Teacher Appreciation: 7 Fresh Ways to Say ‘Thanks’

EducationWorld is pleased to present this article contributed by Lila Daniels. She has taught high school art and worked in higher education publishing. Daniels contributes to several Web sites, including TeacherPortal.com.

As May rolls around, thoughts turn to Teacher Appreciation Week, when we thank faculty and staff for all they do throughout the year. Too often, however, we fall back on trinkets and candy to show our appreciation for educators’ amazing work.

What if instead, you made this year a truly memorable experience? Here are seven fresh ways to approach Teacher Appreciation Week:
 

1. Create a flash mob

Knock your faculty’s socks off with a once-in-a-lifetime flash mob in their honor. You will need to enlist at least one teacher to pull this off, but it can be a great surprise for teachers and great fun for students. As an added bonus, you’ll encourage students to get some exercise and build school spirit.

Choose an upbeat song— “Happy” by Pharrell Williams is one suggestion. Put one teacher—maybe a music or gym teacher who sees the whole student body—in charge of teaching each class a “flash mob” dance that goes with the song. It can be simple and silly or complex and creative. Just make sure the kids know it is supposed to be a secret.

Choose a good time—interrupt an all-school meeting, start off the school day with a bang or call a special assembly. Give an intro like “It’s incredible how the teachers at Main Street School make us all happy.” Cue the dancers, hit the music and let the fun begin!
 

2. Show your app-reciation

Show your faculty how much you APP-reciate their hard work with an iTunes gift certificate that they can use toward a song, movie, audio book or mobile app. This will give a boost to teachers who are already incorporating mobile technology in the classroom, as well as encourage those who might be reluctant to explore what's out there.
 

3. Make it class-y

It’s hard for teachers to find time to do the things that keep them healthy during the school year. Here’s a way to say thanks while promoting health, fitness and stress relief. Hire a Zumba teacher or yoga instructor to hold a free class in the gym after school. You might even find a qualified parent willing to donate his/her time to teach the class.

4. Cook up something special

Traditional teacher appreciation breakfasts are lovely, but why not also offer a free cooking class in your faculty lounge? You could bring in a chef to teach about healthy lunches on the go, sensible dinners to make ahead of time, or sinful desserts that soothe the soul.
 

5. Write a big thanks

Give your students and parents a chance to express their thanks in their own words. Cover an entire wall near the front entryway with brightly colored paper. Start with a prompt like “Main Street Students Love Our Teachers” in big, bold letters. Hang pens or markers on strings and invite your school community to leave notes and comments for all to see.
 

6. Pull in your PTA

Mine the talents and treasures of your parent group. Parental involvement does double (even triple) duty. In addition to lightening your load, it draws parents into the school, which has a positive effect on individual students as well as the entire community.

Here are a few ways to get your parents involved:

• There is nothing like the gift of time. Use your PTA to give faculty a much-needed break during the week. Have parents pitch in to cover a lunch duty, a recess or a study hall.
• Solicit prize donations from parents. A plumber could offer two free hours of service. A shop owner could donate a $10 gift certificate. Hold a teachers-only raffle, or if you get enough donations, a grab bag of prizes.
• Create a wish list of projects for parents to tackle on their own time—putting up bulletin boards, organizing snacks or spring cleaning the classroom.
   

7. Flip-flop Friday

Declare a dress-down day (or week) for your staff. You can simply let them come in comfortable and casual dress or create a fun, themed day such as Flip-flop Friday or Hawaiian shirt Thursday.

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