7 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week

Every year, the world gets together to celebrate the individuals who help shape our planet’s future: Teachers. Teacher Appreciation Week and various National Teacher Day‘s around the world are a time for us to #ThankATeacher and reflect on how great teachers positively impact students.

Ready for some ideas on how to thank teacher during this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week? No matter how simple or extravagant you want to be, we have a gift idea that will work for the teachers in your life. Start browsing below!

1. Gifts

The first way to celebrate your teachers is through gifts. Ideal gifts should be different for every teacher. Flowers, chocolates, jewelry and gift cards are all good basic gift ideas for teachers, but students and parents can personalize them to make these gifts more meaningful.

A good personalized gift for a teacher could be as simple as a gift card to their favorite restaurant. You could also create jewelry or something else by hand that reminds you of your time in their classroom. While purchased gifts are nice, any teacher will tell you they appreciate handmade gifts on Teacher Appreciation Day.

2. A Letter from the Students

In the spirit of handmade tokens of thanks, the second way you can thank teachers is with a letter.

Younger students can create colorful cards and older students can type up honest letters of appreciation to their teachers. Make sure to highlight a specific instance when your teacher really helped you through a problem or helped you learn a difficult concept.

Remember, some of the most important lessons teachers pass down to students aren’t academic lessons but life lessons. Don’t be afraid to really let your teachers know just how much they’ve positively impacted your life.

3.  A Letter from the Parents

Being a teacher is a difficult job. In most professions, you have to make one group happy. When you’re a teacher, you have to cater to three important groups: Students, administrators, and parents.

On top of teaching, grading and keeping students entertained, teachers also have to keep students informed, calm their fears, and address their concerns. Parents sharing their gratitude for a teacher’s never-ending efforts is a great way to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week.

4. Class  “Thank You” Book

One of the most touching gifts students can present their teachers on Teacher Appreciation Day is a class “Thank You” book. Websites like Shutterfly create great books, but handmade books will put a smile on your teacher’s face as well. This gift is the perfect place to have each student thank their teacher for teaching them something throughout the year. Here’s a great DIY instruction guide for a “Thank You” book.

5. Thanks from School Administration

It’s a big deal for students and parents to show their appreciation towards teachers. It’s also a big deal for the school administration to show their appreciation as well. Superintendents and principles should not forget to thank their teachers for all their hard work throughout the year.

School administrators can often get busy with important school affairs other than their teachers. However, Teacher Appreciation Week is the perfect time to make time to appreciate teachers throughout your school and district.

Maybe a special luncheon or announcement to the school is enough recognition for all the hard work your teachers put in throughout the year.

Another great way to thank teachers is to support an initiative they find important. We work with a lot of teachers that work hard to promote STEM learning in their classrooms and protect students from school weather hazards while they’re outside for recess

6. Classroom Supplies

Almost all teachers in public schools use their own money to purchase supplies for their classroom. A lot of the materials students use throughout the year like paper, crayons and markers are supplied by none other than their teachers.

A great way to thank teachers not only for their instructional contributions but for their monetary contributions as well is to gift them with supplies they’ll need for the rest of the year or even for the next year. Thinking about what your teachers need and gifting those items is thoughtful and shows you really care about their contributions.

7. Contact the School Administration

One last way you can celebrate the teachers in your life, whether they are your teachers or your children’s teachers, is to contact the school administration.

We know teaching is not an easy job, so when a teacher goes above and beyond, write to your school administration to share your praise of them. Different states and countries have different honors for teachers. Try nominating your teachers for an award in your area.