42 Little Things Teachers Do that Make a Big Difference

When we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week last year, we had no idea what twists and turns were in store for teachers and students. 

Whether it was making the best of remote learning, enforcing safety protocols at school or connecting with hard-to-reach students, we saw you go above and beyond in difficult circumstances.

Teachers like you are the backbone of the education system, and have impacted countless lives. But it’s not always about the big, grand gestures — it’s about all the little things teachers do that add up to something amazing. 

We want to take Teacher Appreciation Week 2021 as an opportunity to say thank you to teachers for all you do, big and small.

First, here's a video some of the teachers at Prodigy made for you:

42 Ways teachers make a difference in and out of the classroom

There are so many little things teachers do that make a big difference for their students and communities. At Prodigy, we want to say thank you for all the time you spend:

1. Laminating projects
2. Wiping glue off of tables
3. Documenting everything
4. Calming anxious parents
5. Sharpening all the pencils
6. Bandaging scraped knees
7. Listening to student stories
8. Creating classroom handouts
9. Preparing for standardized testing
10. Daily behavior reports for students
11. One on one sessions with students
12. Keeping the peace in the classroom
13. Changing out bulletin board displays
14. Doing yard duty in the worst weather
15. Zipping zippers and buttoning buttons
16. Building lessons around student interests 
17. Giving up your breaks to go the extra mile
18. Piles (and piles, and more piles) of grading
19. Fixing the copier, even when you’re in a rush
20. Constantly learning and developing new skills
21. Having silly brain breaks in the middle of class
22. Caring about students when you’re off the clock
23. Stepping up and being a role model for students
24. Labeling everything from coat hooks to craft bins
25. Sanitizing every single surface in your classroom
26. Cheering students on as they tackle difficult tasks
27. Browsing the library for books your students will love
28. Reaching ELL students and families in creative ways
29. Troubleshooting technology (especially in the past year)
30. Keeping students safe with masks and social distancing
31. Staying up late to make amazing classroom decorations
32. Counseling students and families through hard problems
33. Finding new and exciting classroom activities on Pinterest
34. Updating class websites and learning management systems
35. Differentiating for all the learning needs in a diverse classroom
36. Searching high and low for the best worksheets and resources
37. Holding impromptu parent-teacher conferences over the phone
38. Tying shoelaces — and teaching students how to do it themselves
39. Tidying the classroom (or gamifying cleaning so your students clean up for you)
40. Constantly organizing your classroom and making sure everything is in the right place
41. Attending endless meetings — parent-teacher conferences, PD days, staff meetings and more
42. Encouraging students, cheering them on and staying in touch long after they’ve left your classroom

On behalf of Prodigy, a big thank you to every teacher working tirelessly to support their students.

Thank you from Prodigy's Teachers

Inside and out, Prodigy wouldn’t be what it is today without teachers like you. 

And whether it’s filming video lessons or adding new math skills, our in-house teachers make sure Prodigy is effective for you and fun for your students. 

Here’s what they wanted to say to you:

Got a favorite teacher or a fellow educator you appreciate? Send them this blog post to say thank you for all their hard work.