A look at the geography of Ukraine and what the country was like prior to the Russian invasion. Hopefully things will return to a semblance of normalcy in as short of time as possible.

Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated in the first full week of May, from May 1 through May 8 in 2022, and is when teachers get the extra credit they deserve. The big day is Teacher Appreciation Day on May 5, but teachers are just so great that they get a whole week to savor our appreciation. Whether you have a teacher, know a teacher, or are a teacher, there are endless ways to give a little extra support to teachers and teachers organizations. Teaching is known to be a time-consuming and challenging profession, so this week is our chance to say thank you to those that play or have played such a huge role in our lives. Who doesn’t have a fond memory of a teacher who inspired us in some way?

Teaching is one of the oldest professions – in 561BC, the first private teacher in history was one of the most learned men of all time, Confucius. In Ancient Greece, there was huge value placed on educating children, and in the 1600s the Pilgrims also placed a similar emphasis on the practice.

By the 19th century, politicians began to believe that education was needed for political order, and elementary through college education was widespread and public, and the need for teachers has been growing ever since!

Secretary — Secretary Cardona, thank you. And — and I want to thank Jill. Jill is the nation’s first First Lady to work full time as a professor — as a teacher. She taught high school and she teaches at a community college for a long time now.

We made a deal that — she was so — teaching is not what Jill does, it’s who she is, like most of you — who you are, what you believe. And so when we got elected — the presidency and as Vice President, as well — I suggested and she agreed fully that she should continue to teach. And people said, “What?” (Laughter.)

Well, she teaches 14 credits a semester at community college full time, and she does her job.

Anne Applebaum is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian. Her latest article, "There Is No Liberal World Order," argues that unless democracies defend themselves together, the forces of autocracy will destroy them. She joins Michel Martin to discuss this existential struggle.