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How To Give Teachers Gifts For Teacher Appreciation Week Without Leaving Home
Teachers definitely deserve thanks in 2020, because so many educators are helping children (and their parents) maintain normalcy during the quarantine. However, figuring out how to give teachers gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week is a bit tricky at the moment, given the restrictions in place to keep everyone safer. But educators absolutely deserve a note of appreciation, because transitioning to an all-online, remote classroom at a moment's notice has been a lot of work.
However, thanking your kid's teacher is not as easy as sending a present to their school this year, given the current quarantine situation. In addition, directly mailing a gift to the teacher also presents some potential issues. "While personally I'm not particularly nervous about receiving snail mail or going to the post office during COVID-19, I know many are," Kate Winn, teacher and parenting writer at This Mom Loves, tells Romper. Although it's unclear exactly how long coronavirus can live on mail, many people are (understandably) cautious about handling it right now, as explained in Bustle. However, teachers still crave that feedback. "We really want to hear from students and parents what they want to say or share on appreciation week with us," Brandon Foster, a parent, teacher, and blogger at Myschoolsupplylists, tells Romper. With this in mind, here are several ways you can recognize your kid's educators during Teacher Appreciation Week while still keeping up with safe social distancing practices.
1Write A Personalized Email
This might be the simplest and most heartfelt way to mark Teacher Appreciation Week in 2020. "I always say that the best way to show appreciation to a teacher is a note of thanks, the more personal or specific the better," says Winn, who adds that it's always nice to hear details. Point out particular ways the teacher has helped your kid this year. "'Tessa has been loving the science experiment ideas' or 'Thanks for the work you've done to modify the assignments to meet Caleb's needs' — sentiments like that truly go a long way," says Winn.
2Send an E-Card
If possible, have your younger kid write and design a thank-you note for the teacher and include a pic in the email. "It's great to receive and read emails containing virtual cards," says Foster. "The efforts students put in making cards really tell about their love, care, and respect, and this way of praising our efforts means a lot to us." A kind word or two could make the teacher's day.
3Make A Video
For some kids, there's nothing better than starring in a video for any reason, so consider filming your thanks. "If they prefer talking to writing, kids and/or parents can record video messages of thanks for their teachers," says Winn. "A particularly keen parent could even rally the class to send messages that could all be compiled into one video before sending to the teacher. That would be a keepsake forever!" If your kid loves being the star of the show, then a video will probably be amazing.
4Don't Feel Pressured To Spend Money
Not everybody has cash to splash at the moment, and teachers are very sensitive to this fact. "Teachers truly never expect parents to spend money on gifts, and especially now when many are laid off or struggling financially there would be no expectation that families purchase anything," says Winn. Again, it's often the personal notes of thanks that mean the most to teachers anyway.
5Schedule A Delivery
For those who want to send the teacher a tangible gift, then delivery is one option. "If you do have the address (and that fact wouldn't creep the teacher out) a third-party delivery (as opposed to a student or parent showing up on the doorstep) of flowers, a plant or something from a bakery would be well-received," says Winn. Consider calling your local florist or cake shop to ship a treat.
6Use Online Gift Cards
This option lets you give the teacher a gift while allowing everybody to continue safely isolating. "Many companies offer online gift cards, and you can never go wrong with those! Typical teacher favorites include coffee shops and book stores, and now is a perfect time to support a local independent business," says Winn. Whatever option you choose, 2020 is the perfect year to recognize Teacher Appreciation Week, because they are still working so hard to educate children everywhere.
Experts:
Kate Winn, teacher and parenting writer at This Mom Loves
Brandon Foster, a parent, teacher, and blogger at Myschoolsupplylists
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