The first full week of May has been designated Teacher Appreciation Week and it is a chance to celebrate favorite teachers and a chance to thank them for the work they do. This year it will be celebrated at Armijo and across the country from Monday, May 1 through Friday, May 5.

The History Behind it

The concept of this special week started in 1953 when Eleanor Roosevelt convinced Congress that there needed to be a specific day where teachers could be recognized for their hard work. Some states already celebrated teachers but they weren’t officially recognized nationwide.

A woman named Mattye Whytle Wooldridge tried to communicate with the leaders in the education system to establish a day in which teachers could be honored but was not recognized for her efforts, so she wrote letters to Roosevelt and caught her attention. It still took 27 years for it to be an official National Day, recognized across the country. In 1980, the National Education Association (NEA), and the Board of Education for Kansas State and Indiana State helped influenced Congress to have the day officially recognized. National Teacher Day was celebrated on March 7 until 1984, and then changed to May 2, when it was extended to a weeklong celebration.

Ways to show appreciation

1. Write them a special note. It could be a simple card or you could personalize that card with a show your teacher adores or a cartoon design. The design can be as simple or complex as you’d like it. It’s the thought that counts.
2. Give them a gift card. A Starbucks gift card or a gift card to their favorite restaurant can go a long way, if you are too stumped to think of what to get them.
3. Wrap up their favorite snack or candy. A nice little treat for your teacher can be a good mood lifter. Find out your teacher’s favorite snack or drink of choice to give them a lovely surprise.
4. Collect some flowers. Flowers are a societal way to show compassion and thoughtfulness and can be very uplifting if your teacher has been having a bad day.

This Teachers Appreciation Week, show all of your teachers some love and give them a gift that they will never forget. Make it a memorable week by participating in the Dress-Up Days and festivities that Armijo has arranged to honor the teachers, and take it a step further with your own acknowledgement.