It's Teacher Appreciation Week—here's how to show your appreciation
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It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, a week dedicated to showing appreciation to those who help foster the next generation. Teachers give so much of themselves every day, so it only makes sense to want to give back to them. Before you go shopping for an apple for their desk, we're here to share ways you can show the educator in your life just how much you care and appreciate all that they do.
▶ Teacher Appreciation Week: 12 best personalized teacher gifts
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When is Teacher Appreciation Week 2023?
According to the National Education Association, Teacher Appreciation Week falls on May 8-12, 2023.
An appreciation card
Cards are one of the most straightforward gifts you can buy to show your appreciation, though this doesn't mean they're any less effective at getting the message across. A thoughtful card to show you care can be more than enough, whether it’s from a parent or student. Hallmark has cards for a myriad of occasions, including Teacher Appreciation Week, with a vast selection to choose from.
A mug
One popular gift to show appreciation is a mug. And with as many caffeine-fueled late nights and early mornings teachers have, it's a gift that they're sure to get a lot of mileage out of. There's no shortage of mugs to choose from—two that are particularly cute are these mugs from Amazon, as they both highlight the importance of being a teacher.
A planner
With so many dates and deadlines to keep track of, a planner is another gift your favorite teacher is sure to love thanks to the convenience it brings. Inamio's planner features beautiful, rose gold pages and hourly time increments, allowing users to plan their day in detail—it’s the perfect gift to bring a bit of organization into one's life.
Kids artwork
A gift that will warm your child’s teacher’s heart is artwork from their student. Whether it’s a drawing, a painting or a clay creation, they’ll love knowing that their student thought of them enough to make them something special. Beyond this, any teacher will be thrilled to see their student’s creativity flourish.
Classroom involvement
Teaching is a lot of hard work; not only does it involve instruction, but prep work, organizing the classroom and many other tasks. A surefire way to show your appreciation and earn their appreciation in turn is by helping them where needed. This could mean helping them clean the classroom at the end of the year, helping them buy books for next year or perhaps chaperoning a field trip. The possibilities are endless. Just ask—and your teacher will love the assistance.
A homemade treat
Another gift perfect for a teacher is a delicious treat made in your very own kitchen. Whether you’re baking cookies or cupcakes, even if you’re not the world’s best cook, it’s the thought and effort that counts more than anything. If you’re looking for new tools to get your bake on, we recommend getting our favorite stand mixer, the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer. It’s durable, quiet and versatile thanks to its many attachments. If you need a baking sheet, we recommend Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet, which we found to be the best thanks to its versatility, even heat distribution, large size and lightweight.
Thoughtful snacks
If you’re not much of a chef yourself, you can’t go wrong with store-bought chocolate—especially gourmet chocolate. We love the taste of Raaka's unroasted dark chocolate and like any good box of chocolate, Raaka offers a great variety of flavors.
Another route to take is gourmet popcorn. From a tin of movie theater-buttery popcorn to a box of caramel popcorn, the Popcorn Factory has many varieties of popcorn to choose from. This gratitude box even includes ranch popcorn, which we didn't even know was a thing. You'll have to ask the teacher in your life how it tastes for us.
▶ Related: The best gift basket ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week 2023
Classroom supplies
Another way to help a teacher stay organized is by gifting them supplies for their classroom. A pack of sticky notes can go a long way. They can be used for many things from bookmarks to easily accessible reminders.
Top that off with a healthy supply of pens. Whether they're grading papers or making lesson plans, they go through tons of pens on a daily basis. If you're looking for color variety, one of the best sets you can buy is Paper Mate's Inkjoy assortment. This set has over 6,000 five-star ratings, with buyers loving the color and writing quality.
A cute tote bag
Tote bags are the coolest way to carry things around, so if you know a teacher who has to lug around a ton of supplies, we think they'll love this bag from 1-800 Flowers. Better yet, it’s customizable, meaning you can add a message to make the gift personalized. It's machine-washable and will likely last the recipient a long time.
A personalized doormat
A fun doormat is one way to liven up a teacher's classroom. It's sure to brighten their day every time they see it before entering and remind them how much they're appreciated for what they do. This doormat from 1-800 Flowers is available in three sizes and is customizable, allowing you to add two lines of text in addition to the teacher's name.
A thoughtful message
You don’t need a card or a bouquet to send a message. You can write a thoughtful letter to the teacher you know, detailing how much you appreciate all that they do for their students. For an even more heartwarming message, you can try to arrange for their students to record a video message.
A flower bouquet
Another great way to show your appreciation is by gifting a beautiful bouquet of flowers. With 1-800 Flowers, you have many options to choose from, all of which are sure to bring a smile to your teacher's face. You can even buy other assorted plants if you prefer. Many bouquets come with chocolates, stuffed animals or messages for you to send with the flowers.
A gift card
Treat your teach' to something nice with a gift card. Whether your teacher is craving a cup of joe, needs to pick up supplies for the classroom or they’re looking to get their hands on some books, a gift card will certainly help them out.
Shop Barnes & Noble gift cards
▶ More: The best gift cards to give teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week
A memory book
To commemorate the year your child’s teacher spent with them and their other students, you can coordinate with the other parents to put together a memory book for them. You can fill this memory book with pictures from throughout the year. Remembering all the moments they shared with their students is sure to bring a smile to your teacher’s face.
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This article originally appeared on Reviewed: 2023 Teacher Appreciation Week: how to celebrate, show appreciation
