Leading a Teacher Appreciation Event at your School Site

Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day occur in the month of May. These events were created to show support for hard-working teachers and the impactful work they do in classrooms every day. These celebrations should incorporate all stakeholders that teachers work with daily (ie.students, non-instructional staff, leadership team, parents and community members).

Whether you spend a day or a week showering teachers with love, the intention is to acknowledge each teacher in your building so that they know that their efforts don’t go unnoticed. This continues to build relationships among staff, increases teacher job satisfaction, and boosts staff morale.

Listed below are tips, steps and resources for a successful teacher appreciation event.

Tips for a Successful Teacher Appreciation Event

• Plan and Prepare– Set aside a significant amount of time to thoroughly plan and orchestrate the event
• Get Personal– Know teacher likes and interests so that the celebration is personalized
• Be Creative– Think beyond only purchasing physical items and get creative in thanking teachers
• Apply Feedback– Use insight from past experiences to plan future events

Steps to Deliver a Teacher Appreciation Event

• Announce Details to Stakeholders– Give notice of date, time and key information to everyone participating
• Ask for Community Donations and/or Involvement– Offer community members the opportunity to donate an item, service or their time
• Create Committees and Roles– Know who is participating and how they are contributing so you can group people together and appoint roles for efficiency
• Gather, Organize & Assemble Supplies– Designate a specific place to gather, organize and assemble donated and purchased items
• Execute with Energy– Bring energy, enthusiasm and a bright smile to the experience so teachers feel special

Snag Resources for a Teacher Appreciation Event

• Coaching Coupons – Reward & encourage teachers with editable tasks you can take off their plate
• “Caught Being Amazing” Awards – Reward teachers and give positive feedback during walk-throughs, staff meetings or just to acknowledge strengths
• Notes from Students– A variety of activities for students to write notes of appreciation for their teachers

Go Be Great!

How do you celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week at your school site?

About the author, Gretchen

I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.

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