Planning Your Next Teacher Appreciation Day
When 4th-grade teacher Casey Chatwal entered the hall, he didn’t know what to expect.
“I was surprised because teachers aren’t recognized often enough. And to see an event recognizing teachers was surprising.”
Invited by students and INC Giving volunteers in South Anchorage, teachers like Casey were celebrated and thanked for their efforts in and outside of the classroom during Teacher’s Appreciation Day.
“I was almost moved to tears during the recognition of teachers; it’s such a challenging job to do. And we receive such little recognition that seeing everyone and all the work that went into the event tonight moved me nearly to tears.”
Unfortunately, as heartwarming as this sentiment is… it’s also a reflection of the struggle teachers face around the world.
- 78% of 3,000 staff across the United Kingdom are stressed.(EducationSupport.org)
- Teachers spend an average of $750 a year on school supplies for their classrooms. (Zippia.com)
- On average, teachers work 53.3 hours a week teaching and doing school-related work. (Zippia.com)
- 76% of Australian teachers report their workload as unmanageable. (Monash)
Teachers are often overworked, underpaid, and rarely celebrated, which is why INC Giving volunteers make it a point to recognize their efforts through Teacher Appreciation Days.
Planning Teacher Appreciation Day
Ever since the first INC Giving Teacher Appreciation Day was held in 2011, INC Giving volunteers have celebrated the efforts and contributions of educators around the world. Tables are set, invitations are sent out, poems and songs are prepared… it’s often a day many teachers don’t realize they need but one they remember for years to come.
Like Margaret Petrakis who wrote to her student’s family right after their Teacher Appreciation Day in Temple Hills Maryland:
Even when we reached out to Mrs. Perakis years later, she had this to say “I remember this day like it was yesterday. I truly am blessed to have connected with you and I love you more. Thank you very much for everything.”
From Teacher Appreciation Day in Temple Hills, Maryland. Highlighted are Mrs. Petrakis and Alex Larkin.
So how do you plan a memorable Teacher Appreciation Day? Like most INC Giving Projects it’s all about paying attention to the small details and getting everyone involved, including the youngest INC Giving volunteers.
1. Set the time, date and venue
The first thing is getting the time, date, and venue approved. Most Teacher Appreciation Days take place in the function hall. Still, in some cases, alternative venues have been proposed including the parking lot area of the chapel (weather permitting), the school cafeteria in coordination with the school, a rented hall, or even a drive-by style Teacher Appreciation where students surprise their teachers in the classroom (again with the school’s permission).
[insert photos of different venues for tad]
But in most cases, they are held on chapel grounds. Once that is set, a date is determined based on the school year calendar of the area. Most Teacher Appreciation Days occur towards the end of a school year when teachers are usually most tired and could use the appreciation or at the beginning of the year when they’re getting ready to inspire a new set of students.
It’s also a good idea to check the local school calendar to work around graduations, finals, and other weeks that may make it hard for teachers to attend.
Logistics Checklist
- Pick a venue for the event
- Review the calendar to propose dates that won’t interfere with the school calendar
2. Planning the TAD Experience
Teachers are busy, so when inviting them to attend an event, it’s important to pay attention to the small details that will make the experience unforgettable for them. So here are a few checklists to help you plan out the details.
Welcoming educators as they arrive
- Who will greet them from the parking lot to the venue?
- Do you need a welcome sign or decor?
- Map out their route
- Who will prepare the nametags?
Planning a short program (no more than an hour and a half hours)
- Prayer
- Introduction + Meet & Greet with teachers
- Musical Performances
- Poems / Speeches from Students
- Games
- Teacher recognition
- Prizes
- Prayer
Giving them something to remember the day by
- School supply giveaways
- Photo booth
- INC Giving cards with messages from their students
After seeing so many Teacher Appreciation Days over the years, it is obvious that it doesn’t matter how big you make the event, but rather how intentional it is. Get the young volunteers involved and ask them how they want to celebrate their teachers. The more personal the experience, the more memorable the event becomes for every teacher and every student that attends.
“I left the celebrations feeling uplifted and much appreciated. It was quite an afternoon of joy and blessings and I was proud to have been invited to such a special occasion.” – Ms. Louise Cowley, a nursery teacher Invited to the Teacher Appreciation Day in Sunbury, United Kingdom.
Read her full experience here.
3. Getting the word out
Once you’ve got your details planned out and the event approved, it’s time to get the word out. There are two groups of people you need to focus on — the educators and the INC Giving volunteers recognizing them.
Let’s start with the teachers.
- Make personalized invitations that students and parents can hand to the teachers. You can find approved templates to use here.
- Prepare invitations early so teachers have enough time to add them on their busy schedule
If your local congregation is located near a school and you want to invite educators who may not have students who are INC Giving volunteers, reach out to the school administration office and bring your invitations. Let them know that the event is welcome to the educators in the community.
For the INC Giving volunteers
- Put up posters for the event as soon as it’s approved. The earlier INC Members know about it, the better it is. Approved Poster Templates are here
- Ask for a list of teachers they want to invite (so you can print enough invitations)
- Create a signup sheet on who wants to perform and or participate in the event
Examples of Creative Ideas
So far we’ve talked about the basics for planning a Teacher Appreciation Day, but you can always add more details to make the event even more memorable and unique.
Here are some ways local congregations and districts have been able to do that:
- Tie it all together with a theme
- Get the INC Kids involved with decor.
- They can draw pictures of their teachers or write poems to put up as decor
- They can write the name cards for the teachers
- Invite them to bring in pictures of the teachers they invited
- Lay out school supplies and give each teacher a bag to mix and match what they need for the school year
- Print out certificates for the teachers signed by their students and honor them on stage the way they celebrate their students
- Do a book donation and invite teachers to take books for their classrooms
- Create a video presentation with messages from the young volunteers
Thank you for inviting us to the Teacher Appreciation Evening! It was wonderful! Your church family is so warm and giving! Please let them know I truly appreciate their kindness. I do not know of any other church that does as much for teachers. The supplies are much appreciated because we have been told classroom supplies will be supplied for the upcoming year. Again many thanks to you, your family and your church family.
-Eartha S., Social Studies Teacher Coordinator, Oxon Hill, MD
The day of the event
Once all the preparation is done it’s important to meet with all the volunteers and participants before the event starts. Make sure everyone knows what they’re doing, arrive early to set up, and of course help with the clean up.
For the young volunteers who invited their teachers, remind them to arrive early to greet their teachers when they arrive. Introduce them to your Church community and show them a side of you they may not see in the classroom.
And if you have upcoming INC Giving activities on your calendar, invite the teachers to join you.
Ready to start planning for your next Teacher Appreciation Day?
Teacher Appreciation Days don’t have to be extravagant events. Instead, focus on creating an experience the teachers will remember even when they’re having a tough day in the classroom.
Ready to plan yours? Visit the tools page to download the posters, invitations, and banners for your event. And don’t forget to document the event. We’d love to see it featured on our social media and the INC Giving Show page.
