5 Ways to Say "Thank You" to Dedicated Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week
The first week of May is National Teacher Appreciation Week. Dallas educator and author Emma McDonald offers 5 easy tips for showing appreciation to the teachers in our communities.
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) April 28, 2006
During the first week of May, communities across the nation are taking time to show their appreciation to teachers for their selfless dedication to our nation’s children during National Teacher Appreciation Week. First officially declared in 1953 by the 81st Congress, National Teacher Day was historically celebrated in March. However, in 1985, the National PTA declared the first full week in May to be National Teacher Appreciation Week, and it has been celebrated during this time for the last 20 years.
Communities across the nation understand that teachers have a difficult job. On a daily basis they wipe noses and tie wet shoelaces. They make sure that children who are hungry are fed and those without a jacket are given one. They watch and protect their students. Throughout it all, they strive to instill a love of learning into each and every child they encounter. In return, how can we say thank you to this group of selfless dedicated people who hold in their hands the future of our world? Emma McDonald, Dallas educator and co-author of Classrooms that Spark!, offers a few tips to help parents and students show their appreciation.
1. Send a note-card with heartfelt thanks. True sentiments of thankfulness are treasured by teachers and kept for years and years. Many teachers return to their file of thank-you notes when feeling blue or burned out to be uplifted and recharged. Go to http://www. inspiringteachers. com/cards/ (http://www. inspiringteachers. com/cards/) and print off one of the free cards available to say thank you to a teacher or other paraprofessional.
2. Give your teacher a gift-certificate to a local restaurant. Then arrange to volunteer in the classroom for an hour or two over lunch so they can enjoy a real treat.
3. Gift certificates to bookstores and office supply stores are a real treasure! Most teachers spend over $500 each year of their own money to supply their classroom with books and supplies for children.
4. Let your teacher really pamper herself (or himself) with a gift certificate for a massage, manicure, or pedicure. Teachers rarely take time for themselves and this gift will really let them know you care!
5. Don’t wait until teacher appreciation week to say “thank you”. We should be thanking teachers throughout the year for the job they do. If you see a card in the grocery store or a little token you think would be perfect for your child’s teacher, don’t wait until Christmas or the end of the school year, go ahead and give it to them right away. Your thoughtfulness will be appreciated and will go a long way to helping that educator stay excited and energized about teaching.
Emma McDonald is the co-founder of Inspiring Teachers, an organization dedicated to supporting and empowering teachers. She has been educating students and teachers for over 10 years, and many of her strategies have been featured in Instructor and other educational magazines. Teachers and parents can get free resources for their school and classroom at the Inspiring Teachers website, http://www. inspiringteachers. com (http://www. inspiringteachers. com)
Journalists, to contact the author: 877-496-7633
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