Teacher Appreciation Day AND Week!

 

They do what many of us can't. OK, I'll speak for myself - they do what I, personally, could only do for a very big paycheck...and a four hour work day, lots of vacation time, and a small class size - like three students.  Our children's teachers, those heroic human beings who love, educate, discipline, and nurture our always well-behaved, well-mannered, angelic eager learners. Uh, yea. Can't think of any job that deserves a day of appreciation more, expect maybe mother's, and we get ours this month too.

 

Teacher Appreciation WEEK begins Monday, May 4th. Teacher Appreciation DAY is on Tuesday, May 5th. Don't be confused. If you're celebrating the day, it's on Tuesday. If you're feeling really grateful and want to acknowledge teachers in some meaningful way all week (if I were a teacher, you could give me different flavored homemade cookies each day, and your child would receive an automatic "A"), you have Monday through Friday.

 

Make sure the other students and parents in the classroom know it's National Appreciation Week. Join forces and get the teacher a collective gift like classroom supplies, a fabulous lunch, a nice hefty gift certificate, or organize the students to all write a letter of appreciation. Do something different each day, like bagels in the teacher's lounge on Monday, clean their room on Tuesday...you get the idea. 

 

Use your imagination. Get creative. It doesn't have to be expensive, but I'd stay away from the "#1 Teacher" mug (I mean, really, how many of those can one person use?).  More of my unsolicited advice: I also wouldn't just go buy something for the teacher, and have your kid give it to them. Involve your child - ask him what makes their teacher special, why they appreciate him, and what they'd like to do. Unless your child responds that they want to take their teacher with you on the next family vacation, consider their ideas too.

 

Have fun! Oh, and if you actually don't appreciate your child's teacher, because he or she really needs to consider a change of profession, then it's a great time to acknowledge your child's coach, tutor, or their instructor for an extracurricular activity.

 

 

How did it all begin?

From National Education Association (www.nea.org)

 

"The origins of National Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodbridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt, who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.

NEA, along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City (Kan.) Local, lobbied Congress to create a national day to celebrate teachers. Congress declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day for that year only.

NEA and its affiliates continued to observe National Teacher Day in March until 1985, when the NEA Representative Assembly voted to change the event to Tuesday of the first full week of May. The actual date, therefore, varies from year to year."

Need to spark those creative juices and come up with a creative gift? Check these out.

In the Community

• Run congratulatory messages on electronic signs outside banks or other businesses, or on billboards, banners or storefront signs.
• Offer teachers discounts on purchases made on Teacher Day.
• Invite all teachers to a reception in their honor, hosted by the mayor, school board, school administrators, Chamber of Commerce or other group.
• Invite teachers to a before-school "coffee, juice and pastries" salute at a local grocery store or other business - or even in a school parking lot (think tailgate party!).

In School

Consider the following actions that may be taken up by a school volunteer organization:

• Hang a sign on each classroom door saluting, by name, the teacher within.
• Have National Honor Society, Student Council or other student groups furnish punch and cookies for the teacher's lounge on Teacher Day.
• Give teachers candy, apples or other food gifts with appropriate notes attached (e.g., fortune cookies with a note about how fortunate the school is to have a teacher of such high caliber).
• Provide balloon bouquets and flowers for every teachers' lounge.
• Set up a lunchtime "Relaxation and Rejuvenation Spa" on Teacher Day, where teachers are treated to hand, foot, back and neck massages, perhaps while being serenaded by a student or parent playing a mellow cello.

For more ideas, visit the National Education Association (www.nea.org)

 

 

And to all you magnificent teachers out there, THANK YOU!!

 

Comments

[Deborah at Coco Bonbons]

The PTA at my daughter's daycare organizes something for the teachers all week. It's been fun planning things for the teachers and they are so happy to be appreciated.

[Trisha]

I had no idea. Thanks for the info!