MiddleView

When was the last time you were appreciated for something you had done?  Remember how nice it feels?  Well, just as a reminder – teacher appreciation week is coming up May 4 - 10.   Over the years, this week evolved into quite the event at my school in Oregon, so if you’re looking for ideas – here are a few to get you started thinking in time to implement something

• Working at the Car Wash!  One year my assistant principal organized a car wash!  Teachers wishing to have their car washed put their keys in an envelope along with the description of the car on the outside.  Over the course of the day, the administration (along with some parent volunteers – and maybe a student or two at times) washed all the cars!  When the car was clean, we tied a helium balloon to the wiper – looked like a used car lot but everyone had a nice clean car by the end of the day!
• Massages -- With the help of a parent who was a massage therapist, we provided neck and shoulder massages for teachers.  The parent enlisted the help of a few colleagues also in the business, and over the course of three days, all teachers were assigned a 10 minute time slot during their prep or lunch period.  Greatly appreciated by all!
• Host a luncheon or breakfast for teachers.   Often times a local restaurant will give a good deal if you tell them what it’s for.
• Give roses with the note “This bud’s for you, for all you do.”  (If you recognize this line from an old TV commercial – you’re getting older!)
• Thanks for the Hand – Put a piece of candy in the fingertips of a disposable glove and fill the rest with popcorn.  Attach a note saying, “Thanks for the hand.”
• Give out boxes of Crackerjacks (or put a BIG bowl in the staff room) along with a note reading “This is a Crackerjack staff!”

Eventually, these celebrations evolved into a week-long event with something special happening every day.  To make this work, we shared the responsibility – for example at my school the administration took one day, the classified staff another, and three student groups – honor society, Leadership club, and the Latino Club - did a day each.  Parent groups are also good to involve.

• Breakfast of Champions – A different group provided a breakfast each morning – cereal and milk, French toast, pancakes, eggs and toast, breakfast casseroles are all idea that are easy and doable.
• Decades – We discovered we had teachers born in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s so we dedicated each day of the week to a different decade.  Memorabilia was brought in, music of the decade was played, and food from the era was served.  Staff began to share memories and we learned a lot more about our colleagues – and gained an appreciation of the different perspectives we brought to the job.
• Around the World - Send your teachers on a “world tour” for the week.  Each day decorate the staff room in the theme and give a little treat from different countries – tropical smoothies from Hawaii, chips and salsa from Mexico, fortune cookies (with appropriate messages) from China, croissants from France, pizza from Italy, tea and crumpets from England, Sushi from Japan, etc.
• Disney Week – We brought a different Disney Character/Movie to life each day.  Biscuits and “Hunny” for Winnie the Pooh, a spaghetti dinner represented Lady and the Tramp, Mad Hatter Tea Party for Alice in Wonderland, Apples for Snow White, etc.
• Road Trip – One year we planned a “road trip” across the country and provided snacks from the stops along the way – Ghirardelli Chocolate from San Francisco, Chips and Salsa from the Southwest, Pralines from New Orleans, Pecan Pie from Georgia, and we ended with a southern style dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and all the trimmings.  We also had a contest to see who could bring in the oldest road map – prize was a small cooler that could be plugged into the car.

These are only a few ideas to get you started thinking – the important thing to remember is to do something to show your appreciation for the hard work that your teachers are doing on a daily basis!  Please post a comment with your ideas!