A teacher’s job has always involved at least double duty. They’re coaches, mentors and advocates.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. We may not have a lot of prepared good wishes for those in the profession, but this is as good a time as any to start pondering production.

Unless you have a teacher in your family or close friends in the profession, you probably don’t hear about the work that often needs to be done. But good teachers provide much more than a good education for our children.

Those selfless acts happen regularly, yet the profession is often maligned. When teachers strike, protest for higher wages, or even have the temerity to complain about their situation, naysayers come out of the woodwork.

It’s almost impossible to find an individual whose life wasn’t influenced dramatically at some time by a teacher. That teacher who recognized a hidden talent and steered that individual toward a field of study or a profession. Or, perhaps you were struggling with a subject in school and that teacher took the extra time to help you understand.

Even better, maybe you had a teacher that shaped your outlook on life, helped you set priorities to become a better person, a productive member of society.

We realize their importance in our society. We understand they are frequently underpaid. We know that the most brilliant scientists, the best doctors and lawyers all learned their crafts from others — teachers.