One full year into a pandemic where teachers have worked overtime trying to provide education for all the children – more than ever they deserve Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3rd – 7th) and National Teacher Day (May 4th).

Thank you teachers… classroom teachers, virtual teachers, and home educators!

Throughout this pandemic, our children have needed you more than ever. From the classroom to the virtual classroom to the homeschooled children… regardless of where your children or grandchildren are receiving their education… whoever is responsible for that education should receive a giant “Thank you!”

Isolation, loneliness, depression, and so many other pressures have piled high on our children this year. Our children have struggled to stay involved, continue caring, and keep connected. Yet, teacher after teacher have used their best creativity to fight for our children’s attention, communicate in less-than-ideal situations, and stay positive.

If your children have been in an educational setting of any kind, teachers have taught behind masks, shields, and under the burden of keeping the children safe from an invisible virus that no one understood initially. Masks kept teachers from seeing the beautiful smiles and important facial features of their children while trying to gauge learning just like it hid the teacher’s from the students. While online, teachers performed their jobs with incredible skill as they sought to teach a child they could only see as a small window while siblings, animals, parents, and who knows what else circled around the child. Yet they kept teaching.

Homeschooling parents, grandparents, and older siblings have had it no better. Although they did not have the mask issue in most homes, coops were closed and most places who help the parent teach were either shuttered down or unavailable. Parks, museums, and other places that parents depend upon to help them provide great education for their stay-at-home children were very limited. In many homes, one or both parents either lost their job or had to work from home creating additional burdens on the family’s educational plans. In different ways, these parent-educators have faced untold burdens as well.

To all of them – Thank You!

Ways To Say “Thank You!” During Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day

Let me encourage you strongly to participate in Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day. If you are a homeschooling parent’s spouse, please have your children participate as well. For all of us, we have no idea what a simple expression of thanks may do for our children’s teachers this year.

If you sometimes struggle with ideas, here are three thorough lists of ideas:

List One – a Simple Legacy List

In four broad categories, here are some ideas to shower them with love:

  • Letters – Have your child write and deliver a letter to their teacher
  • Gift Cards – Send your teacher a gift card for food or classroom supplies
  • Food – Find out how you can provide breakfast, lunch, or snacks by contacting the front office of the school
  • Video – Record a video of your child saying thank you to their teacher and email it to them

List Two – with Details and Links/Videos from Waterford.org

This list duplicated below with links is from Waterford.org.

1. Have your child write and mail a letter to their teacher. This can be an especially heartfelt gesture if the teacher taught your child how to write this year.

2. Fill out this Thank You, Teacher printout as a handmade gift that shows teachers how they’ve made a difference this year.

3. Send your teacher a gift card for food or classroom supplies.

4. Send an e-card that’s sure to brighten your teacher’s day.

5. Teacher Appreciation Week is a time to recognize school staff and administration, too. Reach out to your school’s principal, secretaries, and support staff to let them know how much you care.

6. Make a poster for your teacher with thank-you notes on it and mail it or take a picture to share.

7. Ask your teacher what their favorite treat is and mail or drop it off for them to enjoy.

8. If you can coordinate it, put together a classroom thank-you book with notes from every student who can participate.

9. Put together this cute and crafty  “chill pills” gift, a jar full of small candy for your child’s teacher to enjoy when they’re feeling stressed.

10. During Teacher Appreciation Week, use the social media hashtag #ThankATeacher from the National PTA and share how educators have brightened your or your child’s life.

11. For a silly gift that is sure to make a teacher laugh, make and give them this stress relief present.

12. Decorate your teacher’s door with messages of support if you have permission from your school administrators.

13. Make and send a simple classroom decoration for your child’s teacher to hang up next year.

14. Record a video of your child saying thank you to their teacher and email it to them.

15. Fold and send a woven heart, which is a Scandinavian craft filled with candy that’s meant to be shared during any holiday.

16. Write an email to your child’s teacher expressing your gratitude as a caregiver for all they’ve done this year.

17. Plant a tree in honor of your teacher through the Arbor Day Foundation, The Trees Remember, or in your local community.

18. Coordinate with other parents on a bigger gift for your teacher.

19. Start an online fundraiser to raise money for classroom supplies your teacher will need for next year.

20. If you have a teacher who loves the color pink, this gift idea could make their day.

21. Print and share this word cloud poster for your teacher to hang up in their classroom.

22. Create a few bookends that your teacher can use to keep their classroom library looking stylish.

23. Have your child write a poem for their teacher on what they’ve learned this year and why they’re thankful to be in their teacher’s class.

