Teacher Appreciation Week

This past year, I was the room mom for Gus's class (I was room mom for the AM and PM sessions). For the most part, this didn't require me to do much, and it was very easy. I knew from my teaching days, that Teacher Appreciation Week is usually the first week of May, so I sent an email to the class and shared a fun schedule of easy and inexpensive things that we could do for Ms. Amanda (lead teacher) and Ms. Jan (parapro for the class).

I can remember teaching for seven years in Michigan and never getting much of anything from parents for Teacher Appreciation Week. A few gave me things, but for the most part, it wasn't a big deal. When I moved to North Carolina and taught at Oak Grove, I was overwhelmed by how much the parents and the kids did for me as the teacher.

When I had my birthday in October, my students and their parents threw me a birthday party, complete with cupcakes, balloons, and gifts. It was more than I had received for my birthday since being a kid!!

 

A GORGEOUS cupcake cake from my 2008-2009 4th graders

 

My 2009-2010 class was OVER THE TOP... this was the door when I arrived

 

Look at those adorable cupcakes!!

 

The kids signed the big card... and inside were several different gift cards to my favorite restaurants and places to shop

 

 

When it came time for Teacher Appreciation Week, I felt like I had already been so spoiled all year, what more could they possibly do?

One day was always flowers day, then another candy and chocolates, one day was gift cards, one was school supplies, homemade gifts, and heartfelt thanks. 

I know how special those days were and how much it meant to me as a teacher, and I wanted to show Gus's teachers the same gratitude. 

So I emailed Ms. Amanda to ask her about what the school was doing to TAW and to my shock, she said that the school had celebrated it back in March. What the what?!?!?! MARCH?!?! No one had ever mentioned anything to me about this, and I was embarassed to think that Ms. Amanda and Ms. Jan went the whole week in March without anything and probably felt like we had forgotten them.

I deicded that we would celebrate during the real TAW and we did it BIG. Monday was flowers and a letter of gratitude, Tuesday was gift card day, Wednesday was candy and chocolates, Thursday was a homemade gift and Friday was your favorite school supply.

For day 1, I was going to send flowers to school with Gus, but I didn't think they'd make it on the bus and waiting in the cafeteria, so instead, he did gift bags and inside were flowered themed items. Each teacher got a letter of gratitude, two packs of seeds, flower chip clips, flowered leis, and a dancing flower.

On Tuesday, we sent in gift cards to Michael's. I found these awesome gift card holders on Pinterest and just had to print them!!

On Wednesday, I sent in three things because on Wednesdays and Fridays Gus's class has Ms. Susan (speech therapist) come for the whole morning. I sent three mason jar mugs filled with candy, and then a note of thanks to each of them.

Day four was handmade gift. I used Pinterest for ideas and settled on a really easy project and sent that in for both teachers.

The last day of the week was school supplies, and I delivered three (one for Ms. Amanda, one for Ms. Jan, and one for Ms. Susan). I also brought the teachers lunch (subs, chips, and a drink) since no pizza places would be open. They were genuinely surprised and overwhelmed by all the gifts and told me several times how much they appreciated everything.

 
My goal was for them to feel as loved and appreciated as they deserve and Ms. Jan said that the whole week felt like Christmas. They had no idea it was happening, they didn't know what each day was going to bring, and to have the kids and parents send in so many wonderful things really was unexpected.


Mission Accomplished.