To Every Teacher Who Said Yes: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week

By Andrew Signore | Brave Hearts Publishing

Teacher Appreciation Week doesn't get nearly enough fanfare.

I'm a travel ICU nurse. I work overnight shifts helping very sick people. And I can tell you, without any hesitation, that what teachers do every single day is just as hard — and in some ways, harder. They show up for 25 kids at a time, all with different needs, different reading levels, different home lives, and different reasons why today might be tough. And they do it with dry-erase markers and sheer willpower.

So before I say anything else: thank you.

To the teachers in Boise who opened their doors to me:

Over the past few months, I've had the privilege of visiting classrooms across the Treasure Valley to do read-alouds with students. I brought Charlotte and Henry, a lot of energy, and absolutely zero idea what to expect.

What I found was magic.

Kids who said they hated reading leaned in. Kids who were "too cool" for stories started asking questions. One boy in a second-grade class asked me — completely seriously — if the deep-sea creatures in the book were real and if they were scary. (They are real and aren’t scary! and his mind was blown.)

None of that happens without a teacher who trusts enough to say yes.

You didn't have to let a stranger into your classroom. You didn't have to rearrange your schedule or prep your students or sit on the floor with them to model what it looks like to be excited about a book. But you did. And I won't forget it.

Why read-alouds matter:

The research is overwhelming: reading aloud to children — even kids who can already read on their own — builds vocabulary, comprehension, and most importantly, a love of books that lasts.

When a child watches an adult get genuinely excited about a story, something clicks. Books stop being homework. They become an experience.

That's what teachers do every time they pick up a book in front of their class. They're not just teaching reading. They're teaching kids what it feels like to love reading.

What I'm asking you to do this week:

If you're a parent reading this: write your child's teacher a note. Not an email. A handwritten note. It will be kept.

If you're a teacher reading this: thank you for making it to May. You're in the final stretch. The kids are lucky to have you.

And if you're a librarian, a reading specialist, a paraprofessional, or an aide — you count too. Fully.

Charlotte and Henry was written for the kids who are right on the edge of loving reading — the ones who need just one more good story to tip them over. Every classroom visit I do is a chance to find those kids and hand them something that might just be it.

That wouldn't happen without teachers.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week.

You're the real read-aloud heroes.

— Andrew Signore Author, The Adventures of Charlotte and Henry ICU Nurse, and Proud Classroom Visitor

Want to book a free classroom read-aloud in the Treasure Valley? Reach out at andrew@braveheartspublishing.com — I'd love to come to your school.

Find the Adventures of Charlotte and Henry series, the free Teacher's Guide, and more here:

https://linktr.ee/CharlotteandHenryBooks

Big Places. Brave Hearts.

Adventures of Charlotte & Henry: The Mariana Trench

A bridge book series built for early readers ages 6–9. Real science. Real historical explorers. Real courage.

Available on Amazon and in bookstores. Search "Adventures of Charlotte and Henry" or visit BraveHeartsPublishing.com