Teaching is definitely not your average 9-to-5 job. Teachers put in long hours, arriving at school at the crack of dawn and often staying long past the ring of the dismissal bell. What’s more, for many, evenings mean grading tests, correcting homework assignments and mapping out the next day’s lessons. Not to mention any extracurricular activities they might be involved in. Couple all of this with a hectic home life, and it’s no wonder teachers need a mid-year break to recharge.

Beyond all of these duties, a number of teachers reach into their notoriously small wallets to provide extra resources to enhance their students’ classroom experience.

It is with all this in mind L’Observateur conducts its annual Teacher Appreciation program. Teachers deserve a bit of sometimes-elusive commendation, and who better to give it than the people who know them best — their peers, administrators and parents of their students.

This year as always we received a slew of worthy nominations. It seems teachers who go the extra mile are in no short supply here in the region.

In conducting the program this year, we shifted our tactics slightly from those of years past. Instead of giving a whole bunch of teachers a nominal amount that would be gone almost as soon as it hit the bank account, L’Observateur upped the ante, awarding a larger sum to just a select few. It was the thinking of the paper that by doing this, we could truly make a difference in the lives of some teachers and, by proxy, their students.

Accordingly, in choosing this year’s winners, we looked for teachers who give not only of the time but also of the hard-earned dollars to the betterment of their students. It is our hope that the prize money awarded in this year’s program will go back into the classroom.

So, while all of this year’s nominees are deserving of recognition, and many of them will probably make the winners list in the future, we had the unenviable task of choosing just four, and based on their nominations, we think we’ve made the right decisions.

Lastly, L’Observateur would just like to thank all the teachers of the River Parishes for their hard work and devotion.

And thank you for making the future a little brighter for all of us.