Teacher Appreciation Week –Thanking Our Educators

By Jamie Kaun

Besides their family, it’s likely that the people children see the most during their youth are educators. The average school year for most states is 180 days. That’s a significant amount of time that teachers are influencing kids.

It’s commonplace for teachers to work many more hours than they’re paid for, pay for classroom supplies with their own money and have 20+ kids under their guidance. That’s a lot of personalities and abilities for a person to manage and it’s just one way that teachers remind us how amazing that they are.

As a way to thank them for their dedication, since 1984 the first full week of May has been designated by the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) as Teacher Appreciation Week with Tuesday of that week being National Teacher Appreciation Day. For 2022, National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2-6.

Oftentimes, your child’s school PTA will plan special activities for staff such as snacks or lunch, a school supply drive or some other small acts of appreciation. But if you and your child(ren) would like to personally recognize their teacher, I have some ideas for you.

I spent four years in the classroom as a preschool teacher, working with children ranging from 2½ to 5 years old. During that time, I received a variety of gifts or tokens of appreciation from students and their families. While teachers genuinely appreciate anything that they’re gifted, there are some items that can be particularly useful.

1. Gift cards are something that I’ve heard time and time again is greatly appreciated by teachers. As mentioned above, teachers often spend their own money on classroom supplies, little trinkets or gifts for their students, etc. Giving them a gift card to Amazon, Target or anywhere they can buy those items is helpful.
   If you know your teacher’s favorite restaurant, drink, clothing store or anything personal to them, giving them a gift card to those businesses is a special treat. Personally, I’ve organized multiple group class gifts with families to make it more affordable for participants. For example, $5 from 20 students can buy a really great spa gift card or dinner at the teacher’s favorite restaurant.

2. Handwritten notes are truly one of the most thoughtful gifts a teacher receives and it’s free, so it’s perfect for anyone’s budget. Teachers sincerely appreciate hearing from parents/caregivers as well as their students. Letting a teacher know how influential they are in a child’s life can be particularly uplifting on those challenging days. I read some of those messages regularly to remind myself of the impact that I had on children’s lives and their families.

3. Personalized gifts are a fun way to thank a teacher. I often use an insulated personalized tumbler that a family gave me years ago. In the classroom, I proudly displayed (and used) a container crafted by a student that held crayons, markers, etc. I only taught for four years so I didn’t often experience receiving too many similar personalized gifts. But keep in mind that if the teacher you’re buying for has been in the classroom for 20 years, they may have multiples of some commonly gifted personalized items, so consider what may be unique to them based on their likes, hobbies, etc.

4. Classroom supplies are a great thing to replenish for teachers. Commonly used items, like hand sanitizer, tissues, cleaning wipes, paper, crayons and more are always useful. If you’re not sure what the teacher could use most in their classroom – just ask! 

While teachers genuinely appreciate when you think of them with gifts, there are a few things you may want to consider not gifting.

1. Perfumes, lotions, soaps, candles or anything with strong scents. They are not ideal for allergy sufferers or those that may be sensitive to scents. Plus, one person can only use so many bottles of lotion, no matter how wonderful it may smell.

2. Teacher-themed décor – unless a teacher is relatively new, it’s likely that they have an abundance of such items.

3. Food, like candy or sweet treats, unless you know something in particular that they like because of food allergies or dietary preferences.

These are just a few ideas to show appreciation for the teachers in your life. A quick internet search can provide many, many more (and even some free templates for themed gift ideas).

While you’re thinking about classroom teachers, consider those that also impact your children’s lives on a regular basis – bus drivers, office staff, custodial staff and even their extracurricular activity teachers, like class instructors at the YMCA. Everyone appreciates a little note thanking them for what they do!