In light of Teacher Appreciation Week, I’d like to take a moment to highlight one educator in particular that I know puts 110% in every day: Mrs. T. Smith.

Despite the day she’s having, she shows up with a smile on her face. She runs chorus and ensemble concerts twice a year, every year, in both the middle and high school. She gives every student a spot to shine in the way that they can. Beyond that, she’s an incredibly talented pianist and singer.

Artistic education teachers are frequently viewed as non-essential. Because music is not a core class, it doesn’t receive as much attention. Despite this, Mrs. Smith does her best to put her students in the spotlight. She features songs that she knows we’ll enjoy singing and incorporates solos and dancing into the performance in any way that she can. When performed, the concerts are always fun to participate in and fun to watch- I’ve been on both ends.

Although our concert on Sunday had a few rough spots, we got continuous thumbs-ups and smiles from our vocal conductor. She never let our errors show on her face, and no matter what, kept pushing forward. A lot of performers wouldn’t be able to do that, though with her years of experience, I’m sure it came naturally.

It’s very clear that she cares deeply about her students. During quarantine, she reached out to those who were struggling. She’s willing to hear those she teaches out and is understanding about their life outside of school. Her empathy is thoroughly appreciated and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Mrs. Smith spends hours after school every week, practicing with the ensemble, or district chorus, or making sure in one way or another that her system runs smoothly. She works behind the scenes in ways that a lot of people don’t notice or recognize. Up until the last day of school, she’s preparing for events, teaching classes, and organizing what may be next year’s chorus concert.

Not a lot of teachers go the extra mile in the way that Mrs. Smith does, and for that, she should be recognized. She more than deserves a break, but at the very least, tell her to have a good day today. Hold the door for her, or thank her for making the recent concert what it was.

Thank you, Mrs. Smith.