Teacher appreciation week

Teacher with two kids

Dear Son’s daycare (Pre-K) center is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week. The daycare has become his second family in the last few years. Since Dear Son was five months old, he is staying with his teachers during the daytime of weekdays. That is, Dear Son spends most of his conscious times with his teachers during weekdays. Teachers are his family.

When is the teacher appreciation day?

In USA, it is on Tuesday, May 9 in 2017. Different countries have different designated days for appreciating teachers. Wikipedia has a long list of teachers’ days in all countries. In some countries, the teacher appreciation day is a holiday. The summary is that all countries recognize how important the role of a teacher is in building a society.

History of the teacher appreciation day

In USA, it is the Tuesday of the first full week of May. According to National Education Association (NEA), the discussion of a national day recognizing the efforts of women and men who dedicated themselves in giving education started around 1944. The discussions started after Mattie Whyte Woodridge (1909–1999), an African American teacher in Arkansas, corresponded with political leaders about the necessity of a national day to recognize the contributions the teachers make to society.

After a long time and many more discussions, Congress declared March 7, 1980 as National Teacher Day but for that year only. NEA celebrated the day for the next four years on March 7. In 1985, NEA Representative Assembly decided to move the Teacher Appreciation Day to Tuesday of the first full week of May. Since then, USA celebrates the teacher appreciation day on that day every year.

Activities related to Teacher Appreciation Day

From parents and kids, even a mere thanks would mean a lot. Parents and kids sometimes come up with gift ideas for teachers. Some schools and daycares arrange gatherings to celebrate the day.

National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) organizes local as well as national events to celebrate and recognize the contributions teachers make. Many of these events arrange recognition awards and grants for teachers and school administrators.

Barack Obama visited a pre-kindergarten classroom on May 17, 2013. I found the picture online and could not resist the temptation of sharing it with you. By the way, President Obama was a popular teacher as mentioned in the Business Insider website.

Mother’s day and teacher appreciation week

Mother’s day is on May 14th, which is a Sunday this year. Therefore, in terms of pre-kindergarten school activities, Mother’s day (week) and teacher appreciation week this year are overlapping. I wonder how exciting it would be for a mother, who is also a teacher, to be reminded by all her students as well as her own kids about how much they love her, in the same week.

How do we celebrate Dear Son’s teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week?

We keep it simple. We purchase pens, pencils, photo frames, mugs, and give these items to every teacher, administrator, and staff of Dear Son’s daycare center. Sometimes we make gift-cards. It is not the gift items teachers look forward to, rather it is the recognition, appreciation, and love they appreciate the most.

Settle in El Paso team

Prompts: Reflecting, Pursue.




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Comments

26 thoughts on “Teacher appreciation week

  1. I don’t know about Teacher Appreciation Week, however, in our home country, we have “Teacher’s Day.” Teacher’s Day is marked by showing respect to the teachers by visiting them and giving them gifts. Students organize Teacher’s Day programme in the schools and colleges and thank the teachers for their contribution.

    1. Exactly the same thing here. Glad to hear that the importance of the contributions of teachers is recognized all over the world. Thank you for visiting and commenting. Have a wonderful weekend.

  2. That is really great of you to prepare for you son on the Teachers appreciation week. Yes! the celebration varies in different countries. But the preparation and the concept are most likely the same. A short program, recognition and awarding and often students getting involved in surprising their teachers in their own special way. But what is important of all these? It’s giving teachers due appreciation and recognition to the unconditional support they give to our kids. Which our kids consider their 2nd parent away from home.

  3. We celebrate teachers’ day on May 1 in Nigeria and it is a day that we show appreciation to our teachers for the amazing impact they have had in our development as humans. I must say that most of my teachers right from the nursery school to my university days contributed in making me a better person and I appreciate them every passing day.

    1. I agree. We may have gotten something from our parents but the most impact that brought us to where we are right now are our teachers and they deserve all the appreciation and the recognition. That is why our batch made some efforts to recognize and award them during our annual reunion just to give them full recognition that we couldn’t have made it this far if not for them hand in hand with our supportive parents.

