Fatuma Hussein is the executive director of the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine.

Dear Teachers,

I want to express my deepest gratitude to our teachers. Your sacrifice and dedication to the well-being of the world often sets the very foundation we all sit on as a community, state and nation.

Many times, we forget those who have sacrificed and given us so much to be who we are today. Teachers are the first in line to help shape, mold and ground us into responsible community members.

In fact, one can argue that during the day from pre-K to 12th grade, our children spend more time with teachers and educators than parents at home. Indeed, as they graduate from high school as grownups, they take a big leap into their next journey in life.

As the pandemic continues into its second wave — and possibly into the new year — we need to reflect on how important our frontline workers, such as teachers, are healing America and Maine one student at a time.

Our teachers have continued to educate and support our children both in and out of the classroom.

Not only have they found ways to teach and engage their classrooms either in COVID-19 safe in-person teaching or via remote teaching, but they also support their students through the challenging transition.

Despite the high risks for themselves and their loved ones, teachers have continued to show up every day for their students, and I couldn’t be more thankful

As someone who has several children coping with their new reality, I’m incredibly grateful for the protection and care they provide my children and other students each day.

Teachers are the first in line to help our children, they are creative, patient, humbled and often go above and beyond to help students.

I remember how formative my teachers were in my early years, so I can only imagine how today’s young students will look back and remember their classroom experiences. I hope they’ll look back on these moments and remember how their teachers empowered them to continue learning by providing their students with important tools and information to keep growing as students and individuals.

As some of our most important frontline workers, teachers deserve more than a pat on the back and a “thank you.”

They deserve daily care, compassion, and appreciation from not only families but from all community members invested in getting through this pandemic safely and healthily.

And, as we wrap one of the hardest years in modern history, we need to continue supporting each other.

This year has been unprecedented, and there has been no blueprint nor direction to follow. It’s challenging moments like this that make us resilient and caring to build stronger communities across Maine. From our community to our families, we need to support one another by being forgiving and compassionate.

Again, many thanks to teachers across Maine and our country.

We are here for you.

We will always support you.

We will always believe in you.

Fatuma Hussein of Lewiston is the executive director of the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine. The center was founded in 2001 to support refugee and immigrant communities by offering culturally and linguistically sensitive services to promote a healthy and equitable Maine. ​