Prayers for Teacher Appreciation Week
Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated in U.S. schools, May 8-12. Quoting Catherine McAuley, we ask for God’s blessing upon our schools’ faculty: “May He bless and protect you, and make you the instrument of His glory!”
Prayers
From Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan
Almighty God, We come to you today and give thanks for all our teachers. Thank you for the way in which they give of themselves each day in the classroom, serving and instructing the next generation of this land. We thank you for them all now. God, please fill their hearts with courage now by your mighty Spirit. Fill them with your strength, so they may rise to every challenge and not grow weary. Fill them with your wisdom, so that they may be able to make good judgment when guiding and helping others. Fill them with your peace, so that when stress and anxiety comes it would not overwhelm them. Fill them with your joy, so that the passion they have for their subject may become an infectious passion that spreads.
From National Catholic Educational Association
God of Love, Thank you for every teacher who notices a child’s special gift. Thank you for teachers who are listeners and gentle guides. Thank you for teachers who expect much and love enough to demand more. Thank you for the special teacher each one of us remembers.
God of Mercy, Sustain teachers who give everything they have. Strengthen teachers who assume the blame for so many problems beyond their control. Help exhausted teachers rest.
God of Strength, Encourage teacher to care and inspire them to nourish. Motivate teachers to keep on learning for the fun of it and to make learning enjoyable for children.
We wonder at teachers who know how to quiet a class of five-year-olds or help fourth-graders be empathetic. We admire teachers who enjoy middle school writers, or teach physics or math of history. Bless the people who are expected to accomplish these miracles and who know how to comfort children when miracles don’t happen.
God of Justice, help and support teachers in their special calling, wherever they teach and whatever obstacles they must face. We pray these things in the name of our great teacher, Jesus Christ. Amen.
