Most of our time as parents is spent trying to teach our kids a thing or two about respect and being good members of society. But once kids hit schooling age, we no longer have as much direct control as we’d like of the influences in our children’s life. By then, we have no choice but to pass on some of that trust to their teachers and other adults they are surrounded by in their time away from home. But luckily for parents, every school has adults who are eager to help kids succeed and ultimately bring more positivity to kids’ lives than most parents could hope for.

Though every teacher goes into the field to help children with their education, not all of them do what it takes to go above and beyond as a mentor and positive influence. We believe that those that do deserve the utmost respect and recognition. These are just a few of the ways students, parents and faculty can give great teachers the appreciation they deserve.

 

1. Nomination for a Golden Apple Award: Even if they don’t end up receiving the award, the fact that their students believe they make a good candidate can be very special to a teacher.

 

2. Thank You Letters at the End of the Year: Many people today underestimate the impact of a solid heart-felt letter, but a gesture like this could even make up for a whole year of headaches!

 

3. Shout Out During Morning Announcements: If the school has morning announcements, they’re probably more than willing to give a special shout out to a teacher from the class.

 

4.  Call the Principal and Put in a Good Word: While many parents reserve the phone call to the principal for a complaint, it could be refreshing to hear a positive comment for once.

 

5. Petition for a Teacher of the Month Program: If your child’s school doesn’t already have one, get together with some other parents to recognize noteworthy teachers monthly.

 

6. Recognize the Small Successes: If your child was struggling in a subject and improved thanks to the help of a teacher, say thank you with something as small as a gift card for coffee on you.

 

7. Invite Local Businesses to Offer Teacher Discounts: Smaller businesses are more likely to want to help with some of these discounts.

 

8. Decorate the Classroom: Banners, balloons, streamers. Enough said.

 

9. Reach out to Your Newspaper: If you know anyone in your local paper, send over a pitch about a local teacher whose work is impacting students.

 

10. Recognize them with a Plaque: Choose the style and personalize a plaque for a deserving teacher you know here.