Teacher Appreciation Week 2024 takes place from May 6 to May 10 and National Teacher Day is Tuesday, May 7. This year's theme for Teacher Appreciation Week is Teachers Drive the Future. Don't forget to take the time to #ThankATeacher on social media using the hashtag.
First lady Eleanor Roosevelt laid the groundwork for what would become Teacher Appreciation Week, when in 1953 she urged Congress to create a day to recognize educators. It took until March 7, 1980 for the first Teacher Appreciation Day to become nationally recognized. Finally, in 1984, the National Parent Teacher Association created Teacher Appreciation Week by dedicating the first full week in May to the celebration.
Parents, students, and the community as a whole can take time to say "Thank you!" to teachers in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week. Need some inspiration for how to thank your teacher? Reading Rockets has a great list of different ways to show your appreciation.
The library has some wonderful books about teachers, here are just a few of them.
- Picture Books About Teachers
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Lila Greer, Teacher of the Year by Andrea Beaty
When Lila, a worrier, moves to a new town, the what ifs only grow, and she feels alone and invisible until her teacher finds a creative and kind way to make Lila feel welcome and open to new experiences, a lesson that will stay with her long after second grade. (from the Publisher)
How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jean Reagan
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Thank You, Teacher: from the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
From the very hungry caterpillar, this colorful book of thanks shows how much teachers are appreciated. (from the Publisher)
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
A Letter to My Teacher by Deborah Hopkinson
Dear Substitute by Liz Garton Scanlon
My Teacher is a Robot by Jeffrey Brown
- Juvenile Fiction Books About Teachers
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Mr. Cooper is Super by Dan Gutman
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
Seven fifth-graders at Snow Hill School in Connecticut relate how their lives are changed for the better by "rookie teacher" Mr. Terupt. (from the Publisher)
Booked by Kwame Alexander
Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
- Adult Non-Fiction Books About Teachers
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The Spirit of Our Work: black women teachers (re)member by Cynthia Dillard
The Art of Teaching Children: all I learned from a lifetime in the classroom by Phillip Done
Lessons Learned and Cherished: the teacher who changed my life by Deborah Roberts
A giftable collection of essays from celebrity contributors celebrating the great work of teachers or a teacher they admire, curated by ABC journalist Deborah Roberts. Contributors include Oprah Winfrey, Jenna Bush Hager, Robin Roberts, Brooke Shields, Octavia Spencer, Misty Copeland, among others. Everyone can name a teacher that had an impact on their life. Educators not only open our minds to new ideas, but they also help us recognize our potential and our passions. However, they rarely get credit for the life changing work they do, and they may not have any idea how that work can impact a student all the way into adulthood. In Lessons Learned and Cherished: The Teacher Who Changed My Life, renowned ABC journalist Deborah Roberts curates a collection of essays, letters, and musings from celebrity friends and colleagues alike that share how teachers changed them and helped them get to where they are today. (from the Publisher)
The Teachers: a year inside America's most vulnerable, important profession by Alexandra Robbins
The Child is the Teacher: a life of Maria Montessori by Cristina De Stefano