Teachers deserve to be appreciated every day in every way! Here are 3 ideas for showing your appreciation and making an impact.

Art from the heart: Creativity is beautiful!

• Have your child create artwork with a special dedication to their teacher.

• Make a photo collage of your child with the teacher or the teacher in action.

• Create a video with each child in the class talking about what they like about their teacher.

Professional development: Teachers are life-long learners!

• Sponsor a teacher's membership in a professional organization so they can keep learning and access benefits such as group insurance.

• Fund a teacher's participation in a conference. There is nothing like the synergy of learning from and with people who share your passion!

Appreciation and advancement: Say it loud and proud!

• Write a letter to a teacher AND their supervisor, principal, or superintendent sharing what makes the teacher exceptional and the impact they have had on your child, the class, and the community.

• Nominate a teacher for an award. One of my Learn Play Grow families did this, and their teacher won Teacher of the Year for the school district!

Here are a few more ideas for showing your appreciation throughout the year:

• Candy-grams are a fun way to say thank you with sweetness. Here's a candy-gram I created for one of the teaching teams I support: When you feel like you are swimming upstream (Swedish Fish) and the week has been a dud (Milk Duds), know I'm here with mounds of support (Mounds candy bar) for the three musketeers (Three Musketeers bar). Thank you for your open minds and hearts and for being great collaborators. I appreciate you so much!

• Write a thank you note once a month celebrating your child's teacher and how they are helping your child grow to honor teachers throughout the year, not just during Teacher Appreciation Week. I am honored to be included in the anthology Thank You, Teacher. With 100 uplifting and affirming letters for educators, this is the teacher appreciation gift that keeps on giving. See and share the book at https://a.co/d/avSBb7H

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Rebecca A. Weiner, M.Ed. Is a neurodiversity affirming educator and creator of Learn Play Grow. She helps young children with diverse abilities and their families, teachers, and schools experience success on their own terms through play-based learning, parent and teacher coaching, consulting in schools,  and neurodiversity-affirming inclusion support in early childhood programs. Connect with Rebecca at www.learnplaygrowconsulting.com