30 Ideas for Schools and Districts Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week 

Are you wondering how to celebrate teachers in your schools during Teacher Appreciation Week?  

With the week-long celebration fast approaching, it’s prime time for schools and districts to be thinking of meaningful and memorable ways to thank their teachers and acknowledge the dedication, hard work, and passion they bring to their classrooms every day.  

But how can schools and districts plan an impactful week-long celebration for their educators?  

To inspire schools and districts celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, we’ve curated a list of 30 creative ideas for recognizing and honoring educators. These ideas can be mixed and matched across Teacher Appreciation Week to extend the celebration and show your school and district’s teachers how much you care. 

While these ideas are intended to help schools and districts recognize and celebrate their teachers, they can be easily adapted for others looking to recognize U.S. teachers. 

30 ideas for schools and districts to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week: 

1. Personalized thank you notes: Encourage administrators, staff, and students to write personalized thank you notes to teachers, highlighting their impact and dedication. Handwritten notes are a great touch, as are thoughtful cards.  

2. Appreciation programs: Create an easy and fun way for teachers to nominate and recognize their teaching colleagues for their outstanding contributions and support. 

3. Gifts and tokens of appreciation: Provide teachers with thoughtful gifts, gift cards, or customized items as gestures of gratitude for their hard work and dedication. Flowers, classroom supplies, and teacher organization items are great here.  

4. Promote relaxation and wellness: Prioritize teachers’ well-being by organizing wellness activities such as yoga sessions, mindfulness workshops, or stress-relief activities to promote self-care and relaxation. Consider opportunities for gift cards or substantial coupons to continue promoting and supporting teachers’ self-care throughout the year.  

5. Recognition awards: Establish recognition awards or certificates to honor outstanding teachers for their exemplary teaching practices, innovative approaches, and positive impact on student learning. 

6. Public recognition: Showcase teachers’ achievements and contributions through school newsletters, social media posts, and announcements, ensuring their efforts are publicly acknowledged and celebrated. 

7. Parent involvement: Encourage parents and guardians to express their appreciation for teachers through heartfelt messages, artwork, or contributions to teacher appreciation initiatives. 

8. Catering opportunities: Providing good coffee, breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks throughout the week can be a great way to celebrate, especially if you seek teacher input in advance on what types of treats they might most appreciate. 

9. Community partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses and organizations to provide discounts, freebies, or special offers for teachers during the week as a token of appreciation. 

10. Teacher spotlight series: Launch a teacher spotlight series on social media or school newsletters, featuring interviews, profiles, or testimonials highlighting the diverse talents, experiences, and passions of individual teachers within the school community. You could also create a teacher spotlight display that showcases photos and bios of each teacher, highlighting fun facts, achievements, and contributions.  

11. Provide classroom supplies: There is one thing teachers can never have enough of: classroom supplies. Ask teachers to share their supply wish lists and work with your school and larger community to gather items from the lists.  

12. Virtual memory lane: Create a digital memory lane showcasing photos, videos, and memorable moments shared by teachers and students throughout the school year, celebrating their journey together. 

13. School-wide activities: Organize school-wide activities such as a teacher appreciation parade, themed luncheons, or special assemblies to celebrate teachers and their contributions to the school community. 

14. Themed dress up day: Host a themed dress-up day where students and staff can dress as their favorite book characters or superheroes to honor teachers. This can be especially fun to pair with an assembly or talent show celebrating teachers.  

15. Professional development opportunities: Offer professional development workshops or seminars tailored to teachers’ interests and needs, providing opportunities for growth and skill enhancement. 

16. Virtual thank-you wall: Create a virtual thank-you wall where students, parents, and staff can post messages, photos, and videos expressing their appreciation for teachers, fostering a sense of connection and gratitude. This can also be great to display on screens around the school.  

17. Surprise classroom makeovers: Coordinate surprise classroom makeovers or renovations for select teachers, with new furniture, decorations, and supplies to create a fresh and inspiring learning environment. 

18. Teacher appreciation tech fair: Organize a tech fair or showcase featuring innovative educational technology tools, apps, and resources that support teaching and learning, providing teachers with opportunities to explore and integrate new digital tools into their classrooms. 

19. Community service day: Coordinate a community service day where teachers, students, and staff volunteer together to support local charities, organizations, or community projects — showcasing the spirit of giving back and making a positive impact beyond the classroom. To make it even more meaningful, you can ask teachers for their input on which local organizations and projects they’d like to support during the celebration. 

20. Treat teachers to dinner: Work with your local community to treat teachers to dinner with a spouse, family member, or friend.  

21. Collaborative art project: Facilitate a collaborative art project where teachers and students work together to create a mural, sculpture, or installation celebrating teachers and education. 

22. School garden planting day: Host a school garden planting day where teachers, students, and staff come together to plant flowers, herbs, or vegetables in the school garden — symbolizing growth, renewal, and appreciation for teachers’ nurturing role in students’ lives. 

23. Teacher appreciation concert: Arrange a virtual concert or musical performance dedicated to teachers, featuring student musicians, local bands, or guest artists performing uplifting and inspiring songs as a tribute to educators. 

24. Professional recognition: You might already be doing this year-round, but Teacher Appreciation Week is a great reminder to nominate teachers for local, state, or national awards and recognition programs to highlight their achievements and dedication to the teaching profession. 

25. Outdoor retreat day: Plan an outdoor retreat day for teachers to relax, unwind, and enjoy nature, with activities such as hiking, picnicking, or outdoor yoga sessions to promote wellness and stress relief. 

26.  Future planning: Use Teacher Appreciation Week as an opportunity (hopefully one of many!) to solicit feedback and input from teachers on future planning, curriculum development, and school improvement initiatives — demonstrating teachers valued contributions to the school community. 

27. Social hour: End the day week with a teacher and staff appreciation happy hour or social gathering where teachers can relax and celebrate their accomplishments together. 

28. Professional headshot sessions: Offer professional headshot sessions for teachers to update their professional profiles or portfolios, providing high-quality photos for resumes, websites, or social media profiles. 

29. Professional growth grants: Establish professional growth grants or funding opportunities for teachers to pursue further education, attend conferences, or participate in workshops aligned with their professional goals and interests. 

30.  Legacy project: Initiate a collaborative legacy project where teachers and students work together to create a lasting tribute or commemorative artwork celebrating the collective achievements, memories, and milestones of the school year, leaving a meaningful legacy for future generations. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of ideas on how your school and district can celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, but it is a great jumping off point for brainstorming creative and memorable ways to celebrate your community’s educators.  

Looking to better support and empower teachers in your school or district? Moreland University can help.  

See how Moreland University partners with school districts across the nation to solve teacher certification challenges, support professional development, and bolster teacher success.