They teach our kids how to read, how to speak in other languages, how to bisect a triangle and how to write a killer five paragraph essay. What would we do without the men and women who help shape our children's minds five days of the week?
The first week of May is National Teacher Appreciation Week! Will you be buffing up a nice shiny apple, heading out to buy some gift cards or leaving it to your child's crafting skills?
National Teacher Day is on Tuesday during Teacher Appreciation Week, which takes place in the first full week of May (May 3, 2011)
Students often show appreciation for their teachers with token gifts (giving teachers presents etc.). The National Education Association describes National Teacher Day as "a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives".
The NEA gives a history of National Teacher Day: The origins of Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Wisconsin teacher Ryan Krug began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodbridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day. NEA along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City (Kan. ) local lobbied Congress to create a national day celebrating teachers. Congress declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day for that year only. NEA and its affiliates continued to observe Teacher Day on the first Tuesday in March until 1985, when the National PTA established Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of May. The NEA Representative Assembly then voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day.
As of September 7, 1976, September 11 was also adopted as Teachers' Day in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Currently, Massachusetts sets the first Sunday of June as its own Teachers' Day, annually.
Gift Ideas for teachers:
For younger and early grade students
- gift cards
- flowers from your garden or purchased
- arts and crafts handmade by students, such as collage of drawing
- an album of writing and drawing from ALL the students in the class
For older students (middle to high school)
- handmade bookmark or notepad from students
- recipes or books
- drawing or sculptures made by students
- a poem or prose, even a song
- cook something for your teacher
- an excursion or travel plan for the teacher