Obama surprised teachers with a video call for Teacher Appreciation Week. Our hearts are full.

In the wake of the ongoing pandemic, teachers have taken to online platforms to execute their classes. This isn't always easy, because several students won't have access to devices or even a hot meal every single day. In order to acknowledge the tough but important work teachers across the United States do every single day, former President Barack Obama held a surprise video call with some of Chicago's school teachers to thank them for all their effort and dedication. The video calls were held to mark National Teacher Appreciation Week, The Huffington Post reports.

Obama posted clips of some of the video calls in a video compilation to Twitter. He wrote, "There’s no limit to the devotion I’ve seen in teachers like these Chicago Public Schools educators. Their dedication shapes the best parts of who we become. I couldn’t be more thankful for their work, especially as they shift lessons online to keep students on track during this crisis." In the video, teachers explained the challenges they faced when shifting from school campuses to remote lessons and what inspired them to become teachers. The former President also took a few moments to thank them personally for everything that they do for the students of Chicago.

At the very end, there was even a sweet exchange where a teacher asked if Obama had been watching the Michael Jordan-Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance. He confirmed that he was indeed watching the documentary, which includes a cheeky reference to the former President. "When I go on Google Classroom and tell the kids that I talked to President Obama," one teacher said, "They're gonna be so happy." However, all of America was able to join in on the happiness when they watched the video. Several people weighed in by responding to his tweet. One Twitter user wrote, "Thank you for recognizing the power of education, Mr. President. I’m proud to call you and first lady Michelle Obama my role models." Another posted, "This is what leadership looks like. [He's] a POTUS that shows [us] what America should be."

National Teachers Appreciation Week runs from May 4 to May 8 every single year. It was established as a way to recognize all the immense work and impact that teachers across the country are responsible for. This year has been an especially crucial time to acknowledge their dedication. The National Parent Teacher Association writes on their website, "It's in these challenging times that we truly recognize and appreciate how our nation’s educators play such a pivotal role in our children’s lives—inspiring a lifelong love of learning and discovery and making a difference in their well-being and long-term success."

If there's a teacher you owe a major career decision to or want to appreciate, now's the time to do it! The National PTA encourages children to use this week to email heartfelt letters, cards, and messages of appreciation or create artwork, poems, and video messages to celebrate their teachers. This year's National Teachers Appreciation Week may have just come to a close, but our nation's teachers can use a little bit of appreciation any day of the year.