How to Plan an Amazing Teacher Appreciation Week In 3 Simple Steps
Teacher Appreciation Week is right around the corner. This year it’s the week of May 3–7, 2021
Recognizing how much teachers matter leaves a significant impact on those taking care of our most prized possessions in life. Enhancing the educational environment at your school will help energize the teachers. Setting the stage for parent volunteers helps them help you! When it comes to parent volunteering, teacher appreciation activities are some of the most rewarding and often most supported.
Teacher appreciation week can be an elaborate, weeklong event, or simple gestures from the students. What matters isn’t how much you do but how thoughtfully you do it. We are all busy parents, but TA Week can be a wonderful week for your school and easier than you may think.
You just need 3 simple things:
The Plan
The Theme
The Gifts
You can go super elaborate, and if you do, be sure to ask for lots of parent help. But if you do not have a large parent volunteer base, follow these 3 simple steps. We’ve rounded up information, ideas, and tips to help make your efforts the best yet.
The Plan
About 2 months before Teacher Appreciation Week, it’s worth taking some time to think about the big picture—what does your school want to do for teacher appreciation? Consider the overall personality of your community. Would the teachers like one big luncheon celebration (costumes, props, etc.) or a low-key approach with a small gift for each staff person?
The Budget (or Not)
Some schools have a line item on the budget for teacher appreciation expenses. But many don’t have any extra funds for it. No worries—teacher appreciation lends itself to donations, homemade gifts, and acts of kindness that have no cost but a person’s time.
You can request donations of gift cards, food, merchandise, and services from businesses in the community. These can be used for:
To give each team member a prize during the week
Host a wonderful meal for the entire team
Have a different surprise waiting for them each day of the week
The Theme
Once you have a plan and an idea of how you will gather the needed items, it is now time to come up with a fun theme. Get creative! Something that gets the entire school involved.
Then turn that theme into something amazing that is used throughout the entire school. Make posters, print letters, create fun areas in the school where the teachers gather and find creative ways to have your theme shine.
Some ideas include:
Guilt-free fun: Fiesta-theme luncheon with an alcohol-free margarita machine.
Time to soothe: Hand lotion with an attached tag that reads, “Thanks for keeping our kids in good hands!”
I teach. What’s Your Super Power?: Superhero fun all week long.
Who’s feeling lucky? Weeklong prize giveaways, with one winner, announced each day. The winner picks her prize from a selection of gift cards.
Let’s Falamingle: Thanks for being part of our flock.
Healthy Harvest: A lunchtime salad bar with homemade bread.
Kick-start your day: Coffee and smoothie cart provided by a local vendor, set up at school before team members arrive. Teachers pick from a variety of flavors.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts isn’t hiring so I teach muggles instead.
How cool: Purchase a fan for each classroom and present it with a tag that says “We are your greatest fans!”
Relax: Spa Day at the school with free massages and aromatherapy.
Sunglasses: Thanks to my teachers my future is bright.
Rock Star: Thanks to my teachers I am a rock star. Music-themed fun all week.
Have a seat: Renovate the teacher’s area with new items.
Carryall: Duffel bags with the school logo for each teacher.
Secret supper: Mystery dinner in the cafeteria. Decorate using a particular theme, and keep it on the down-low until the transformed area is revealed to the teachers.
Not just for kids: Goody bags with items like pens and post-it notes given at a luncheon.
On the run: A “to go” light breakfast of yogurt, granola bars, and bottled water. Teachers can easily bring it back to the classroom.
Simply said: Each child gives the teacher a flower and tells her why he or she thinks the teacher is special.
Special delivery: Volunteers walk the hallways with a dessert and punch cart, offering sweets to teachers.
Flower power: Give “Lunch on Us’’ bouquets, a mix of flowers, and gift cards.
Money bags: Teachers pick a bag of chocolate coins, not knowing there’s a secret stash of real money mixed among the chocolates (anywhere from $5 to $50).
Supply day: Each child is encouraged to bring in one school supply (a glue stick, wipes, a pack of pencils) to the teacher.
Best memory: Children make drawings for the teacher illustrating their favorite moment of the school year.
Thank-you wall: Put up a large piece of paper (poster board would work) on the classroom wall and have children sign it, expressing their thanks.
More ideas:
Superhero-Theme Teacher Appreciation Printable Pack (free download with email): event announcement, invitation, poster, table tents, water bottle labels, photo booth props, and iron-on transfers
Red Carpet-Theme Teacher Appreciation Luncheon Tools: flyer, invitation, letter, and table tent
Western-Theme Teacher Appreciation Luncheon Tools: flyer, invitation, letter, and table tent
Fiesta-Theme Teacher Appreciation Luncheon Tools: flyer, invitation, letter, and table tent
Luau-Theme Teacher Appreciation Luncheon Tools: flyer, invitation, letter, and table tent
The Gifts
Teachers and school team members do so much that it can be difficult to come up with just the right ways of expressing gratitude. In terms of gifts, do they really need another apple-theme knickknack? (Probably not.) Do they notice the basket of snacks placed in their lounge after lunch? (Probably so.)
Here are some creative ideas:
Teachers and the team members at our schools ensure the safety and quality early childhood education experience our kiddos have every day. Many of them do so because they have a passion for it, not because they get paid the big bucks. Teacher Appreciation Week is a week that we can celebrate them and show them how grateful we are. We hope this will spark some creative ideas for you to share the love in your school.
