Teacher Appreciation Ideas

With Teacher Appreciation Week coming up in May, I thought it would be a good idea to have a special recognition of teachers and their individual "unique" strengths and contributions. As such, I made this list of ideas for teacher recognition. PLEASE respond to this post and share any additional ideas that you may have:

A can of defroster- for the teacher who is so good at breaking the ice

A shower cap- for the teacher who never allows anything to “dampen” her enthusiasm

A Payday candy bar- for the teacher who deserves an extra Payday for coming early and staying late all the time

Some mints- for the teacher whose contributions on the School Climate Committee have “mint” so much

A bottle of lotion- for the teacher who is always able to “smooth” things over with disgruntled parents

A roll of Lifesavers- for the teacher whose conscientiousness has “saved” some inattentive students during afternoon dismissal

A nice pen- for the teacher who is always so de-pen-dable

A notepad- for the teacher who recently had a “noteworthy” accomplishment (Leadership Fellows)

A box of tissues- for the teacher who refused to let a challenged student “blow it”

A coke- for the teacher who has proven to be the “Real Thing”

A clock- for the teacher who so graciously gives freely of her time

A bag of Hershey Hugs/Kisses- for the teacher who always has hugs and kisses for her students

A pair of dark shades- for the new teacher who has a bright future ahead of her

A bag of Smarties- for the teacher who proved she is a “Smartie” by recently finishing her Master’s degree

A package of flower seeds- for the teacher who plants the seeds of learning and is so patient for the seeds to take bloom

A roadmap- for the teacher who is gifted at articulating and sharing the new direction of the school

A book of matches- for the teacher who is always able to ignite a spark in unmotivated students

An art-set- for the teacher who inspires everyone with her creative bulletin boards

A pack of highlighters- for the teacher who regularly makes it a point to “highlight” the accomplishments of EVERY student

A can of air freshener- for the teacher who always has a “fresh” outlook

A jar of honey- for the teacher who got us out of a “sticky” situation with…..

A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser- for the teacher who does such a great job of allowing students to start each day with a clean slate

A pack of POST-IT Notes- for the teacher who is faithfully at her morning duty "post" each and every day

A balancing scale- for the teacher who so perfectly balances her pressure and support to manage student behavior

A bottle of SPIC & SPAN- for the teacher who always has such a tidy classroom

A gold-colored plastic food tray- “A Golden Tray Award” for the teacher who always has her students behave and clean up in the cafeteria

A Teddy Bear- for the teacher (coach) who looks intimidating, but is really just a big teddy bear

A bird stuffed animal- for the exceptional education teacher who gave her students wings to fly

A pack of Extra and pack of Carefree gum- for the retiring teacher who deserves an “extra carefree” future

A lock/key set- for the ELL teacher who has taught her students to unlock the door into another culture

An ice-cream scooper- for the teacher who always “has the scoop” on the latest innovative practices and research

A box of microwave popcorn- for the teacher who constantly keeps things “poppin” in her creative writing class

A rock collection set- for the teacher who “rocks” it in the science lab

A book of stamps- for the teacher who tried to “stamp” out hunger by organizing the canned food drive

“A Magic Wand”- for the teacher who we all consider to be our “Baking Fairy” (she always makes baked goods and brings them to the lounge for everyone to enjoy).

A pair of scissors- for the teacher who is always dressed so “sharp”

A coffee mug- for the teacher who is “cooler than a mug” according to her students 

Some lip balm- for the teacher who is “The Bomb” according to her students

A mirror- for the teacher who is truly “reflective” in her practice

A lion stuffed animal- for the teacher who courageously questions the status quo

A pack of “Red Hots”- for the teacher who “spices things up” at the school board meetings

Almond Joy and a Mounds candy bar- for the teacher who always brings “mounds of joy” to her students