Teacher Appreciation Week

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and like gratitude, I think we should try to show our appreciation as much as possible.  Click here if you missed my post on gratitude.

I’ve been looking at Pinterest for Teacher Appreciation Week gift ideas. During my research,  I noticed a few things: there are lots of ideas for fun or funny gifts, there are a ton of bad puns, loads of ideas for candy/food gifts, and cute ways to wrap up office supplies, which is usually my gift of choice. I even saw an idea for a gift of wine personalized to state that your kid is the reason her or his teacher drinks (I’m not too sure about that one).

While fun and funny, I felt the main focus of the week was lost.  The true respect, admiration, and recognition of the difference teachers make in our lives was not the focus and we need to make sure that is a part of any teacher appreciation gift.

Focus on APPRECIATION!

People working in education are not there because they seek money, fame, or gifts; they are there because they love helping and making an impact in the lives of others. They often make sacrifices that go unnoticed or put their students above themselves.  I’ve worked in the education realm and I know teachers and support staff are grateful for any gift someone gives them.

Leave a Lasting Impression

But the gifts that leave a lasting impression on the person aren’t the gift cards, candy, food, lotion, socks, or office supplies; those are all nice gifts and teachers love all of those things. But what they also need is the gift of knowing exactly how they are making a difference in the lives of their students.

It is the handwritten tangible proof that what they do day in and day out for their students matters to someone. This year for teacher appreciation week and from now on make sure that your gift also includes a personalized letter, card or note.

Get your kids involved. This is a great chance for them to practice gratitude and have them write a letter. If your child is too young to write a letter, ask your child a few questions about school and record their answers. Click the image here to access free Teacher Appreciation prompts and letterhead.

You could also write a letter letting your child’s teacher know what impact you see or what your child talks about in relation to school.

Here is an example of something I am going to write to one of my 4-year-old’s teachers. It’s something simple, but I think it’s worth sharing with her.

Dear Ms. R,

Big really loves having you as a teacher. He has told me on numerous occasions that he’s excited to come to school and you are one of the reasons why. He loves arriving at school because every day you make a point to say good morning to him and greet him with a big smile.  He says that he likes your smile and it makes him happy. Thank you for helping to foster a love of school and making him feel special every day.

I really appreciate you and the work that you do!!!!

All the best,

Amy

So whether you buy the teachers in your life something or make something for them, make sure you include a personalized note of some kind highlighting the reason or reasons why and how they are making a difference.

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Cheers and Happy Teacher Appreciation Week,

Amy