Teachers deserve to be appreciated all year long, yet the first week of May has been designated as Teacher Appreciation Week in most K12 schools in the US.
If you are planning on celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week or looking for a Teacher Appreciation gift, this post will give you some great ideas to get you started with planning your activities. PLUS, our team has created a special Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit with 7 FREE posters to share on your digital signage displays, social media, and anywhere else you want to show your teachers some love.
Download our free Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit
- 5 Posters for each day of the week
- 2 customizable posters to add names or photos
- 1 How-To Customize PFD guide
- available in 2 file formats: JPEG + high resolution PDF
Why Teacher Appreciation Week Started
Did you know that Teacher Appreciation Week is also known as National Teacher Day or Teacher Appreciation Day? This fun fact gives a bit of insight into how Teacher Appreciation Week got started. While the origins of this celebration are somewhat unclear, historical information shows that Teacher Appreciation Day was first established in 1953 through the work of Elenor Roosevelt. Yet it was not until 1985 that Teacher Appreciation Week was first fully recognized.
Most importantly, the idea to mark a week of recognition for Teacher Appreciation is based on an understanding of just how important teachers are to our society. To describe National Teachers Day, the National Education Association says: “The day celebrates the outstanding work and lifelong dedication of teachers nationwide”
9 Fun Ideas to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week
There is no better Teacher Appreciation gift than genuine, heartfelt thanks from the people they work to support each day. Whether your teachers are teaching in person or remotely, use the ideas below to help make sure your teachers have a happy Teacher Appreciation Week.
1. Write A GIANT Thank You Card
Have students write messages of gratitude and thanks to their teachers and apply them on a large poster board or foam core board. If you have digital signage, take advantage of the chance to shower your teachers with recognition by cueing up your Teacher Appreciation Posters to run all week long. Get a free 14-day trial of Rise Vision to make this process fast and easy!
2. Video Greetings
Students can record themselves sharing what they appreciate most about their teacher, and what they are thankful for. With a little planning (and permission), students learning remotely can record group videos where they recite a poem or sing their teacher’s favorite song. Once the video is recorded, share it directly with the teacher or share it on your school’s digital signage displays.
Download our free Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit
- 5 Posters for each day of the week
- 2 customizable posters to add names or photos
- 1 How-To Customize PFD guide
- available in 2 file formats: JPEG + high resolution PFD
3. Snail It
If you are not able to see your teachers in-person, plan ahead to have a card or gift sent by mail. You can also send flowers or gift cards - these make really great teacher gifts that would make your teachers feel appreciated.
4. Teacher Feature Slideshow
Use this opportunity to highlight each teacher individually. Create a full-size graphic that includes the teacher’s photo and some fun facts about them. Load each of these into a slideshow presentation like Google slides and share it on the digital signage displays in your school. Another option is to use a pre-made template to help make this process fast. With Rise Vision you can even embed your slideshows on websites, chrome browsers or your school’s social media sites!
5. Say It Loud!
For a “multi-media” approach, use your school’s public address system to make “announcements” throughout the day with Thank You messages, greetings, and acknowledgments to teachers. If your teachers are teaching online, students and principals can record audio greetings and play them in a slideshow presentation along with “Thank You” Slides. Our poster set would be ideal to use in a slide deck!
6. Share A Laugh
Create your funniest puns to keep your teachers giggling with delight. Can’t think of any good puns? You’ll find s’more great puns like these when you download your free set!
7. Go Social
If your teacher uses social media, post Thank You notes on their favorite social media platform from students and also former students. Young students should seek permission and help from parents with this. Be sure to include your “Thank You” posters among all the posts to make the feed “pop” and keep your teacher laughing at the silly puns. To make this fun and super easy, our poster set includes posters in portrait layout - perfect for Instagram stories! Use the hashtag #ThankATeacher when you share.
8. Parent Posts
Teachers really appreciate hearing positive feedback from parents. Have parents send thank you notes or gift cards to teachers and other administrators, to show gratitude and recognition of the work they do.
Download our free Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit
- 5 Posters for each day of the week
- 2 customizable posters to add names or photos
- 1 How-To Customize PFD guide
- available in 2 file formats: JPEG + high resolution PFD
9. Supplies The Limit
For many teachers, the sky is the limit when it comes to supporting their students. For Teacher Appreciation week, treat your teacher to extra classroom supplies, along with your Thank You cards and messages. Teachers are always happy to receive resources for their classrooms, whether virtual or on-site. If possible, gather extra school supplies and classroom essentials to deliver to your teachers. Craft and writing supplies, paper, post-its, stickers, and any other tools your teacher may need. For virtual learning, subscriptions to online services can make great teacher gifts. Gift cards to office supply stores are another great option.
Bonus: Ideas Round-up
Here are a few links with some more great ideas to spark your Teacher Appreciation Week Celebrations. Your teachers deserve to have a happy Teacher Appreciation Week, so get creative!
Remember to keep any social distancing requirements in mind when making your plans.
And because we love puns, here’s a fun post for getting crafty with candy treats:
Download our free Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit
- 5 Posters for each day of the week
- 2 customizable posters to add names or photos
- 1 How-To Customize PFD guide
- available in 2 file formats: JPEG + high resolution PFD
