VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Brookwood Elementary School in Virginia Beach returns to class on August 28. First-grade teacher Suzanne Pedigo is already preparing her classroom.
"I've always wanted to be a teacher since I was a kid," she said.
Pedigo grabbed decorations from a top shelf, organized her calendar, and made a mental list of what to get done before kids step back into her classroom.
"I grew up here in Virginia Beach, and I had a great school experience through Virginia Beach schools, and I feel like all children should have that same experience, and I want to give that to them."
It's no secret that teaching is not easy.
"We have our moments, but I truly do like to be here," Pedigo said.
Teacher retention is a hot topic in our country today. Teachers claim they are leaving the position for a slew of reasons, including mental health, fear, and lack of support.
"I still feel like it's a respectable profession, regardless of politics or money. It's something that I enjoy doing," she explained.
Pedigo said she does this job for the children and her love of teaching, but the lack of support can sometimes be draining.
"Everyone, I think, no matter what career you're in, wants to feel appreciated," she smiled.
Teacher appreciation is something members of Grace Bible Church take seriously.
"Everyone knows churches for what they're against, and we really want to be known for what we're for," Melanie Lee, the executive director of local outreach, said. Lee said Grace Bible Church has three locations in Norfolk, Lynnhaven, and Strawbridge and aims to show how they are "For the 757."
When they say they are "For the 757," it goes deeper than a simple community outreach project.
"We are for our schools, we are for families, we are for recovery, we are for racial unity," Lee explained.
Grace Bible Church supports local schools in many different ways. They send food, volunteers, funds, and encouragement; the list is long. However, they get even more specific and choose to be for the teachers.
During the pandemic, the church came up with its "Adopt a Teacher" initiative, which has blossomed. The church will team up with local schools in the area and ask for teachers' names that want support throughout the school year; they will then hand those names out to people that want to "adopt" a teacher and give them some encouragement throughout the year.
"We just encourage them to send notes, maybe sweets, a sweet email monthly, but just something monthly to support them and let them know someone's thinking about them," Lee said.
Pedigo experienced this encouragement. She said she did not attend Grace and was shocked by the love.
"We're thinking of you, you're in our thoughts and prayers, we appreciate you," she listed some of the letters she's received. "Someone is taking their time, their personal time to sit down and to write something for you."
Some will take it further than a note. Lee told 13News Now about one person who helped a class start its gardening project. Another woman was giving up on her profession and received a kind gesture when she needed it most.
"The impact is tremendous. These are people who are not our colleagues. They are not in education," Pedigo added.
You can Adopt a Teacher and do as little or as much as you want and still make an impact.
"We don't have to know them. But we know they have an impact and a direct influence on the next generation, so we want to love on them. That way, they can feel someone supporting them," Lee said.
We all know how much teachers go through, made even more evident during the pandemic. One thing Lee said that stuck with our crew was, "What we know about schools is that every single social issue that exists in our world today, from homelessness to food insecurity, to family instability, I mean, you name it, can be found in one place, and that's a school."
Lee is a former school administrator and knows this struggle first-hand.
"I would say looking back at my time, I can see opportunities I missed in taking care of staff or teachers," she said. Lee went on to say how important it is to ensure these frontline workers with our children are not forgotten.
"Sometimes it's a thankless job. Students don't come running into your classroom saying thank you so much for all of the planning you did prior to today," she laughed, shaking her head. "Who's there to support teachers? That's what we want to do."
A simple note could help encourage an entire classroom like Pedigo's.
"It's a reminder of somebody else that's looking out for us, and that's thinking of us," she said.
If you think it's just for the teachers, Pedigo ensures it's not, and Lee knows that too: "Really what you're doing is not just supporting that teacher, you're supporting hundreds of kids in their development and learning."
Adopt a Teacher is one way they support our teachers and schools. It's a program that makes a significant impact, and no, you don't have to be a part of the church to give or receive in this program. You can get involved here if you would like to learn more about their Adopt a Teacher program.
To learn more about Grace Bible Church and its community events, you can head to their website.