There is an official day for everything.
A quick internet search will lead curious minds through what each day on the yearly calendar is known for. This particular opinion piece is being written on “National Prime Rib Day,” which doesn’t have to share April 27 with other such remarkable occasions.
April 30, for example, is split three ways recognizing “National Honesty Day,” “National Raisin Day” and “International Jazz Day.”
While it may be comical to poke fun at the seemingly random days on the calendar, there are two days back to back on May 5-6, that deserve a special tip of the cap in 2020.
The first is “National Teachers Day” on May 5.
Being an educator is no easy task in the best of circumstances, and the 2019-20 school year has been anything but. Teachers and administrators were thrust into a whole new world at the end of March when the state closed all public schools through May 15 – an order that was later extended to keep schools closed through the end of the academic year.
With little experience delivering educational materials to students and parents via online means, teachers were forced to figure out a way to continue doing their job without actually getting to interact with students. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on student achievement have yet to be seen, but the end result will not reflect a lack of effort by educators.
One day after saluting teachers, “National Nurses Day” is on the calendar for May 6.
With a global pandemic unfolding for the past three months, doctors, nurses and other essential healthcare workers have emerged as leaders not only in their field but leaders in the communities they serve.
Nurses are on the front lines not only fighting COVID-19, but also treating patients that have other serious illnesses. It hasn’t been easy dealing professionally with life during COVID-19, but nurses have handled it with grace.
It may be a coincidence that “National Teachers Day” and “National Nurses Day” fall consecutively on the calendar, but in 2020 we all should pay a little extra attention to two vital professions and say a collective thank you.