Teacher Appreciation Week this year is May 3-7! As a former principal, it truly is the “most wonderful time of year,” in my humble opinion. At Possip, we have been sending our partner schools hundreds of specific teacher shout-outs and praise every week! Those words of affirmation from families are some of the most meaningful and sweet teacher appreciation gifts possible. So, what can schools do with Possip praise quotes from families? Glad you asked! We have some ideas to share! Even if you’re not a Possip partner school, you can use shout-outs or praise comments you gather from students and families during Teacher Appreciation Week. Here are 10 creative ways to use family praise for Teacher Appreciation Week:
Teacher Appreciation Posters:
Decorate posters with praise quotes and hang them on each teacher’s door on the Monday of Teacher Appreciation Week. What a fun surprise when they go to unlock their door! Students can help make the posters secretly the week before and just copy the Possip quotes from family members. They will love helping out and can add some fun creativity to the posters! Plus, teachers love getting student-made art for Teacher Appreciation Week–it’s a win-win!
Teacher Praise Bulletin Boards:
Try putting together a bulletin board in the break room of all the positive and kind words from families! It’s as simple as printing off strips of all the Possip praise quotes and pasting them in a public space, like the teacher’s lounge. Families would love to help out with this if they are allowed on campus, or can even do most of the printing/cutting outside of school and drop it off at the front desk with set-up instructions. Just make sure for any of these public displays of teacher appreciation, that praise is balanced and that all teachers are recognized 🙂
Teacher Appreciation Through Positive Emails:
Although simple, it’s a nice treat for teachers to find a positive email from their school leader in their inbox! You can send Possip teacher praise quotes in an email to individual teachers randomly throughout the day, or even have a special “Teacher Appreciation Week” staff newsletter that has all the Possip praise for a more public appreciation.
Praise Print-Outs:
Another quick and simple way to use Possip teacher praise quotes is to copy them into a word document, print the quotes on decorative sheets of paper, and hand them out to teachers during morning arrival. This is super convenient if you already make morning rounds around the building. Starting off their day with tangible words of affirmations and positivity will be a great addition to Teacher Appreciation Week celebrations. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to add a breakfast treat with the slip of paper! (What teacher wouldn’t love donuts or pastries from their leadership team in the morning?!).
Two other ways schools can use praise print-outs are:
- Cutting them and using them as raffle tickets in a meeting. Each teacher should have one praise quote in the “pot” and you can read a praise aloud for the winner.
- Print them out and randomly hang them around teacher spaces during the year (bathroom mirrors, coffee pot, next to the teacher lounge door handles, etc).
Virtual Slideshow of Praise:
If technology fits your comfort zone more than crafting, turn the praise quotes from families into a slideshow powerpoint or iMovie. The slideshow could be running at the start of a staff meeting, morning huddle, or in the break room. You can even send it to staff after the meeting, so they can keep it as a sweet “virtual” reminder of 2021 Teacher Appreciation Week.
Framed Quotes for Teacher Appreciation Week:
Teacher desks are great places to house reminders of teacher appreciation– they can be visual pick-me-ups. Handwrite or print praise quotes on decorative paper. Find a nice frame and cut the praise quotes to fit. This is an easy, memorable, and charming gift for Teacher Appreciation Week.
E-Cards to Teachers:
It may be fun to go beyond the normal e-mail message this year. Put fun teacher praise quotes into a more celebratory “e-card” for each individual teacher. The inside of the card can be filled with individual praises or general praise for the staff. There are lots of e-card websites, like American Greeting Cards, with really fun, creative, and free cards.
Outdoor Chalk Talk:
This one is dependent on the weather and your building layout, but if you have a singular teacher entrance, writing teacher praise quotes on the chalk at the school entrance is a fun way to start out the day. Teachers can enter school with extra “pep” after reading some kind words about them.
Surprise Whiteboard Praise:
Some teachers are very particular about their whiteboard cleanliness level and go to great lengths to keep it spotless, so if that’s true of your teachers, this idea may not be great. But if you haven’t noticed that clean “whiteboard” focus, it would be a fun surprise to pop into a teacher’s classroom early in the morning before they arrive and write praise quotes on their whiteboard. And don’t forget, leaving a donut or breakfast taco on their desk wouldn’t be a bad addition to the written praise!
Personalized Gifts with Praises:
If you have a crafty side, get blank pottery or coffee cups and decorate them with praise quotes. Teachers can leave it on their desk for decoration or use the coffee cup frequently.
There are endless ways to appreciate a teacher and sometimes the most simple words from families are the most memorable. Reach out to amanda@possip.com if you want more ideas for celebrating teachers this year or read this Possip blog on building staff culture for more ideas on how to celebrate your team throughout the year.
