Teachers have a very special job caring for our children.  They truly need to be appreciated every day, but expressing your appreciation for them during Teacher Appreciation week is really important too, and can also be really fun!

As more and more responsibilities are being added to their plate, and as teachers spend their own resources on their classrooms, teachers have quite a lot of work on their hands. Did I mention that they are also tasked with loving, teaching, and caring for your children for a large part of the day?  This year, the official dates for Teacher Appreciation week are May 2-6, although some schools may choose to celebrate during a different week. While every school celebrates their teachers in their own way, here are some ideas to make the week extra special for the staff at your child’s school.

Teacher Appreciation Ideas

Help Organize a Week of Events
In some districts, the PTO or parent organization plans a whole week of special events for the teachers to partake in and could use your help coming up with ideas, helping to put them into action, volunteering and donating items. Sometimes they start by picking a theme, and plan many fun things to go along with that. Let’s explore some fun ideas to make a memorable week for the teachers:

Teacher Appreciation Week Themes

There are so many fun and creative themes out there, but here are just a few that sound like a lot of fun!

Superhero Theme: Teachers are superheroes! Bring a little POW! to their week.

Dr. Seuss: We know teachers love books, and what better way to celebrate them than with the one of the best authors of all time?

Fiesta: This week is a way for the teachers to let loose, and a party is the perfect way!

Spa: These hardworking teachers deserve some pampering. Celebrate them with some relaxation and TLC.

Luau: Teachers need an escape sometimes from the pressures of grading, lesson planning and working hard. Give them an exotic time away from the classroom!

Hollywood Star: Every teacher should have their turn in the spotlight, and planning a whole week of fun, glam filled events is the best way to show our appreciation for all they do!

Decor
The decor is super important to bring the theme to life. It doesn’t have to be over the top, or even expensive. Tablecloths, flowers and a few simple decorations in the teacher’s lounge helps with the ambiance and really sets the scene. It makes everything seem even more special.

For an extra special surprise, come in the evening before the week starts when all the teachers are gone and decorate then. They will be so surprised when they come in to see the school transformed just for them!

Invitations
Sending out an invitation beforehand really helps to generate buzz and excitement about their special week. Listing out the days of the week and the events on each, giving teasers about the theme, and a little note about how appreciated they are, really starts the week out right. Send it out the week before and let the teachers anticipate all the fun waiting for them when they arrive on Monday morning. Color invitations are adorable, but even a simple flyer will be cute and add to the fun!

Food
Providing food on one or more of the days is always fun! Teachers will love that they don’t have to make lunch at home and can be treated to something extra special. Teachers love a catered lunch! Pasta, salad and bread is always a good one, but why don’t you switch it up? Salad bar, make your own sandwiches, pizza, ethnic foods, sliders, burger bar, taco bar…are just a few creative ideas that might have your teachers excited to head to the lounge that day! Keep in line with your theme if at all possible. It just makes everything more special

Breakfast is another fun meal to cater as well. A “Super Cereal” bar is fun if you are doing a superhero theme, or smoothies if it is a spa theme. Get creative, and have fun!

Serving snacks and treats is a great way to do something special on a little bit of a smaller scale for the teachers. You can have a snack bar with grab and go items, or an ice cream social with the works! Either way, teachers get to have a little treat, with a little less cost for the organizers.

Putting together a fun filled week for the teachers is a lot of work, but totally worth the joy that they will have at being appreciated. For more ideas on themes, special lunches, decor and invites, check out Pinterest, or PTO Today.

Adorable Gift Ideas for Teacher Appreciation

Homemade/Handmade Goodies: A fresh baked treat or a beautifully designed craft will always mean a lot to a teacher. Have your child pick something they would like to make, go shopping together for the materials/ingredients, and come home to create. Here are some easy, inexpensive ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

Handwritten Notes of Thanks
A handwritten note is always an appreciated gift. This is your chance to tell your child’s teacher how you appreciate all that they have done for your child. This is also a chance for your child to practice the lost art of letter writing and work on articulating how much their teacher means to them. If you have a younger child that has not mastered writing and spelling, a picture with few words is valuable as well. No matter how they produce it, this is sure to be a treasured gift for a long time to come.

Gift Cards
Almost all teachers would love a gift card to a place that they like to shop, or visit. Think local and fun and give them something they could use to take a much needed break.

Ways to Get the Kids Involved in Teacher Appreciation

All of the ideas listed above are so fun for the teachers and bring a lot of excitement into a week that the teachers truly deserve. One of the most special things that you as a parent can do to help make the week extra meaningful is to talk with your kids about their teachers. Explain that teachers have all of these students to teach, care for, and love five days a week. They should be appreciated every day, but especially during this week. Get them involved in baking treats, making the crafts, writing letters, decorating the school (if that is allowed). Keep them involved. The parents appreciate the teachers, but the kids do too! Let them have an active role in making the week extra special.

Are you a parent of a school-aged child? What is your favorite way to appreciate the teachers? Are you a teacher? What is your favorite thing about Teacher Appreciation week?