

Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week 2024
Talented and dedicated teachers work tirelessly to improve life and academic outcomes for students, school communities, and our country at large. Teachers — both the formal and informal — shape our lives and the lives of our children. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to our nation's most valuable asset! This year, the Throughline Learning team reflected on two prompts to organize our gratitude. We hope you'll join us by recognizing a teacher in your life!
My Teachers Taught Me...
I'm Grateful to Work with Teachers Today Because...
My teachers taught that I stand on the shoulders of giants and it is my duty to build a legacy of courage, justice, and love. They taught me to explore and expand the universe outside myself and within myself. They taught me to honor my soul and to face fear and complicity when they stand in the way of my own transformation. They taught me to care, to think, and to act from a place of recognition that we are all connected. They taught me not to turn away when harm exists, to look at the wound, and to use my values, knowledge, and skills to usher in the restorative light of justice.
I’m grateful to work with teachers today because they nurture learning communities that invite students to discover, interrogate, envision, and build the world they will lead. They support students to unburden themselves from negative mindsets and limiting beliefs. They help students build skills and knowledge with joy and justice at the center. They model lifelong learning and leadership, balancing competing priorities in service of honoring the holistic wellbeing of their kids. They love their students out loud daily and support them to navigate inequities. And they fan the flames of their power as they stand up against injustice at every level of our system - from classrooms to campuses to the capitol.
Malika Ali, Chief Innovation Officer

My teachers taught me to reflect, think critically, and leverage my strengths to support my challenge areas. School isn’t so much about the content. It is about the process of learning, tackling a task, and collaborating that will be applicable to anything I want to do in life.
In this role, I’m able to continue witnessing the love of learning firsthand. All of my school partnerships give me the opportunity to keep growing, learning, and collaborating together with other teachers. This year, I’ve enjoyed seeing teachers embrace new strategies with open minds, build multiple ways to for students to demonstrate understanding, create safe spaces for students to make friends and feel welcome, support students as people and as learners.
Heidi Vazquez, Instructional Equity Partner

My teachers taught me how to write in my voice. The best teachers I had growing up pushed my writing, which in turn pushed my thinking, my ability to analyze and advocate, and my work ethic. It’s what made me want to be an English teacher, and do the same for other people.
I’m grateful to work with teachers today because they deserve more care, support, thought partnership, and praise than they often get in this system. It’s an honor to get to pause, reflect, and dig into their practice with them side by side. I love getting to know their students through their eyes, and to see how excited they get when they have a breakthrough even after they’ve been teaching a very long time. The people I work with are the best.
Danielle Lavoie, Instructional Equity Partner

Teachers remind me to always do what you truly love. The Pre-K team at Greystone Elementary exude joy. They work tirelessly to ensure that all their learners can access core skills as they begin their student journey within the PK-12 school community.
The 8th grade Special Services department in Johnston has modeled the power of never giving up - not on yourself and most importantly, not on our students. The team knows their students on a multitude of levels; this trust and insight creates the conditions to truly realize students' highest potential and support a successful transition to high school.
I am grateful to the Chariho Alternative Learning Academy team because they couple rigorous but accessible curriculum, consistently elevated through engaging project based learning opportunities. Students feel they are designers, risk takers, and true owners of the learning process.
Michaelle Larracuente, Director of Program & Implementation

My teachers taught me:
- How to learn more on my own
- How different things we learn about make up parts of the larger systems of our society, environment, and world
- That I can learn how to do anything, even if it doesn’t click until later
- That making sense of data is as much an art as it is a science.
When I interface with teachers, I'm asking them to explore and thoughtfully reflect upon data from students, families, and educators that can sometimes feel a bit personal. I am consistently awed witnessing our teachers' openness to learning more about their students' experiences so they can make school that much more welcoming and engaging. I am grateful for their commitment to students' development as whole people and participants in our society.
Rebecca Roberts, Data Analyst

My teachers taught me to believe in myself, the importance of kindness, to never give up, and to always keep learning. Their guidance, patience, and encouragement have shaped me into the person I am today.
Though I work behind the scenes and not directly with teachers in my role, I’m grateful to work at Throughline Learning, who, together, with teachers have the opportunity to inspire a love for learning and empower students to reach their full potential. It's a privilege to be part of a team that shares a common goal of equipping students with the tools they need to succeed in school and beyond.
Cindy Kenney, Office Manager

Through coaching teachers around culturally responsive & sustaining pedogagy, I've learned the critical importance of fostering inclusive learning environments that honor and celebrate the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all students with passionate teachers. I'm grateful to work with teachers today because I have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on education, helping to shape the future by empowering educators with the tools and knowledge they need to inspire and support their students.
Stephanie Garcia, Instructional Equity Partner

My teachers taught me my voice matters. I can remember multiple opportunities to present and exhibit my work during my k-12 experience. Sharing my learning in front of audiences of peers, family and my community helped me learn that my work, my opinion and my perspective have value. I love supporting teachers to enact their most creative ideas for their classrooms. When I see student engagement and experience improve and see a teacher shine because of Throughline Learning coaching and support, I get incredibly excited!
Shawn Rubin, Executive Director

My teachers taught me…
- To revel in and appreciate the joy of learning for learning’s sake
- That motivation and interest are much more important than memorization or getting things “right” on the first try
- How to show up and help as an important member of my community
Thank you to our teachers for inspiring, empowering, inquiring, and trying new things every day. This week, and always, I'm grateful to work with teachers because they help prepare our students to engage thoughtfully and curiously with a world that's unpredictable.
Maeve Murray, Communications Manager