Meet our Amazing Team at Peake Academy
Ms. Judy
Early Preschool Toddlers
I have really enjoyed the past 18 years nurturing and caring for children. The last 14 years at Peake Academy have been such a joy. I am passionately committed to nurturing the goodness, creativity and beauty of each child. Watching each child explore and grow brings me delight. I feel blessed being able to spend the year doing what I love the most!
Ms. Zuzu
Early Preschool Toddlers
I feel very fortunate to have worked here at Peake Academy for the last three years. I have always loved working with children and even have three of my own! When I am not in the classroom, I enjoy taking walks with my family and cooking. I am ready for another year working at Peake Academy and watching your child grow in the classroom
Ms. Aveen
Early Preschool Twos
I have been at Peake Academy for more than eight years and have loved every moment. I graduated with a college degree in Business Administration when I lived in Iraq before coming to the United States. Because I love working with kids, I decided to try teaching pre-school after moving to Oregon and realized that I absolutely love teaching. I can’t wait to meet your child as we have a great year ahead of us. We will be reviewing a lot, learning even more, and of course having tons of fun along the way!
Ms. Hind
Early Preschool Twos
I have loved working at Peake Academy for the last 5 years. I lived in Iraq-Baghdad and attended college at the University of Technology in Building and Construction Engineering. I worked as an Engineer in Baghdad until 6 years ago when my family and I decided to move to Oregon. I have always loved working with kids so getting the opportunity to work at Peake Academy was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I am looking forward to learning with your child, we are going to have a lot of fun together!
Ms. Calli
Early PreSchool
I am currently in the process of getting my teaching degree at George Fox University. Over the last three years I have worked with children and discovered it is my true passion. I will be student teaching this upcoming January in Lake Oswego to gain more experience in the field and grow as an educator. I am looking forward to a great year at Peake Academy!
Ms. Jolene
PreSchool
I originally went to college to become a paralegal and after two years decided it wasn’t my passion. While attending school, I began working in a PreSchool while finishing up my second year of classes. It didn’t take long to realize teaching PreSchool was the right choice for me. This will be my first year with Peake Academy and I can already tell it is going to be a great one!
Ms. Nikki
Pre-Kindergarten
Nikki has worked with school aged children for nearly four years. After graduating from Cal State East Bay, they found a love for teaching while working in an after school program in San Jose, California. Nikki continued their career in education after moving to Oregon, both as an after school Teacher and also as a Site Director. Nikki is looking forward to joining the team and meeting the kids and families at Peake Academy!
Ms. Mikayla
Kindergarten
I just graduated from Washington State University with a degree in teaching and this is my first year teaching Kindergarten! I am very excited to be in the classroom helping your child learn new skills and grow as individuals. When I am not in the classroom I am often found spending time with my two dogs Tori and Kona and my cats Scooby and Gray.
Ms. Angie
School Director
At Peake Academy I am the School Director, the Phonics teacher and kind of a terrible dancer. I have a Psychology degree from Mansfield University (If you know where that is, I’ll give you a high five). My plan was to take a year off before grad school so I took a job teaching preschool and thought “Why would I do anything else?!” That was over twenty years ago and I still have the same love for it.
Ms. Marisa
School Administrator
I graduated from Oregon State University studying Elementary Education and Childhood Development. This past year I was student teaching in Corvallis, Oregon teaching 3rd grade. Teaching has always been a passion of mine and working with children through Peake Academy has been so rewarding over the years. When I am not teaching, I enjoy reading, spending time outside and trying new recipes.
Ms. Tina
Facility Manager
I have worked for Peake Academy for the past four years, devoted to keeping the space clean and safe for the kiddos! My daughter has been a part of the Peake Academy family since she was one month old and has loved every moment of her time here. You will see me cleaning our facility as needed to maintain all health and safety protocols. I am looking forward to spending time with this wonderful team.
Ms. Kelley Peake
CEO / Founder
Welcome to our school! I am grateful for my extensive experience in the field of education, including, a BA in Education with a focus on Early Childhood Education and more than 20 years focused on helping to make life a little easier for today's busy families. As a working mother of three children, I not only understands the issues parents face but I live these challenges each day.
Before opening Peake Academy in 2006, I led the New Business Development initiatives for KinderCare Learning Centers, where I was responsible for generating strategic business plans for growth of new channel development within the Education marketplace. Playing a major role in creating unique business opportunities for quality educational companies that include, Hooked on Phonics, Lego, Scholastic, Leap Frog, Kindermusik, Computer Tots, Kinderdance, Early Advantage, Disney, and others. Goals included creating successful programs that gave parents options for improving the amount and quality of time that they shared with their families. In addition, I played a major role on the Operations team developing new trainings for the entire company, standard operating procedures, new hire process, enrollment strategies, implementing marketing tactics, and many more operational programs used to ensure the success of programs throughout the country.
With parents placing a higher value on quality family time and seeking to achieve balance in their lives, I saw a need to improve the traditional delivery method of childcare. So, I left the senior management role behind to pursue creative ways for today's families to experience a more flexible and unique learning environment. In every offering you will be confident that a high standard of education, quality and happiness are at the core of what we do. You will see the tangible evidence of our commitment to creating quality learning experiences for our students and their parents. We are committed to making a difference in the lives of the children we serve.