• Today kicks of Teacher Appreciation Week! Tell us what you have planned to #ThankaTeacher! about an hour ago
• Help your teacher win a trip to International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conf in San Antonio! https://t.co/LtXsdY5Lgn about 14 hours ago

PTA Teacher Appreciation Week

 Teachers play a key role in student success, and sometimes a simple “thanks” is all a teacher needs to feel valued. Take the time to celebrate your students’ teachers during 2013 PTA Teacher Appreciation Week^SM May 6–10.

How You Can Show Appreciation

The decision to teach often comes with low-to-moderate pay, and around-the-clock hours. Support from families can ease the difficult work teachers do. PTA Teacher Appreciation Week is the perfect time to personally thank your students’ teachers for their sacrifices and support for children throughout the year. While appreciation alone will not reduce the challenges teachers face, it will let them know their efforts are not going unnoticed.
Here’s how you can honor teachers:

• Write letters and cards of appreciation to your students’ teachers throughout the week and ask you students’ teachers how you can support them throughout the year.
• Show your support for the tremendous work teachers do by volunteering in your students’ classrooms.
• Nominate your students’ teachers for local and national awards.
• Tell us on Facebook and Twitter how you plan to appreciate your students’ teachers using the hashtag #ThankATeacher.
• Pick up the April/May edition of Our Children magazine, which is devoted to teachers’ perspectives and offers parents great advice for building a strong relationship with their students’ educators.
• Give the gift of PTA membership to a teacher in your life.
• Follow the new PTA Pinterest boards for more teacher appreciation ideas.

National PTA has also created customizable recognition tools for you and your child to use to make your teacher feel special:

• Advertisement: Place this advertisement in a local publication or distribute it as a flier.
• Certificates: Use these customizable certificates to recognize outstanding teachers at your students’ school.
  • Given by a PTA President
  • Given by a PTSA President
  • Given by a Principal
  • Given by a Student
• E-card: Send a graphic card via email to your students’ favorite teachers.
• Social Media Avatar and Badge: Share the PTA Teacher Appreciation Week badge on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
• Web Banner: Display the PTA Teacher Appreciation Week banner on your school’s website.

National Honors

Since 1984, National PTA has designated the first full week in May as a special time to honor the men and women who lend their passion and skills to educating our children. PTA events at the national, state, and local levels celebrate the outstanding contributions teachers make.
Additionally, National PTA is proud to recognize teachers and administrators with awards and grants. Whether you want to support your school's activities during November's PTA^® Healthy Lifestyles^SM Month with a grant or you want to honor a fellow colleague with National PTA Life Achievement Award, PTA offers a variety of ways to recognize teachers. Learn more about these opportunities here.
National PTA also serves on the selection committees for the National Teacher of the Year Program and People Magazine’s own Teacher of Year Award.