  4. It’s a nice thing that you celebrate teachers appreciation there. I wish we also have it here. And wow, you even started discussing it at 1944. We are under Japanese occupation that time. That was World War II. We don’t have such celebration here. I’ve never seen anyone packing gifts, not even simple gift cards throughout my student life. But I show my appreciation to my teachers by giving them the respect they deserve every single day I enter their class. I was never rude to my teachers. I pay attention and cooperate with them during classes. I don’t give them a hard time. Those are the simple ways I do in return for the sacrifices they make just to educate us. Teachers are also regarded as our second parents while we are away from home. They really deserve some respect and appreciation. I hope we get to celebrate and give tokens like that to teachers here someday.

    1. That is so sweet of you. Definitely, the respect you showed to your teachers everyday was a great gift. Kids stay with their teachers during most part of the daytime of five days a week. There is no doubt that teachers are second parents.

      Thank you for visiting and commenting.

  5. There was no Teacher’s day before but now it is been an event in school or recognized by a country. I think it is a good idea that it was created. Especially for younger students who will learn to appreciate their teachers more. It will make them understand that their teachers are their benefit, to help them get a good education and help them achieve their goals in life and give them the best opportunities for employment when they leave school.

  6. I’m doing mathematics at my university right now, most exactly to be a math teacher. It’s so nice to see the valorization of the teacher. To be honest, in my country this just don’t happen. We receive ridiculously low payments. we are disrespected by our own students. I really pray for a change somewhere in the future. Nice post!

    1. I am so sorry to hear that teachers may be disrespected somewhere. In the USA, students (as well as parents of students) respect teachers. We believe that teachers make the society better. I am pretty sure in your country too, there are lots of people who are thinking the same way.

      In terms of salary, I think, in the US, teachers have descent earning, especially university professors. I wish and hope for the best for all teachers all over the globe.

      Thank you for visiting and commenting. Have a wonderful weekend.

  7. I’m a teacher and reading this article makes me proud of myself. Thank you for appreciating us in a simple way. You make teachers value more their job.

    1. Definitely, teaching is a job of honor and respect. You build civilizations. Thank you. Have a wonderful weekend ahead.

      1. Yes, thank you too not only for appreciating us but you also encourage us to continue teaching. Have also wonderful weekend, God bless

  8. This is a great way to celebrate the people who teach us everything we know. In my country, a teacher is considered our second parent. In my country, the teacher day is on 5 June (in every year), and on their celebration day, they have a free working day.

    1. I agree. Thank you for sharing the tradition of your country, Romania, regarding teacher’s day. Have a wonderful weekend.

  9. This is a wonderful way to give back to the teachers who play such an important role in kids’ lives 🙂

  10. So thankful for teachers! This is awesome! Mine are still to young for school but we try to acknowledge their church teachers and other people who care for them. Great information!

    1. So glad to know that you liked the info. You ate absolutely right—appreciation may start from very early stage. Dear Son is not yet in a regular school; he is four and going to a day care, where they have preK setting. I am completely with you; We acknowledge all the care Dear Son is receiving. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Have a wonderful evening.

    1. Oh, yes, absolutely! This is something like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day! We, as adults, really do not tell our parents everyday that we love them. Each occasion is good as a reminder because we forget to appreciate everyone of our life everyday. I completely agree teachers are to appreciate all the times.

  11. How wonderful of you to put together gifts for your son’s teachers and the staff members! I know that they are so thankful. I saved cards and gifts that children gave to me the entire 18 years of my teaching career! I have them safely tucked away in large plastic tubs…I know that it sounds crazy! in fact, I have the cards that my class gave me last June when I retired! They are in my computer desk!!
    Pat Davis recently posted…Franklin the Turtle. His Mother’s Day Gift. The Best!My Profile

    1. Such a lovely comment! In fact, I kept my fingers crossed to see your comment on this post. ? It is not strange at all that you kept all the tokens of love and appreciation you received during your teaching career, rather this is very thoughtful and lovely. I appreciate your visit and comment on this post. Wish you a wonderful rest of the week.

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