Posts tagged "education"

Teacher Appreciation Day

Image via Wikipedia

Teacher Appreciation Day is May 3rd.  What are some of the different ways others have celebrated your dedication to teaching?  There are a variety of ways that students, parents, and community members show their appreciation for teachers.  Some of the ways include hosting a luncheon, buying special gifts, and donating classroom supplies.  As a teacher, it is extremely important to feel like your job is important and that you are making a difference.

I’m sure that you can remember the teachers that have made a difference in your life.  It is amazing how many teachers each person encounters in one lifetime.  From your beginning days of preschool to your college days and beyond, you are no doubt continuing to work with teachers almost daily.  Do you remember how you have showed your appreciation to your dedicated teachers in the past?  Some of the most meaningful gestures of appreciation in my teaching career have been both simple and heart felt.  I have had students create stepping stones, mugs, and picture frames.  I have also had families buy me gift certificates for my favorite coffee shops, restaurants, and book stores.  Some more memorable gifts include beautiful note cards, a pen and pencil set, and a quote of a day.  Classroom teaching supplies that I use everyday such as fun post-it notes, highlighters, and children’s books also top my list of the best Teacher Appreciation gifts that I have received.

Still don’t know what to get a dedicated teacher in your life?  You actually don’t need to buy anything.  Even if you just express your gratitude by writing a note or volunteering in their classroom, you are thanking them for their hard work.

Remember teachers are everywhere!  When you go to church, teachers are teaching Sunday school classes, at day cares, camps, schools, and libraries teachers are making a difference in the lives of children.  Stop and do something to appreciate them today!

Arts and Crafts for the End of the Year

Image by bookgrl via Flickr

Are arts and crafts on your list of things to do with your students?  One of my favorite arts and crafts project that incorporates literacy skills is making a memory book.  Each year I purchase a blank book for every student.  I encourage kids to write about their favorite classroom memories over the past school year.  This is a wonderful activity for all ages and ability levels.  Students can just draw pictures or write complete pages about their favorite highlights from the year.  Students as well as their parents and their families will cherish a memory book from school for years to come.  There is also something special about authentic student work.  There are many different ways students can make a memory book, but when students can use arts and crafts supplies and their imagination, they can make an amazing book.

Here are some examples of sentence starters that I used for my first grade memory book:

My favorite color is ____________.

My favorite math activity is ___________.

My favorite book that I can read is ______________.

I like to _________________________________.

Theses are just several examples of sentence starters.

You can also choose many other themes and create a variety of books.  In years past, I have helped students create books to summarize science and social studies units.

Here are some of the other supplies that you may need for creating a beautiful book.

• crayons
• markers
• colored pencils
• stickers
• stencils

Let the creativity begin and help students make a memorable book that will help create a keepsake book that will be read for years to come.

Stop by www.k12schoolsupplies.net to get these arts and crafts supplies and stock up on many more.  We strive to provide you a wide selection of teaching supplies that meet your needs.