Tuesday, May 4 is Teacher Appreciation Day. One day is not enough to show love toward educators especially when they have had to sacrifice more time and energy to teach during a pandemic. Last year, during the pandemic, teachers did not have to administer standardized tests. This year, on top of doing their jobs, they have had to manage giving this test with a different setup than they are used to due to COVID guidelines. This included a schedule for remote students to go to school in person just to take the test. The amount of extra responsibilities is causing teachers to limp to the finish line, the end of the year. Showing appreciation will go a long way in helping teachers to hang in there.
Although finances may be tight for the school budget and family budgets, there are ways to show appreciation that cost little to no charge. The best place to start is a handwritten acknowledgment of what impact the teacher has had. Saying thanks is great, but it is not enough. Teachers love hearing how they specifically impacted students. They want to know that they are making a difference and how.
Another free way to show appreciation is to have the students create a gift. This could be a drawing, a card, or a video message. Hearing from parents is great, but it is also important for teachers to hear directly from students.
Parents can create a gift, too. It could be making the teacher a meal or knitting a blanket. If parents grow flowers, they can cut a few and give them to the teacher. Parents can also check to see if they can volunteer to complete a task. Although many schools are still limiting volunteers, parents might be able to pick up a task to do, complete it at home, and return it.
Last, spending money on teachers is always great. Teachers were not paid nearly enough before the pandemic and they are still underpaid during the pandemic. Gift cards to teacher supply stores or to a local coffee shop can go a long way with teachers. Hopefully, people aren’t waiting for the day to arrive. Let’s start showing appreciation now.