US Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week begins with National Teacher Day on May 7th, 2019. This week is a fantastic time to show the teachers in your life and your community how much you appreciate their work!

Classful is proud to provide a secure platform for donors to give to teachers in their area as well as nationally. Why not take this opportunity to fund a teacher and help them to provide an amazing educational experience for the children in their classroom?

Celebrate US teacher appreciation week 2019

The value of an exceptional teacher cannot be measured in dollars and cents, but that does not mean that funds aren’t necessary to provide a full and meaningful education to the students in your community.

When did US Teacher Appreciation Week begin?

This practice of officially celebrating teachers began in 1953 when Eleanor Roosevelt influenced Congress to mark this day as an annual celebration of our nation’s educators. In 1984, the first full week of May was designated as Teacher Appreciation Week, a practice that continues today.

However, this long history of celebrating our country’s teachers has not yet translated into providing them with strong salaries or adequate funding for their classrooms. Fortunately, Classful is here to help supplement teacher budgets and give educators the funds that they need to give their students the education that they deserve.

Education expenses

A lot of school districts cannot afford to provide the classroom supplies that are necessary for a well-rounded educational experience, and many teachers and parents provide these items at their own expense. Similarly, programs such as art and music are often underfunded, creating a serious gap in the breadth of today’s school curriculum. If you are an engaged parent or community member, you probably want to help remedy situations such as these, but may wonder how your efforts and donations can have the greatest impact.

Volunteering

Volunteering is not always possible due to your own work and family obligations, and you may want to do something more impactful in addition to donating school supplies. When you join the community at Classful, you can convert your ideas into action. There are a variety of different campaigns that need your help, and they range from small projects to ongoing funding.

Funding

Our platform is an effective way for educators to continue to provide the educational curriculum that best serves their students while protecting their own financial interests. It is not fair to expect teachers to shoulder this burden on their own, and this week is the perfect time to lessen their load.

Increase engagement

Take advantage of Teacher Appreciation Week and increase your engagement in the educational community that surrounds you! We all know that children are the future of our country, and too many of them are being short-changed when it comes to their classroom and extracurricular activities. Why not convert your care and concern into an actionable donation that can help children experience a better learning environment?

Education World has a lot of great suggestions that can help you plan a fantastic day and week for the teachers in your life!

Donating to show teacher appreciation

If there is a teacher in your life, or in your child’s, the first week in May gives you a chance to let them know how much they mean to you and your family. We all know that teachers often have to dip into their own funds in order to cover any shortfalls in their school budgets; when you contribute to a Classful profile you can make a difference.

Differences include:

Covering the cost of general classroom supplies
Paying for trip fees and transportation costs of field trips
Supplementing art and music budgets that have been cut
Providing extra funds to a teacher to use as they see fit

Yes, saying thank you and sharing your appreciation is important and thoughtful, and when you pair that sentiment with a financial contribution, you can make an even deeper impact in the life of a teacher.

#ThankATeacher social media campaign

If we all take a moment to reflect on our childhood memories, it is likely that there is a teacher or two who sticks out as a person whom we appreciate. Teachers are often a positive part of our formative years and what better way to commemorate their efforts than through a donation made as part of the #ThankATeacher social media campaign?

These campaigns allow you to recognize current and past teachers and let you share your story of how an educator made a difference in your life.

Why support a teacher?

Taking a job as an educator is a vocation that can be both challenging and rewarding. At Classful, we offer donors an opportunity to expand their #ThankATeacher shout out with a financial contribution to a teacher who has posted a funding campaign on the site.

Whether you are remembering a teacher who has retired, or you want to let your children’s current teachers know that you think they’re doing a great job, the #ThankATeacher campaign is a great way to express your positive sentiments.

Ways to drum up support

Sites such as Instagram and Twitter are effective platforms to recognize the teachers who have made a difference in your life. During Teacher Appreciation Week 2019, use the hashtag #ThankATeacher to tell your personal story. You can link your post to the Classful site and show the world your support for the educators in your school district.

Social media is an effective way to interact and engage with like-minded people who want to make a positive contribution to the larger world, and we find that posts honoring and valuing the efforts of others can really make a difference in their lives! Teacher Appreciation Week offers an excellent opportunity to expand your social media game to include socially aware posts that create positivity in our world.

Use social media during Teacher Appreciation Week and:

Tag your child’s favorite teacher when you relay one of their funniest school stories
Share a pic of your child holding up a thank you card that they have hand made for their teacher
Invite your friends and followers to join your child’s Classful campaign
Thank a teacher and let them know that you’ve made a donation in their name
Show your appreciation to a former teacher who touched your life

Showing support

Just like everyone else, teachers like to know that they matter. When you get in touch with a former teacher and let them know the positive effect that their efforts made on your life, it can help them feel that the struggle and challenges are worthwhile. More than many other professionals, educators are linked to their students in a very personal and close way. Whether you leave them a note on Facebook, or send them a personal email, reaching out and saying ‘thank you’ can make a huge difference in a teacher’s life.

Whether you are a recent grad, or it has been many years since you last sat in a classroom, your education has probably had a lasting effect on your life. Teacher Appreciation Week is a good time to sit back and reflect on your educational experiences and remember the ways in which it shaped your life. Our formative years are heavily impacted by our teachers, and it is too easy to forget all that they have done to make us who we are today.

We all have a beautiful memory of the way a special teacher made us feel good about ourselves and encouraged us to learn, why not share those experiences with the people in our lives now? There are also certain subjects and programs that may have made a difference in our future educational and career choices. Why not let your former science teacher know that they were a pivotal part of your decision to become a doctor? There are countless ways that educators impact our lives, and too often we never say thanks.

Take your remembrances a step further and use Teacher Appreciation Week to:

Reach out to a past teacher and say thanks!
Post about your positive educational experiences on social media
Make a donation to a current campaign in honor of a past teacher
Contribute to a teacher or program in your community
Fund a program, such as art or music, that made a significant difference in your life

Teacher Appreciation Week is the perfect time to fund your child’s teacher

When you visit Classful you will find a variety of different teacher campaigns with compelling stories. These educators have turned to crowdfunding in order to bridge the gap between the money they need to cover expenditures and the funds provided by their school district. You will see a variety of different funding requests, from basic classroom supplies to requests to cover field trips and class excursions.

Teacher Appreciation Week offers a great opportunity to contribute to a deserving cause in your community or across the nation.

Supporting teachers supports students

Your child benefits from the sacrifices and contributions that their teacher makes for them, and joining their Classful campaign is the perfect way to recognize their efforts. All donations, both large and small, are welcome and can make a positive impact in the life of your child and their fellow students.

Teachers don’t always like to ask for help, and many will even take on part-time jobs in order to pay for the items and excursions that are not covered in their classroom budget. Rather than have them struggle, why not tell them about Classful?

Ways of showing support:

Join the Classful campaigns of the educators in your life
Volunteer in your child’s classroom, the cafeteria or the library at their school
Help your child’s teacher create a profile on Classful and begin a fundraising campaign
Donate supplies or other materials to your child’s classroom

Whether you are a new parent or a thankful former student, Teacher Appreciation Week can help you affect positive change. Funding a teacher can make a significant impact in their lives and that of their students. You will make a positive difference that will be remembered for years to come! Now is the perfect time to help fund a teacher you know and care about.