Thank a teacher (excerpts from CRTA Area XI Communications Agenda)

It’s rare to find someone who hasn’t had at least one teacher who has made an impact on his or her life. We are fortunate to live in a society which produces so many men and women who are willing to spend their careers in a generally underpaid profession, constantly striving to meet often overblown expectations, all too often in working conditions that are, to put it mildly, hardy ideal. For the best teachers, the reward isn’t the salary but the gratification of opening young minds to the world around them, providing them with life skills they need to succeed.

It would seem that after retiring, teachers would enjoy their well-earned retirement pursuing their own interests and hobbies. But apparently the lifelong habit of giving doesn’t stop after the career ends. Retired teachers are among our most active volunteers, donating time and effort for many causes in their communities.

When the President called on Americans to give more of themselves in service to others and to donate up to 4,000 hours to community services, the California Retired Teachers Association conducted an informal survey of their members and found hundreds who had already met that milestone and more! Overall, California Retired Teachers Association, representing more than 50,000 retired educators, tallied up 2.3 million volunteer hours for the year. The value of those volunteer hours totals more than $30 million. This is gift to the people of California.

November 6-12 is California Retired Teachers Week, set aside to recognize these volunteers for their extraordinary efforts. CRTA also wants to make the week a time to energize others to make similar commitments of their time to local causes. These retired teachers still have some lessons for us.

You can say “thank you” to the teacher who inspired you by phoning or writing a letter to express your appreciation for the impact made on your life.

CRTA urges us all to “Make the Time to Make a Difference.”