When Is Teacher Appreciation Week 2021? History, Gifts, & Ways To Celebrate

Every year, teachers get a whole week where leadership, parents, and students celebrate, acknowledge, and thank them for all of the amazing work they do every day in the classroom. In recent years, they’ve gone above and beyond to navigate hybrid and virtual learning structures — a change that has disrupted the lives of educators as much as students and their families, So, when is Teacher Appreciation Week in 2021? It’s an opportune time to show your child’s teacher that you recognize their efforts and struggles and that you couldn’t appreciate them more.

When Is Teacher Appreciation Week 2021

This year, Teacher Appreciation Week runs from May 3 through May 7 (or May 2 through May 8 if your kids attend school on weekends) with National Teacher Day falling on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. Every school celebrates the week in its own way, but you should consider preparing some kind of thank you card or gift to give to your kids’ teachers, especially after they put in another year of work not only educating your little ones but doing everything they could to keep them safe during the pandemic, too. Whether your kids attended school in-person, virtually, or a hybrid of both, their teachers went to great lengths to make it a good year despite the circumstances.

Teacher Appreciation Week History

Back in 1953, after receiving letters from teachers Eleanor Roosevelt took the idea of Teacher Appreciation Day to congress. The idea was well received, but it wasn’t until March of 1980 that it was officially recognized nationally. It didn’t take long for everyone to agree that a single day of recognition wasn’t enough, though, because in 1984, they extended Teacher Appreciation Day to Teacher Appreciation Week and moved it to the first full week in May, where it continues to be celebrated today.

Teacher Appreciation Week Celebration Ideas

How you and your kiddo wish their teacher a happy Teacher Appreciation Week this year depends a lot on how they’re attending school. If class is being held virtually, you’ll want to stick with virtual celebrations for now. For kids who are attending in-person (whether full time or part time), it’s important to check with the school office to find out if there are any guidelines you should follow to ensure you’re following COVID-19 protocol and keeping everyone safe.

1. A Personal Video. Help your child make a thank you video for their teacher to email to them. It can be a simple clip with a message from you and your child or put your TikTok skills to work and create something with music.
2. Send In Some Coffee. Acknowledge how tired they must be from their jobs by giving them a little gift basket with a new travel mug and a few bags of local coffee or a gift card to their favorite coffee shop.
3. Handwritten Note. Write up a thank you note by hand to send in to the teacher, and have your child do one, too. If they’re too young to write, a scribbled picture out of their coloring book is equally as sweet.
4. Go In With The Other Families. Come together with other adults so you can all pitch in for a nice gift for the teacher or their classroom. If the teacher has an Amazon Wish List, have everyone get one or two items off the list as a thank you.
5. Make A Donation. Donate some money to the school or to the teacher’s favorite organization in their name. You could also plant a tree or a pretty flower in their honor.
6. Decorate The Classroom Door. Team up with the other adults and have the kids color pictures and make crafts and hang them all over the classroom door along with a “Thank You” message from all of the parents.
7. Add To The Class Library. Pick up a few books to add to the classroom library. Ask your child to help you pick some out so that you avoid giving duplicates.

Gifts For Teacher Appreciation

Remember, this is about saying thank you to teachers for all of their hard work, so while gifting classroom supplies is always appreciated, also include something that they can use for themselves. It can be something as simple as a gift card to their favorite store or a bag of candy, just as long as it’s some kind of personal treat. This is your chance to show them some much needed love at the end of the school year.