CHANDLER, AZ — Many parents became teachers overnight during the pandemic when brick-and-mortar schools shut down to in-person learning. The quick and rapid change for parents proved to make them more aware of the job behind teaching, giving many a renewed appreciation for what educators do.
“We just want them to know how much as parents, PTO, students we appreciate everything they’ve done,” said Melissa Mundt, a parent at Weinberg Gifted Academy in the East Valley.
For months before Teacher Appreciation Week, the students, parents, and administrators at the academy were hard at work getting all the logistics planned out to surprise the staff with handmade posters, banners, capes, and shields made for the teachers they consider to be superheroes.
“Getting all of the specials, you know art, technology, and things like, we got them involved behind the scenes so we could surprise the individual teachers,” said Mundt.
The superhero shields were made in art class and the notes were made in technology class.
“Dear Mrs. Steving, how I think you are a superhero, you do super fun stuff in class and you help people when they need help, and you are the best teacher ever,” said student Yvonne Carroll.
Mundt is on the school’s Parent Teacher Organization and her kindergartener is in Mrs. King’s class.
“She is the Energizer bunny. She is fueled from sun up and sun down by Diet Coke and she loves these kids like they are her own,” adds Mundt.
The superhero theme is even more fitting this year due to all the pivoting teachers had to do due to the pandemic.
“They have gone above and beyond to make our kids comfortable. Kids aren’t used to wearing masks and sitting six feet apart and that we appreciate everything they do more than they know,” said Mundt.
