This is National Teacher Appreciation Week, a week when we honor teachers and recognize the contributions they make. The research on teachers is clear: they’re vitally important to students’ success — in school and in life. We talked with teachers across the country about what inspires them to teach, what frustrates them, and what they advise people who are considering careers as teachers. We left these conversations even more grateful for the work that teachers are doing every day, in classrooms across the United States.

Naeemah Ricketts

Fourth Grade English Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher
Kindezi Charter School, Old Fourth Ward Campus | Atlanta, Georgia

“I grew up in housing projects in Jersey City, New Jersey. All my life, I heard people say, ‘You’re the product of your environment.’ My fourth grade PE teacher and high-school basketball coach, Tom Ferrero, helped me understand that although I had been dealt a tough hand in life, I didn’t have to become a victim of my circumstances. He made me believe that I could rise above them and come out on top. He saw something in me that I didn’t see, and I wanted to be that person for somebody else. That’s why I became a teacher. I wanted to make an impact on students’ lives and let them know that they can rise above their circumstances.”

LaToya Robinson

Fifth Grade Math Teacher
E.L. Haynes Charter School | Washington, D.C.

“I expected I would teach kids, but what I didn’t expect is how much I would learn from my students. I’ve learned a lot from these kids. I’ve seen that once I’ve formed relationships with students, they’re willing to open up and really share who they are. Even though they may be only 10 or 11 years old they have so much life, and I’m learning things from them all the time. Getting to know them for who they are is very important – and sometimes very surprising.”

Shannon Echols

Third Grade Math and Science Teacher
Kindezi Charter School, West Lake Campus | Atlanta, Georgia

“The hardest part about teaching is the work that I take home with me. There are countless hours that all teachers put in to plan classes, but there is also a psychological and emotional element of teaching that I take home every day. When my kids are upset or I know there is something going on with them at home, that goes home with me. It’s not uncommon for me to lose sleep thinking about my kids. I would say the hardest part of being a teacher is knowing my own limitations and doing the best that I can with the time I have with them.”

Aaron Goodson

Middle School Performing Arts Teacher
Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, Middle Campus | Atlanta, Georgia

“I was fortunate this year to have some of my former students who are now in college or high school come back just to visit and remember the times when they were my students. It was very powerful. More than any accolade or award I could receive is the knowledge that I’ve done something that might have helped a student in their life.”