What Teachers Really Want for Teacher Appreciation

I’ve recently been looking at teacher appreciation ideas, and the consensus when you ask teachers what they really want as a teacher appreciation gift, they say gift cards.

It makes sense, because any teacher who has been teaching for very long probably has more than their fill of teacher related art and gifts, and gifts of junk food aren’t always appreciated (and with dietary restrictions might not even be something the teacher can eat).

If you can find out their favorite coffee shop or even just give them a gift card to Target or Wal-mart so they can choose to buy something special for themselves where they are already shopping, it’s sure to be appreciated.

That said, you don’t have to just hand them a gift card. You can make it a little more fun with a creative presentation, such as making an origami envelope (here’s a tutorial from Origami Spirit) or another kind of gift card holder like these from Make and Takes. Add some drama by putting it in an origami gift box; find instructions at The Spruce.

You could also have your child make some art to present to the teacher related to something they did in class or just a thank you for being a great teacher.

Another great thing you can do is not just give a gift card but include a note of thanks, sharing what it has meant for your child to have that teacher. A written note is great, but it’s also wonderful to send an email and copy their direct supervisor, especially if you have specific praise about how that teacher went above and beyond for your kid.

These are easy things to do last-minute for teacher appreciation or the last day of school, which is great because who needs more to do this time of year?

[Photo: Make and Takes.]

Leif Erikson Day is celebrated on Oct. 9, and it’s a great time to learn more about the Vikings and why we still remember Erikson all these years later.

If you don’t know about Leif Erikson (sometimes spelled Eriksson), he’s believed to have been born in Iceland, and is considered the first European to set foot on continental America, more than 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

123 Homeschool 4 Me has a printable mini book about Leif Erikson and the Vikings for kids to read and color. It talks about who the Vikings were, what kind of ships they used, how they got to America and more. It’s a good overview for younger kids to use.

A good unit study is available from Simple Living Creative Learning, which includes a page where kids can write what they know, what they want to learn and what they learned through the unit, as well as information on the Vikings, longships, helmets, clothing and more.

Get a printable Viking unit study with reading passages, comprehension questions and other activities aimed at grades 4-8 from Creative Classroom Core at Teachers Pay Teachers. (And see more Vikings content from TPT here.)

Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus has some great unit study ideas, too, including suggested books and videos. The post includes information about the Viking voyages, society, mythology and ships, as well as some vocabulary and a list of famous Vikings. While you’re over there also check out her free printable lapbook, which includes mini books on ships, a timeline, a Viking women coloring page, draw your own Vikings, geography, ancient runes and more.

Piqolo Kids has a lesson on Viking women with (available for purchase) worksheets about a day in the life of Viking women. Even if you don’t grab the printables there’s some good resources on that page and a link to a video on Viking women.

Learn how to draw a Viking ship with instructions from Drawing How to Draw, or grab Vikings coloring and labeling worksheets from Kids Puzzles and Games.

There’s a Leif Erikson Festival annually in Norway, Michigan, which you can learn more about here.

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