The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with nearly 4000 schools participating.
It all started with a coffee delivery for the teachers at the start of the school year not long after the Daily Grind opened. I noticed teachers working extremely hard to get the school year started. Decorating the class rooms (at their own expense) and planning…planning…planning. Attempting to make the year the most impactful that they could. What really woke me up was a teacher, with trailer in tow, hand loading cases of text books and dragging them down the hall to her class. I honestly believe that most people have no idea what a teacher goes through to “teach” our kids.
I see teachers working non stop at the Grind (even on the weekends) planning their classes in an attempt to truly help our kids. With budget cuts and teacher layoffs, why do they do what they do? We all know it’s not the paycheck. I’m convinced it’s a sincere desire to really help the kids.
What can we do to show our appreciation for our teachers? After all, a good teacher teaches….A GREAT TEACHER sparks a life long desire to seek knowledge and change the world for the better. One thing I have learned is that showing sincere appreciation for what one does causes them to excel. Truly appreciating a teacher ….makes a GREAT Teacher!
We decided to provide a “healthy lunch” at the lowest possible price, while at the same time reaching out to the community to find partners to reward our teachers for what they do! Our desire is that appreciation from the community would encourage our teachers to be GREAT!
Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in three foreign countries.