On Praying for Teachers {Teacher's Appreciation Day} #FCBlogger #teachers

**A huge thank you to Family Christian for sponsoring today's post. All thoughts are my own.

Let's talk teachers...

Oh, what an important job they have. While we as parents shape our children's minds at home, we must also trust their teachers are doing the same at school. Being a mother of a special needs child, I have seen even more just how much influence a great teacher can have!

But teaching is tough. They are responsible in making sure that all of our children are learning what they have to in the classroom and coming up with fun ways to teach. They must deal with parents, be patient with students, and find new ways to encourage each student. They put so much of their own time, not to mention their own money into helping each of our children reach their full academic potential. Yes, teachers certainly deserve a lot of appreciation and celebration, which is just what we will do in just one week- May 5, National Teacher Appreciation Day!

Now, there are many great gifts that are perfect for teachers (I will even share a few at the end of this post), but aside from a fun gift I also want to encourage each of you to pray for your children's teachers! So, how exactly do we do that? Here are a few ideas:

Pray For Their Patience. Do you ever get a little overwhelmed when your little one is having a bad day? Imagine that times 20. Children can be strong willed and well, a little crazy! Teachers must keep their patience through it all. Pray that God will help them to keep their cool on those tough days!

Pray That They Connect With Your Child. Did you ever just have a teacher that you didn't connect with? When this happens, it makes school a whole lot less fun... and keeps our children from learning all that they can. Pray that your child's teacher will find a way to connect with each child so that they might help them reach their full potential.

Pray For Their Health. If you have a little one in school, you know how the germs can be spread like wildfire! And when the teacher is out sick, the classroom routine is disrupted (particularly tough on special education like my son). Pray for good health for all of the teachers.

Pray For Their Personal Lives. Let's face it, while we try to leave our personal lives at home, we are only human and it's hard not to be distracted by them, the same goes for teachers. Pray for their personal struggles (whether you know of any or not), so that they might give their full self to the classroom.

Pray For Their Words. Words can have such an impact, can't they? This is especially true for those teaching our children. Pray that the words they speak will reach our children in a positive way.

Pray For Their Peaceful Class. We've already prayed for patience when things get crazy... but it's also important to pray that there is peace in the classroom- with minimal distractions so that students may focus on learning rather than drama.

Pray For Their Strength. Again, teaching is not an easy job... especially for that of special education teachers. Sometimes it is not just mentally exhausting, but can be quite physical as well. Pray for their strength of heart, mind and body so that they might continue to teach with their full self.

And finally, Pray in Thanksgiving. When your child has a great teacher, it can change their entire world. I have seen it in my own son- how an amazing teacher (or two) took the time to get to know him and what he needed to thrive and did everything they could to see that he did. When you have a teacher like this, give thanks to God! They are truly a blessing!!

Want to remind them how thankful you are for all that they do? Family Christian has some great gifts to do just that. Check out these quick ideas for inspiration:

Teacher Journal // Teachers Desk Plaque // Teacher Sticky Note Folio //
Willow Tree: Wisdom // Teachers Are a Blessing Paperweight // Willow Tree: Thank You

Do you pray for your child's teacher? What other areas would you add to this list?