CHILDREN and their families have been recording videos and making messages to mark ’Thank a Teacher Day’ today.

New research reveals over eight in ten parents in the South West have developed a greater appreciation for teachers since coronavirus restrictions began – and nearly one in five admit they had rarely considered the role teachers play in society

A new survey with parents of primary and secondary school age children, released today1 and commissioned by the Get Into Teaching campaign in support of national Thank A Teacher Day2, reveals the scale of newfound appreciation for teachers up and down the country.

Over eight in 10 (84%) parents in the South West who responded to the survey agree that over the course of the coronavirus restrictions they have developed a greater appreciation for the job teachers do, and more than seven in ten (71%) agree teachers nationwide have gone “above and beyond” over this period.

Now that they have experienced homeschooling, nearly all parents in the South West agreed that being a teacher requires a lot of patience (94%), and keeping young people engaged in learning takes a lot of creativity (93%).

The Thank A Teacher campaign, run by The Teaching Awards Trust, is calling on children and their families to join forces today to thank the teachers and school staff who go above and beyond and profoundly impact their lives.

Some of the biggest challenges parents in the South West identify when supporting their child with home learning include:

59% find it hard to keep their child motivated to complete work set;

49% find it hard to keep their child engaged in the work they are doing;

33% find it hard to help their child with work they don’t understand; and

23% find it hard to come up with creative ways to make subjects interesting.

Steve Munby, chair of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: ’We have always known the incredible lengths that teachers and other school staff go to for their students, and these results show how much parents have grown to appreciate this work.

’This annual campaign is our opportunity to thank the incredible teachers, lecturers and other staff who keep our schools running, who inspire wonder on a daily basis, and who do everything in their power to give our young people the best possible education, whatever the circumstances.’

Using the hashtags #HowWillYouSayThankYou and #ThankATeacher, pupils and their families are being asked to come up with their own creative messages of thanks to celebrate their teachers and wider school staff, for example by singing songs, reading poems and recording video clips.

An inspirational teacher makes all the difference. Find out how to share your appreciation for a teacher you know by visiting: www.thankateacher.co.uk