Teacher Appreciation Week: Simple Acts to Show Appreciation
A Healthier Michigan
| 4 min read
May 6-10, 2024, is U.S. Teacher Appreciation Week. Since beginning in 1984, it marks a time to celebrate teachers with events, gifts, and an outpouring of appreciation and respect for teachers and their work. The week serves as a reminder of how important it is to listen to teachers and their self-reported concerns and needs in the education field. Teacher Appreciation Week is an appropriate time to amplify teachers’ voices.
What are the difficulties of being a teacher?
According to the National Education Association, well over 90% of teachers nationwide spent their own money on school supplies for their classes and students, unreimbursed. The amount spent averages around $500 per year per teacher and is expected to grow according to the NEA. Teachers also make less than they did on average 10 years ago, adjusted for inflation. Examples of items teachers buy out of pocket when supplied materials or budgets are not enough to cover classroom needs include:
- paper and notebooks
- binders, clipboards, and organizing bins
- crayons, pencils, and dry erase markers
- glue sticks
- library books
10 Ideas for Acts of Teacher Appreciation
What are some effective ways to show teachers appreciation with their unique needs and difficulties in mind? Here are ways that students and parents can show their appreciation for teachers:
1. Advocate for better pay, learning environments, funding for school and supplies, and safer schools for teachers.
Parents can learn more about being an advocate for teachers and education change from the NEA.
2. Be respectful toward teachers all the time, not just during teacher appreciation week.
Many teachers in America report feeling overworked, overwhelmed, underappreciated and that they lack appropriate respect and resources for the work they do, according to 2022 research from Education Week and Merrimack College.
3. Collect thank you notes or videos from students to share with teachers.
This can be a nice way for parents to join and show gratitude for their children’s teachers. One idea is to give students prompts such as asking what their favorite thing about their teacher is or what is one important lesson they remember from the teacher.
4. Help teachers with their daily tasks and chores.
Teachers are also often tasked with basic custodial, logistic or other work, and some of this is easy for parents or their students to help with.
5. Create art that celebrates them.
This may be especially meaningful for art teachers but is also a sweet idea for other teachers. Let children be creative with the art but it may also help to provide guidance or prompts on what they appreciate about their teachers.
6. Prepare and set up decorations.
This is a popular and common show of appreciation. Decorate the school and classroom, including the doors, with the teachers’ favorite things and colors.
7. Give teachers flowers.
One cute idea is to have each student bring one flower to school to create a bouquet for their teachers together.
8. Buy teachers lunch and treats that week.
Orders can be taken ahead of time to have lunch brought to teachers at school, and you can give treat baskets or bags to teachers full of their favorite treats and snacks. To ensure tastes, preferences, and dietary restrictions are respected, make sure to get this information from teachers ahead of time.
9. Involve local businesses to offer discounts or events for teachers.
If you or other parents at school can provide discounts or freebies to teachers at local businesses or restaurants, this can be a way to show appreciation for teachers outside of school.
10. Give teachers gifts or gift cards.
Get the students to figure out what their teacher likes, or get that information ahead of time, and get them gifts or gift cards to match. Teachers spend a lot of money out of pocket on their students, and a gift like this can be very appreciated, especially attuned to their interests.
Ways to appreciate other teachers in your life
Even if you are out of school or don’t have school-aged kids, there are still meaningful opportunities to show appreciation to the teachers and educators in your life.
- Reach out to a childhood teacher or college educator that made a difference to you.
- Take them out for lunch or dinner.
- Offer to baby sit or pet sit for them if applicable so they can have time of their own.
- Ask them if they have a supplies wish list for their classroom and support them this way.
- Check in with them regularly to provide support and appreciation, not just during Teacher Appreciation Week.