24. Make or coordinate on a gift basket for your child’s teacher filled with goodies for them to enjoy.

25. Send flowers for a gift that’s sure to brighten their day.

26. Wear red on National Teacher Day (May 4, 2021) and share that you’re wearing red to support teachers using the hashtag #RedForED.

27. Call into a radio talk show and tell the host why you’re grateful for the teachers in your life.

28. Make a shirt with this iron-on Super Teacher design and send it to your child’s teacher to remind them of how much of a hero they are.

29. Donate books for your teacher’s classroom library next year.

30. Give your teacher something to help them practice a little self-care, like a journal or a nice-smelling candle.

31. Have your child draw a picture for their teacher and either send it to them directly or take a picture so you can email it.

32. If you are still distance learning, take a picture of your child learning from home and send it to their teacher.

33. Put together a bookmark that your teacher can use during chapter book read-alouds.

34. Make a DIY lanyard with your school colors for a homemade practical gift.

35. Ask your child what their favorite thing they learned this year is and have them write or email it to their teacher.

36. This flower bulb craft (included near the middle of this article from PTO Today) is a thoughtful, spring-themed gift for teachers who like to garden.

37. Share this video from Edutopia with your teacher that commemorates just how much teachers have done for their students over the past year.

38. If you’ve got time to bake, this Thank You apple cookie can make for a great treat to share.

39. For a thank-you gift that also gives teachers helpful school supplies, make this craft to remind them they’re a “cut above the rest.”

40. These knit teacher gifts can be especially thoughtful if you have a knack for crafting.

41. If you have a mason jar at home, use it to make a gift full of treats and thank-you messages.

42. Put together this gift box, which you can then fill with treats or school supplies.

43. Ask your teacher if they have a favorite morning drink, like tea or coffee, and bring it to them so they have something delicious to start their day with.

44. Put together a quick and easy keychain that your teacher can use to add a little flair to their keys.

45. If you are giving your teacher a gift card, pair it with this homemade gift card holder that has a sweet message.

46. This coloring card adds a special touch to the usual thank-you cards.

47. Interview your child about why they’re thankful for their teacher and send the answers their way.

48. Decorate a clipboard that your teacher can use to organize their papers with a splash of color.

49. For teachers who love to decorate, this personalized door hanger can mean a lot.

50. Gift them a small plant with this sweet message sharing how much your child has grown in class this year.

51. Put together a collage of all your child’s classmates to show that you are all thinking of their teacher, whether you are able to meet in school or not.

List Three – a Resource List from PTOToday.com

This list duplicated below with links is from PTOToday.com.

Next, the Budget (or Not)

Some groups have a line item on the budget for teacher appreciation expenses. But many don’t have any extra funds for it. No worries—teacher appreciation lends itself to homemade gifts and acts of kindness that have no cost but a person’s time.

Get Creative

Teacher appreciation is a time to let your artistic side shine. For those who need some help motivating that inner creative genius, we have you covered.

Go Big

If you have the time and money for a larger effort, impress everyone with a staff lounge makeover or a supply cake with all the supplies your teachers will need.

Last-Minute Ideas

It’s not a problem if your group hasn’t planned out its appreciation activities. Many people thrive when a deadline is looming and get great results.

Printable Forms: Organizing Your Teacher Appreciation Activities

Our free, customizable files can help you request volunteers, promote your event, and show teachers you care.

Appreciation Poems

Consider providing teachers with sweet poems that express how special they are.

Fun Gift Tags and Labels

Download and customize our free gift tags and attach them to small gifts to give teachers a virtual hug and a chuckle.

For a complete list of all our downloadables, including even more gift tags for erasers, scissors, iced tea, and more, check out the Teacher Appreciation File Exchange.

Clip Art and Other Images

Bring a little something extra to cards, notes, and emails with clip art and graphic quotes.

Event Themes

Teachers really love a teacher appreciation celebration with a fun theme. Plus, having a theme helps organizers because it simplifies planning and purchases.

Social Media Hashtag #ThankATeacher

The National PTA has identified the hashtag #ThankATeacher as the official hashtag of the week. They have a toolkit available for parents as well.

More Than Anything Else…

The very least and for some teachers in their hearts the very most you can do as a parent, grandparent, or your children is to write a handwritten thank you note with your own personal reflections. Please don’t underestimate the power of your own spoken word – or the your children’s own words. Make sure you participate this year in Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3rd – 7th) and National Teacher Day (May 4th).

You never know what good your simple expression of thanks may do for your child’s teacher this year!

 

Image Credit Isabella and Zsa Fischer

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