A few weeks ago, school communities around the state received the sad but not entirely surprising news that students and teachers would not be returning to their campuses through the end of this academic year.

During this pandemic, many parents are getting a taste of what a day in the life of a teacher is actually like. And, boy, have our eyes been opened. Walking a mile in a teacher’s shoes, parents are learning much about the challenges these educators face while trying to motivate and get children to focus and calming their fears about a virus that has upended their lives and social norms.

There’s never been more appreciation for what teachers do and have done than now.

In Southwest Louisiana, teachers are making tribute videos, home visits while respecting social distancing, and compiling creative online learning programs for their students within a short turnaround time. They’re sending emails, texts and letters and making phone calls striving to keep our children educated and comforted — all while taking care of their own families. Being kept out of their classrooms in recent weeks hasn’t halted their commitment.

Good teachers are the ultimate multitaskers — they learn through experience what works best. They teach not only academics, but also thinking skills. They teach children to learn how to figure things out on their own, solve problems and become lifelong learners.

Teachers can’t be all things to all students — but the good ones come close.

We won’t soon forget this quarantine education time and hopefully, when we re-establish a sense of normalcy, we will all commit to staying more engaged with our teachers moving forward as classes resume inside school buildings.

In the meantime, thank you.

Thank you for wearing too many hats to count — mentor, coach, counselor and listening ear.

Thank you for the countless hours of taking care of children who aren’t your own.

Thank you for answering the call to shape and mold the minds of our young people and prepare them for their futures.

Most of all, thank you for stepping up during this time of uncertainty to reassure our children and provide a sense of normalcy when so much around them is no longer so.

This editorial was written by a member of the American Press Editorial Board. Its content reflects the collaborative opinion of the Board, whose members include Crystal Stevenson, John Guidroz, Mike Jones and Jim Beam.