Teacher Appreciation: Recognizing the Great Teachers in Your Life
It is important for teachers to understand how deeply valued their efforts are so they can stay motivated and continue to do their jobs in the best way possible. While acknowledging dedication is something that many want to do, figuring out the best way to do so can be challenging. When Teacher Appreciation Week comes around, you want to be ready to recognize all of the hard-working and fantastic teachers in your life.
Teacher Appreciation Day – Every Day
Every year, teacher appreciation day gives administrators, students, and parents the opportunity to acknowledge the dedicated educators in their lives. However, although having a teacher appreciation day and week is nice, teachers deserve appreciation every day.
The corporate world is putting more energy and attention into social recognition than ever before and educators need to catch up. If all of the other professions can have their days, then teachers certainly deserve their own as well. People blossom when they are recognized, when genuinely appreciated for their skills, contributions, and efforts. With the rise of social media, providing positive reinforcement in the professional environment is easier than ever before. Companies now rely on online apps to help them promote social recognition among employees. What was the apple on the teacher’s desk is now a digital apple badge with a personalized message posted on a social feed.
Should administrators start using social recognition programs in their schools? Absolutely! If you think your teachers can benefit, it can be a great way to incorporate appreciation as a regular part of your professional process. If you’re not quite ready to digitalize your praise, keeping things simple but heartfelt will show teachers that their efforts have not gone unnoticed.
Show Teacher Appreciation Ideas
There are lots of ideas out there to help you figure out how you want to acknowledge the dedicated educators in your life. Perusing online advice on how to show teacher appreciation, I came across a lot of cutesy teacher-themed gifts with generic thank you cards attached. Any form of saying ‘thank you’ is of course valued – including a personalized apple mug or an adorable tote bag; however what is even more meaningful are some honest words of appreciation. Heartfelt words are something which energizes us teachers when we hear them from our students, and it wouldn’t hurt to hear it more often from administrators, parents, and even fellow educators.
“Thank you” is a beautiful phrase; followed by a string of words which show that someone sees and recognizes our hard work, strengths, and struggles is magic. It can really give us the push we need to keep giving our all. So don’t limit your words of teacher appreciation to one week or one day out of the year. While we all have busy schedules, try to fit in teacher appreciation whenever you can, year-round.