Appreciation for Terrific Teachers

View Photo Gallery

Teachers are incredibly influential in our children’s lives. Their patience, caring, and dedication make an impression that can last a lifetime. From preschool to high school, music lessons to sports teams, private tutors to religious education, teachers help mold our kids into who they will become.

We’ve collected a list of creative ideas for showing teachers gratitude and respect. We also asked teachers from around the country what gestures they find the most memorable or meaningful and pulled many of these ideas from their responses. Here are ways to appreciate a teacher, coach, or other educator:

 

1) Kind Words

Words are a powerful gift! Expressing your appreciation and care in your own words—and your children’s in theirs—means a lot to teachers. You could write a simple thank you note or have your children handwrite a card. You could get a recordable card and record your child’s voice describing their gratitude. You could even make a short video of your child sharing a message of thanks in their own creative way and share it by CD or thumb drive.

“Handwritten, heartfelt, letters and cards meant the most to me. Having taught second and third grade, handwritten letters from my students were precious.”—Tracy Jewell, former elementary school teacher, Michigan, U.S.

“My favorite gifts have always been the handwritten letters that I receive from students telling me how grateful they are for something that I did. I keep them handy so on a bad day I have something to read to remember why I do the job I do every day.”—Rebecca Schrauwen, high school Spanish teacher, Michigan, U.S.

“While personalized gifts are fabulous, personal cards of appreciation don't cost a dime and are truly little treasures.”—Sarah King, high school history teacher, Virginia, U.S.

 

2) Homemade Gifts

Teachers frequently told us that they loved handmade gifts from their students. Your kids could decorate a flowerpot with ribbons or paint and include a flower in your child’s favorite color. You could frame a picture of a child’s drawing or handwritten note. A jar of cookies or granola ingredients with a family recipe attached would be a great gift. (You can find step-by-step instructions for the card on this page here.)

“Homemade things are always nice, like a decorated flower pot or something they are good at.”—Kitty Maddocks, elementary school teacher, Wisconsin, U.S.

“I also very much enjoy when students give me a picture of the two of us in a frame. I have a little collection going and looking at those pictures always makes me smile.”—Rebecca Schrauwen, high school Spanish teacher, Michigan, U.S.

 

3) Gift Cards

While gifts are nice, it can sometimes be difficult to think of specific items a person might want or need. Gift cards can fill that gap and allow teachers to choose what they’d like. Some fitting stores for gift cards for educators are bookstores, coffee shops, restaurants, art supply shops, and craft stores.

“I always appreciated gift certificates to stores like Barnes and Noble. I could choose to buy materials for the next school year or buy books or other items for my enjoyment.”—Sandy Erickson, former elementary school teacher, Wisconsin, U.S.

“Sometimes, on the material side, people recognize how much time we expend at our jobs and give us a movie pass or dinner gift certificate.”—Kitty Maddocks, elementary school teacher, Wisconsin, U.S.

 

4) Something personal

If you know something specific about your child’s teacher, you can make your gift of gratitude more personal. Encourage your children to pay attention to clues about their teachers’ personal hobbies and interests. If you know a teacher is into gardening, you could give her a pretty planter, seeds, and some nice gardening gloves. If he’s an avid coffee drinker, some gourmet coffee beans and a fun mug might be appropriate. Vegetarian? How about a vegetarian cookbook or homemade veggie treat? A bookworm might like a book light or a decoration with a quote about books or reading.

“The gifts I remember are gifts that were meant for me. I think there's a picture on my Facebook page of an ‘old lady kit’ some students made me for my birthday once. So thoughtful and so funny.”—Suzanne Cucchetti, Middle School Librarian, Colorado, U.S.

“Anything that shows that the gift is for you and not something that could be for anyone. I taught in a mostly Hispanic neighborhood, so the gift-giving culture was a little different—more about welcoming and hospitality than obligation. So I got food gifts throughout the year, and one of the moms remembered I didn’t eat red meat, so she brought me bean tamales. Another kid brought me a Starbucks card (this was before everyone did that) because I had a Starbucks literally every morning. These things showed that both the kids and parents were paying attention to me as a person.”—Catlin Goodrow, Texas, U.S.

 

5) “Gifts” that keep on giving

Several teachers told us that their favorite gifts weren’t really “gifts” at all. When kids are kind and encouraging to one another, or when they show in their deeds that the teacher is making a difference in their learning and their lives, teachers know their work is meaningful and effective. Let your kids know that teachers work hard to make them smarter, wiser, and better people, and encourage them to let their virtues shine.

Volunteering in the classroom and forming a supportive relationship with the teacher are great ways to show your appreciation all year long.

“The one way that I truly know kids think of us is when they play school, someone is Miss Kathy and someone else is Miss Sarah and these are the favorites . . . everyone wants to be Miss Kathy or Miss Sarah! LOL! It warms my heart.”—Kathy Lovell, Daycare Center Director, Iowa, U.S.

“The gift of knowing you can do something hard, having that belief in yourself, and possessing the courage and confidence to take on challenges are essential building blocks for us all. When a task is mastered, a child’s face lights up and is filled with joy, satisfaction, or sometimes even amazement that they did it. These are the seeds of confidence, independence and realization of what one is capable of! The greatest gift a child can give me is pushing through those moments putting in their best effort with the hope that through their struggle it will bring to light their capabilities and capacities.”—Mary Taylor, Montessori teacher, Illinois, U.S.

“As an elementary school teacher, I felt greatly appreciated by faithful and supportive parent volunteers that delighted in contributing as well as offered encouragement to both myself and the students. However, the most meaningful expression of appreciation has been through relationships that have been maintained over the years. Friendships that have lasted long after I’ve taught the children. Families that have valued my friendship just as much as my teaching.”—Tracy Jewell, former elementary school teacher, Michigan, U.S.

 

However you choose to express it, show the teachers, mentors, coaches, and other educators in your kids’ lives that you honor and appreciate their work—not just during Teacher Appreciation Week, but all year long.

Updated on 4.07.16