National Teacher Appreciation Week: Go Forth & Appreciate A Teacher!

Tips for showing all that teacher appreciation.

Teachers are da bomb. They get up every morning and walk into a job where they are responsible for the brains and bodies of children and teens. They have to know the individual personalities and needs of dozens of students and find ways to impart information to all of those kids as effectively as possible, They plan lessons, grade papers, manage IEPs, submit report cards, and proctor all those stupid standardized tests kids have to take.

And they do it on their feet for hours at a time, sometimes without being able to take bathroom breaks as often as they’d like.

So teachers deserve our appreciation for the work they do all day long.

If you’re looking for ways to show teachers how much they mean to you here are a few tips:

Don’t bring them homemade food. I know. Baking cookies for a teacher seems like such a nice, wholesome gesture but you don’t know what dietary restrictions they might have so it’s better to give them store-bought treats with pretend ingredient lists.

Gift cards are better than gifts. Yes, that mug with a pithy joke about teachers is adorable but a lot of teachers have already gotten a bazillion mugs over the years. Give them a gift card to a great store and they can pick out something they’ll really use!

Don’t forget “specials” teachers! The PE teacher, art and music teacher, para-educators, and office staff need love too! Try to include them in your appreciating plans!

You don’t need to spend money. My sister has been a reading teacher for over a decade and she’s never mentioned a gift she got from a student. She has, however, told stories about parents and students telling her about ways she’s helped kids become stronger readers. Take the time to tell a teacher about the job they're doing and how it’s helping your child grow up and learn.