The Importance of Year-Round Teacher Appreciation

Teacher appreciation is the act of showing thankfulness for the arduous job of an educator. In the month of May, schools celebrate teachers for an entire week known as “Teacher Appreciation Week.” Usually, there are themed days where students shower their teachers with gifts or words of affirmation to show how thankful they are for a great teacher. Examples are: catered lunch, spa-like goodies, fresh food or brand new gifts, giveaways, favorite things basket etc.

Although an entire week of celebration is appreciated (and well deserved), it occurs towards the end of the school year. This means the entire year teachers are not feeling appreciated when the job is the most challenging. To clarify, teachers do not need things to be purchased in their honor all throughout the year. But, there are things the school can do along the way to appreciate each and every teacher. The goal of ongoing, year-long appreciation is that it will empower, motivate and sustain teachers to push through the challenges they experience at various points during the school year.

This post will outline five simple ways schools can shower their teachers with thanks throughout the year instead of waiting until the official Teacher Appreciation Week in May.

Make Recognition a Habit

Create a simple system for celebrating teachers consistently. Having a teacher appreciation committee made up of administrators and non-teaching staff allows the idea brainstorming and execution to be shared. Administration may or may not have a budget so that needs to be decided ahead of time so the committee knows particular boundaries. Attacking appreciation methods monthly creates a consistent support strategy teachers will appreciate.

Personalized Appreciation Matters

Tailor recognition to individual preferences (public praise, handwritten notes, small gifts). Send a survey to teachers asking them their preferences so that when you do show appreciation it is in a way that they will best receive it. When appreciation is personalized, teachers view the gesture as genuine and therefore place more value on it. This is what teachers will remember and cherish most.

Empower Peer Recognition

Encourage staff to acknowledge and uplift one another. Teachers collaborate often with their peers and know even more specifics of what makes an educator great. Creating avenues for teachers to recognize their own kind with specificity, highlights the amazing work teachers do daily. For example, a shout out wall in the staff lounge is an easy way to encourage teachers to write a quick note and post it on the board for their peer. Teachers can keep those appreciation notes for years to come and reference them on the roughest of days.

Celebrate More Than Just Big Wins

Recognize effort, creativity, and perseverance throughout the year. Some years are tougher than others, so if we only focus on major milestones of achievement, some teachers may never feel appreciation. Therefore, we have to make celebration of baby steps just as important as the big ones. When teachers are putting forth excessive efforts regardless of results, they should be recognized. Making celebration a piece of the culture, staff will be excited to shout out progress over perfection.

Incorporate Appreciation into Staff Meetings

Start with shoutouts or gratitude moments to build a culture of recognition. When staff meetings aren’t just a place to get down to business, teachers will look forward to showing up to engage. Building in staff appreciation into the staff meeting agenda consistently, teachers will get refueled for the days to come. Creating a recognition habit ensures your culture celebrates more than just the big wins, as said before. This is another way to open the floor for peers to recognize each other, breeding a healthy culture of appreciation.

Next Steps

Consistency is the key, not the actual act. When we give thanks to teachers often, they are willing to continue to work hard knowing their efforts are appreciated and recognized publicly. This will also model to students how to celebrate progress over perfection, habits they will soon build in themselves.

If you need additional ideas for teacher appreciation, browse below:

• Teacher Appreciation- Notes from Students
• World Teacher Day- Celebration Slips
• Sunshine Committee Cart Request Form
• Sunshine Committee- Teacher’s Favorite Things Survey
• Valentine’s Day Cups of Appreciation
• Teacher Appreciation Cups of Gratitude 
• Teacher Appreciation Week Toolkit
• 30+ Teacher Appreciation Ideas

If you want more ideas on hosting teacher appreciation events, click here. For more ideas hosting committee’s that promote positive school culture, click here.

GO BE GREAT!

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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