Teacher Appreciation Week deals in El Paso area

Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times
·4 min read

It's an equation that can't be disproved. Teaching is not easy. And therefore, teachers need to be appreciated.

Whether they teach at an elementary, middle school, high school or even college, teachers generally need a break ‒ and more than the 30-minute one they may get during school.

Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt began the effort to create Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teachers Day when she told Congress in 1953 of the need for a day recognizing teachers, according to USA TODAY.

National Teachers Day was initially celebrated March 7, but in 1984 was moved to May.

When is Teacher Appreciation Week?

Now, May 8-12 is Teacher Appreciation Week around the country. That means students' parents have time to get a thank-you gift for the teacher who takes extra time with their kid or does a great job keeping their child interested in learning.

Teachers themselves can take note of some special deals this week to give themselves a little pat on the back.

In El Paso, here are some ways for teachers to be recognized.

Whataburger provides free breakfast

Starting Monday, Whataburger is offering free breakfast items from 5 to 9 a.m., including a Taquito with cheese, Breakfast on a Bun or Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, and a special  Whatastore discount of 25% off. Make sure to use the code: WHATATEACHER23.

Whataburger is recognizing teachers with deals from its Whatastore and free breakfast during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Whataburger is recognizing teachers with deals from its Whatastore and free breakfast during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Among the fun shop items for educators who love Whataburgers are T-shirts that say Whatateacher. The cotton shirts retail for $25, excluding tax.

Firehouse Subs' free sandwich deal for teachers

Firehouse Subs is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week.
Firehouse Subs is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week.

Firehouse Subs will give teachers nationwide any free medium sub with the purchase of any medium or large sub, chips and drink, from May 8 to May 12. Any medium sub is eligible, including the limited-time Smokin’ Triple Stack sub.

Freddy's offers mini-sundaes

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is offering teachers a free single-topping minisundae for Teacher Appreciation Week.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is offering teachers a free single-topping minisundae for Teacher Appreciation Week.

Fast-casual restaurant Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is offering teachers a free single-topping mini-sundae this week. Guests must present a valid school ID for dine-in or drive-thru orders only. No purchase is necessary to redeem the offer. https://freddys.com/teacher-appreciation-week

Sonic offers free cheeseburgers, makes donation to education nonprofit

Sonic Drive-In restaurants are offering a free cheeseburger with purchase one time through May 16. Teachers need to enroll in the Sonic Teachers' Circle, a free rewards program exclusively for educators through the SONIC app.

In addition, the Sonic Foundation will match up the $1.5 million in donations to DonorsChoose, an education nonprofit that allows individuals to donate directly to public school classroom requests. It is also partnering with actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, with an additional $50,000 to fund projects of her choosing.

Harmony Schools adds early-release Fridays

Harmony Public Schools is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week by announcing that campuses will have early release Fridays for all full-time campus and district staff for the 2023-24 school year.

Beginning next fall, all staff members will be able to leave each Friday as soon as students dismiss, roughly at about 1 p.m. Planning and professional development, which used to be on Friday afternoons, will be moved to earlier in the week.

"Teachers are the heart of Harmony,” CEO Fatih Ay said in a release. “So, we are as excited to offer to them this new perk as we believe they will be to receive it. We hope they’ll use this time for some additional self-care, whether that includes spending more time with family or just getting an early start on a relaxing weekend."

Office Depot and OfficeMax teacher appreciation deals

Through July 1, teachers with a free Office Depot and OfficeMax Rewards membership can get 30% back in bonus rewards on qualifying in-store purchases. Just be sure to present the appropriate coupon available online at officedepot.com/rewardsoffers, a valid teacher ID, and your Office Depot OfficeMax Rewards Member number at checkout.

Nominate a teacher for MagellanTV subscription prize

Documentary-streaming service MagellanTV is taking nominations for one incredible teacher to receive $2,500, plus a free annual MagellanTV subscription for the entire school. The service has an extensive library of documentaries on history, science, culture and can be a great resource for continued personal education.

The deadline to nominate a teacher and their school is Friday. Parents, teachers, and colleagues can nominate at https://www.magellantv.com/teacher-appreciation-week

The awarded teacher and their school will be announced in the weeks following Teacher Appreciation week.

María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150, mcortes@elpasotimes.com and @EPTMaria on Twitter.

USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Teacher Appreciation Week 2023 deals in El Paso