It’s got to be tough to be a teacher during a pandemic. Teachers, from first-year newbies to seasoned instructors, are being challenged beyond the norms of a classroom setting. Some haven’t seen their students in months, some schools are going entirely virtual. Other schools are letting parents choose between virtual and in-person classroom settings. This puts double work on teachers who are trying to plan out a very abnormal school year. Why wait until May when it is officially Teacher Appreciation Month? There are lots of ways to show teachers how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication to teaching students as we all adjust to new norms. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.
Digital Gift Cards
Who doesn’t love a gift card? You can warm a teacher’s heart by sending a gift card to them. It’s easily purchased online and sent to them via email. They can even redeem them online in most cases. There’s no physical contact in case your area is still under quarantine.
Snail Mail a Card
A signed card can express gratitude and go a long way in encouraging teachers. If you do not have the teacher’s address, you may be able to send it to them via their school. Make it even more special by having your child create a handmade card. If you are unsure of how to mail it, you can take a photo with your phone and mail the image to them. If you are able to send it via snail mail, stick an Apple Bookmarker in the card as a small token of your appreciation.
Buy Them Dinner
Providing dinner from a local restaurant is a wonderful way to show teacher appreciation. You can ask them about their favorite restaurant or ask which one is closest to their home. Be sure to find out which evening would work best for their schedule too. You can order it, pay for it, and have them pick it up. You may also use a delivery service like GrubHub or Uber Eats and have it delivered directly to their home.
Leave the Teacher a Gift
You have options if you’d like to leave a teacher a gift. Buy a nice basket of goodies, school supplies or snacks and leave it on their desk. You might want to leave it on their doorstep if you know where they live. An Apple Trophy or a Crystal Apple award are great tokens of appreciation. They can be personalized by engraving their name and the name of the school and school year if you’d like. Then leave the attractive award on their desk where they’ll be sure to see it.