"Thanks for all that you do," they say. Whether it be Teacher Appreciation Week or just a general note to the staff.
"Thanks for all that you do."
It is something that it said generically, to a group, without individual thought. No specifics.
I am lumped in with the inexperienced, the inferior, the master, the creative, the gossip, the professional, the first-year, the soon-to-be-retired, and all the rest.
I am given the same accolades as them all, in spite of what I achieved, in spite of what I failed. Everyone gets the same note: "Thanks for all that you do."
We would do better to give thought to our comments and compliments, to personalize our praise. Just as we are expected to give constructive feedback for our students, we should demand the same from our peers and administrators. Constructive. Feedback.
Instead of a generic message that means very little to me, give me something that will help me. Give me some compliment that tells me what I did right.