May 2-8 is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives.

Teachers are true heroes in our communities, who through their dedication to children, work millions of small miracles every day.

Not only are teachers the backbone of our nation’s education system, they are a guiding force in helping our children develop into healthy, happy, and successful adults.

It’s not always easy to do. In today’s changing society, children come from a variety of backgrounds. Teachers each day work to find ways to capitalize on this diversity.

It seems most all of us remember a favorite teacher. Whether it’s the first one we had who exhibited a great deal of patience and fostered a love of learning, or one later on who taught an important lesson or concept that’s carried through the rest of our lives. There are few people who have as much influence on our lives as teachers.

Please take some time this week to reflect on all that teachers do every day, and designate this week in appreciation and celebration of their service. If you’ve got children in school, take a minute to thank their teachers, or better yet, ask your children to write a note telling their teachers that they appreciate what they do. If there’s a favorite teacher in your past, consider writing to him or her and tell how they’ve influenced you. There’s nothing more rewarding to teachers than to learn that years later, they have made a difference.

Take the time to thank a teacher today.