Next week, May 8 through May 12, is Teacher Appreciation Week:
A time to thank the teachers of this country for the important work they do.
I am often asked – including several times this week – what makes the perfect teacher appreciation gift, and every time, my answer is the same:
When it comes to gifts, I firmly believe that the best gift that you can give a teacher is simply a note expressing your appreciation for all that they have done for your child.
Teaching can be a lonely profession. We work in isolation for much of the day, and our primary clients – our students – are not always forthcoming or insightful enough to adequately express their appreciation for their teachers. While we are routinely observed and critiqued by administrators, these critiques do nothing to illuminate the impact that a teacher can have on a student or a family.
I have letters from the parents of my former students that I cherish as much as any other object in my life. I read these letters after difficult days in the classroom, and they lift my spirits beyond measure. They serve as reminders that what I do is making a difference in the world when a tough day or an impossible situation causes me to think otherwise.
Regardless of the gift that you plan on giving your child’s teacher this year, take some time to sit down and write a letter to your child’s teachers, telling them how much they have come to mean to you and your child. Remind the teacher that their impact extends far beyond the classroom and that they are making a difference in the life of your child.
And if you truly believe that your child’s teacher is exemplary, send that letter to the principal and even the superintendent of schools as well. During my first year of teaching, a mother sent a note to me during the holidays expressing her appreciation for all I was doing for her daughter, and she also sent a copy of that letter to my principal and the superintendent of schools expressing her support for me.
That letter was sent 24 years ago, and it still means the world to me. It remains one of the best gifts that anyone has ever given me.
And if you don’t have a child attending school, seriously consider writing to a teacher from your past. For the past three years, I have written teacher appreciation letters to my former teachers and college professors, including some who were retired from the profession, and every time, the result was extraordinary.
Each letter resulted in an exchange of letters or emails reconnecting me to a person who was once a pivotal figure in my life. Each time, the recipient was immeasurably grateful for being remembered – and being remembered well – by a former student.
Some of those moments of reconnection continue to this day.
So when deciding upon a gift for a teacher, consider the gift of words.
Give the gift of appreciation, admiration, and love.
It really is the best gift that you could give.
