice….”

                “Celebration Time, Come ON!”… Just pick up a horn (of cornucopia?) and toot away! ---Rick