69ý

Teaching Profession

Teachers Share the Most Meaningful Ways to Show Appreciation

By Marina Whiteleather — May 05, 2023 1 min read
Close up of school boy making a felt craft with a big red heart and colored beads.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Not all teachers want flowers or mugs during Teacher Appreciation Week, but sometimes it’s the small gestures that mean the most.

We asked teachers on social media to share the most meaningful ways that students, parents, and colleagues have shown their appreciation for the critical work that they do. Here’s a round-up of some of the ways teachers’ K-12 communities have shown their support.

Handwritten notes or emails

“A handwritten note always warms my heart.💜"

-

“A thoughtful note. I’ve kept notes written on post-its, scrap paper and gum wrappers. Many are posted on my bulletin board next to my desk reminding me why I stay teaching during the tough days.”

@MissMaleiko

-

Kudos from parents

“When parents told me how I transformed their children.”

-

“Honestly I’d just say parents telling me that I was the first teacher that made their child feel safe to be who they are in front of the class. That’s the best compliment I’ve ever been given and didn’t even know that’s what I was accomplishing.”

-

Thoughtful gifts

“One of my students just gave me this pug stuffed animal today 😭 my students know I love pugs and have two pugs so this was really special. 🥰"

@Ms. J

-

“I love golf. I played in college, and I teach business & finance classes. I bring up golf a lot in class. A student had personalized golf balls made for me that say, “I teach kids about money”. They saw it on the shirt I received from the @NatlJumpStart conference!”

-

69ý who stay in touch

“When former students come back to visit.”

-

“When I see students in public and they go out of their way to talk to me.”

-

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Teaching Profession Opinion Teacher Contracts Need to Change. And It’s Not Just About Money
If we want to retain effective teaches, we should increase teacher compensation—but we need to do it strategically.
Karen Hawley Miles & David Rosenberg
4 min read
Final Piece Of The Puzzle. Two people about to shake hands over trading a jigsaw puzzle piece needed for the solution.
iStock/Getty Images + Education Week
Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Teachers Say the Public Views Them Negatively
The perception coincides with teachers' low levels of job satisfaction.
2 min read
survey teachers static
via Canva
Teaching Profession Download Play Teacher TV Bingo and Spot All the Teacher Tropes
It's trope bingo; spot the common (and often annoying) mischaracterizations.
Image of bingo cards, a remote control, and a television.
via Canva
Teaching Profession Fictional Teachers on TV Can Skew Public Perception
Media tropes about teachers can give incoming educators and the public unrealistic expectations about the profession.
5 min read
Chris Perfetti, Lisa Ann Walter, Quinta Brunson, and Tyler James Williams play teachers on the ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary.” Teachers say the show resonates with their experience.
Chris Perfetti, Lisa Ann Walter, Quinta Brunson, and Tyler James Williams play teachers on the ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary.” Teachers say the show resonates with their experience, but researchers say many other portrayals of teachers are flawed.
Gilles Mingasson/ABC