Teacher Appreciation Week Activities and Ideas

Teacher Appreciation Week Activities and Ideas Teacher Appreciation Week is a week-long celebration in the month of May, which is designated to honoring and celebrating the hard work and dedication of our teachers. During this week, schools across America show their love and appreciation to their teachers by having students and parents participate in activities to give thanks and acknowledge their teachers. In celebration of this week, I have gathered a few fun ideas and activities to show teachers how special you think they are. You will find ideas for administrators, teachers, and students. Ideas for Administrators One of the most effective ways that administration can show how much they appreciate their teaching staff is to plan something special for their teachers. Afternoon Lunch A simple way to show your appreciation is to prepare a luncheon in the faculty lounge for all the teachers in the school. Order a pizza or if your school has extra money splurge on some take-out. Pull-Out the Red Carpet If you really want to make a big deal out of your teaching staff and get your students in an uproar, try creating a red carpet experience. Get a piece of red carpet and velvet ropes and have each teacher walk down the carpet as they arrive at school. End of Day Celebration Plan a surprise end of the day celebration. Designate the last hour of the day as free time for the students. Then organize for parents to come in and help out with the class while the teacher goes to the lounge for a much-needed break. Have the teachers lounge filled with coffee and snacks, your efforts will be much appreciated. Ideas for Teachers A great way to teach your students about the value of showing appreciation for hard work is to have a class discussion about why teachers are so special. Follow up this discussion with a few fun activities. Read a Book Often students dont really grasp the importance of all their teachers do. To help them understand the time and effort it takes to be a teacher try reading a few books about teachers. Some of my favorites are: Thank you Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard and What If There Were No Teachers? By Caron Chandler Loveless. Compare Teachers Have students compare their favorite teacher with a teacher from one of the books you read. Have them use a graphic organizer like a Venn diagram to help them organize their ideas. Write a Letter Have students write a letter to their favorite teacher telling them what makes them so special. First brainstorm ideas together as a class, then have students write their letters on special paper, and when completed, allow them to give it to the teacher they wrote about. Ideas for Students All teachers love to receive recognition for their hard work, but they appreciate it the most when it comes from their students. Here are some suggestions on how fellow teachers and parents can help students can give thanks to their teacher. Give Thanks Out Loud One of the most important ways students can express their gratitude to their teachers is to say it out loud. A unique way of doing this is to give thanks over the loudspeaker. If this is not possible then students can also ask the teacher if they can have a few minutes in the beginning or the end of class to show their appreciation. Door Decorations Before or after school, decorate the teachers classroom door with all the things they love, or what you love about the teacher. If your teacher loves animals, decorate the door in an animal theme. You can add a personal touch such as a letter to the teacher, a Worlds Best teacher certificate or even a painting or drawing. Make a Gift Theres nothing like a handmade gift that really shows a teacher how much you appreciate them. Create something that the teacher can cherish such as, a hall or bathroom pass, magnet, bookmark or anything they can use in their classroom, the ideas are endless.