It’s May 2nd – National Teacher Day!

Oh, gosh. Did you forget again? No worries, National Teacher Day has been stretched into a week. You have three more days to let your kids’ instructors know how much they’re appreciated.

Going forward, you might want to add this recurring event to your digital calendar. National Teacher Day is now observed on the first Tuesday of the first full week of May.

In 1953, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wife, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, stood before Congress and introduced the concept of a day to recognize teachers. Because of her efforts, many states introduced their own teacher recognition days.

During the 1970s, the National Education Association and the Kansas and Indiana State Boards of Education lobbied Congress to create a national day to recognize teachers. Finally in 1980, National Teacher Day became official. Four years later, thanks to the National Parent Teacher Association, the day evolved into a week.

I know many teachers who have truly suffered during the COVID years. How they’ve continued to teach under such challenging conditions is beyond me. In Georgia, we’re experiencing a serious teacher shortage. To attract new teachers, our state is joining nine other states in the federal Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. It will validate teaching licenses across state lines so teachers won’t have to get a new license if they move states.

Let’s do our best to hold on to the teachers we have and show them how much we appreciate their tenacity, patience, flexibility, and hope.

When showing our appreciation this week,

• Keep school policy in mind. Some school systems do not allow their teachers to accept gifts over a certain amount of money as this may affect fairness. Keep your gifts thoughtful. A simple thank-you card, especially for middle and high school teachers, can go a long way in bringing smiles to their faces.

• Think of what they might want or need. Teachers always appreciate gift cards to restaurants, coffee shops, big box stores, and bookstores. Sometimes they need specific items for their classrooms, such as books or posters. Remember to include a gift receipt in case your gift is a duplicate.

• Ask your teachers what they prefer. I did that one year and received a surprising answer. My son’s fifth grade teacher asked for owl pellets for a science project. Who knew that owls coughed up pellets that contain interesting things they’ve eaten? The teacher invited me to the dissecting party. Wow! The kids loved it, and she was over the moon with delight at their reactions. “Best gift ever,” she said.

Do you have any recommendations for how parents and students can show their appreciation to teachers?