From May the 4th be with you, to May 8th 2026, was Teacher Appreciation Week. It’s the week where we, as students, can give back to our teachers after what they’ve done for us this entire year. They’ve spent time at both work and home, to make sure that their students are well taken care of and prepared for what comes next. 

I came across the history of it from a website called Schoolyard. Teacher appreciation week started as a single day, proposed to congress by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1953. It was on March 7th up until 1984, when the National Parent Teacher Association moved it to May. It is now the first full week of May, with different days representing specific kinds of teachers.

If you’re not sure what you can do to thank your teachers for their hard work, I have some recommendations! My first one is getting your teacher a small gift. This could be something like a drink from starbucks, or maybe a cool bookmark. 

If you don’t have any money to spare, you could write them letters and tell them how much you appreciate them. It can be a full 1500s monarch letter, like a declaration of appreciation, or just a simple “I’m grateful for you!” 

You’ve probably also seen the large papers in the hallways outside of classrooms or in the classrooms with specific teachers’ names on them. They’re there to give kids a way to show their appreciation for their teachers as a whole, and not just individually. 

Make sure to show your teachers appreciation this week, and every week, because they really put in a lot for you. Wish them a good morning or afternoon when you walk in. Say thank you when you leave their class. Make sure that they know that you care about them and all they do for you.