This Fun Mom

Have you ever said, “I could never be a teacher?” or “I don’t know how teachers do it?” Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret… teachers possess a unique blend of patience, caffeine addiction, and Jedi-like negotiation skills that make them the unsung heroes of the classroom. It’s like they have a secret handbook titled “How to Herd Cats: Classroom Edition.”

And let’s not forget their magical ability to maintain composure while simultaneously juggling lesson plans, unruly students, and that one kid who insists on asking existential questions during math class.

So, during Teacher Appreciation Week, let’s raise our coffee mugs in salute to these brave souls who willingly enter the world of education armed with nothing but a whiteboard, marker and a hope for the occasional snow day. Trust me, they’ve earned every gift card and “World’s Best Teacher” mug that comes their way.

Teacher Appreciation Week is such a great time to show your gratitude and appreciation to the teachers who have made a positive impact on your child’s life. They spend so much time with our kiddos, they deserve a special and thoughtful week that is all about them.

Here are some creative ideas from the class:

1. If you didn’t have the teacher fill out a “Favorite Things” list earlier in the year, here is a free printable that you can send in for your teacher to fill out. This will make sure you can gift them something they actually like and would appreciate and not a random knick-knack that will collect dust on a shelf or be taken to goodwill in a few months.

2. Have all of the students fill out an “All About My Teacher” printable. Collect them all from the students in the class, and then laminate them and bind them together to give to the teacher. These are so stinkin’ cute, the teachers will love them! Some of the answers the kids come up with are just hilarious and will make their teacher LOL. You can find a FREE digital download here.

3. Have a day where each student brings in one flower for the teacher. Make sure to have one student bring in a vase for the teacher to put all of their flowers in to showcase on their desk. 

4. Give a small gift: A thoughtful gift can go a long way in showing your appreciation. Consider giving your teacher a small plant, a gift card to a local coffee shop, a favorite shopping mall store, a bookstore, or a box of their favorite treats. Again, make sure they fill out the list of favorites first so the gift makes sense :).

5. Plan a classroom celebration: Plan a special celebration in honor of your teacher. You could bring in snacks, decorate the classroom,  give them any gifts you got and present them with the “All About My Teacher” printables you put together. You can even plan a few simple games for the teacher to enjoy with the entire class like charades, limbo or sombrero toss. 

6. Get parents involved: Encourage your parents to get involved in Teacher Appreciation Week.   Send an email during the week to remind them to send a note or small gift to the teacher and possibly contribute to the party planned. Here is a sample letter to the parents you can send out to ask for for donations for the activities you have planned for the week. 

7. Spread some social media love: Take to social media to share a positive post about your teacher. Tag them in the post and let the world know how much you appreciate them ❤️. A flattering social post can be like sending them flowers for the world to see.

Remember, it’s not about the size or cost of the gift or gesture, but rather the sentiment behind it that matters most. Any small act of appreciation can go a long way in making a teacher feel valued and recognized.

Does your school celebrate their rockstar teachers in a big way?

If you’re on the school PTO/PTA, here are some ideas to treat all of the teachers in the school:

1. Have a beverage bar or hydration station in the teacher’s lounge. Here’s a great idea from Organized Chaos. You could also have a snack station, fruit stand, coffee bar or anything else teachers might like in their break room.

2. Have the whole school “Chalk the Walk”. Have people meet outside the school on a Sunday evening with buckets of chalk and share creative messages about how much they love their teachers on the sidewalk. This is a great activity to include children of all ages. Monday morning will be a fun surprise for the teachers to walk in and read the sweet notes on the way.

3. Decorate their classroom doors. Decorating teachers’ classroom doors for Teacher Appreciation Week – it’s like a mini-competition where creativity meets gratitude! Behind every decorated door lies a teacher who deserves all the recognition and admiration we can offer – and maybe a few extra apples for good measure :).

4. Host a Taco Fiesta Bar, Chili Bar or Taste of Italy Bar for the teachers in their lounge. They can grab a fun lunch right there at school. Have a basket of gift cards donated from the parents for the staff at the beginning of the food bar line. How fun to treat them to picking out a gift card before they eat.

So, why should we be celebrating our teachers?

What makes Teacher Appreciation Week truly special? Well, it’s the chance for us to acknowledge the unsung heroes who spend so much time with our children – the ones who patiently mold and teach our kids every week for years and years.

Here’s to Teacher Appreciation Week – the week where we shower our educators with gratitude, caffeine, and enough apple-themed knick-knacks to last a lifetime, lol. Hopefully, we’ve helped come up with some better ideas here, rather than the usual teacher knick-knacks. Because let’s face it, without teachers, many of us would be struggling to teach the many steps to answer complex (or not complex) math equations. If I’m being honest… I can google around enough to get the answers to the questions but teaching my kids how I got the answer is never an easy process. It’s more like a cat that fell into the middle of a pool and can’t swim to the side to get out. For real, it’s a struggle.

Thank you to our teachers and school staff, for all that you do!

❤️ Christa Siladie