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    The History Behind Teacher Appreciation Week

    Celebrations & Themes
    School Specialty • Apr 28, 2016 • Last Modified: Apr 23, 2018

    The History Behind Teacher Appreciation Week

    Teachers spend a lot of time enriching the minds and lives of their students. This is why, every year, people come together to celebrate teachers and the wonderful jobs that they do. The celebration starts on the first full Monday in May. But when did Teacher Appreciation Week begin and what was the reasoning behind it?

    The Origin of Teacher Appreciation Week

    Teacher Appreciation Week originated in 1953, and teachers have Eleanor Roosevelt to thank for its inception. Roosevelt convinced Congress that there needed to be a specific day on which teachers were recognized. Prior to Roosevelt going before Congress, it is believed that some states did practice, but it is unclear and unsubstantiated. The theory, however, is that either a teacher from Wisconsin or Arkansas (they aren’t sure which) wrote letters to her trying to get her to help teachers’ cause.

    The Arkansas theory states that Mattye Whytte Wooldridge began communicating with leaders in the education system to form a day on which teachers would be honored. She ultimately began writing letters to Eleanor Roosevelt. Roosevelt decided the cause was worthy of her attention and took it to Congress.

    Even with Eleanor Roosevelt taking the case to Congress and getting their help and support, it would take another 27 years for it to become an official national day. It was 1980 when the National Education Association (NEA), which was formed in 1857, joined together with the Kansas State and Indiana State Boards of Education and began to lobby Congress to have the day nationally recognized.

    The First National Teacher Appreciation Day

    National Teacher Day was celebrated on March 7th until 1984, when it was moved to May. Behind the move was the National Parent Teacher Association and, instead of just one day, they named the entire first week of May to be Teacher Appreciation Week. The NEA followed suit the next year and held National Teacher Appreciation Day on the Tuesday of the week.

    There are still a few cases of oddities though. Massachusetts celebrates Teacher’s Day not on National Teacher Day, but instead on the first Sunday of June; perhaps because teachers are out for summer and therefore get to relax on their special day.

    Celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week in Your Classroom

    The NEA believes National Teacher Day is day to not only honor teachers but to show them that they help make lasting impressions on their students’ lives. Typical gifts range from thank you notes to small treats and gifts.

    Whether you want to send a small gift or a kind word, make sure to plan on letting the teachers in your life know that they are appreciated. If you’re looking for ideas for ways to showcase your appreciation, check out this list of ideas:

    7 Creative Ways to Thank Fellow Teachers

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    Tagged With: Teacher Appreciation

    Trackbacks

    1. Thank You Teachers | Teacher Appreciation Week | Homes for Heroes says:
      Apr 29, 2021 at 1:11 pm

      […] Appreciation Week started in the 1950’s, when Eleanor Roosevelt asked Congress to set aside a day to honor teachers. While Congress did not officially adopt a Teacher’s Day, several states started to celebrate […]

      Reply
    2. Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas - FREE Printables and More says:
      May 3, 2021 at 7:15 pm

      […] is not to say that Teachers don’t deserve to have a special week to celebrate them. I love Teacher Appreciation Week! Teacher’s spend a lot of time enriching the minds and lives of their […]

      Reply
    3. The Best Teacher Appreciation Gifts that Won't Make it Weird - Aesthetic Journeys says:
      May 4, 2021 at 8:00 am

      […] https://blog.schoolspecialty.com/history-behind-teacher-appreciation-week/ 5 things to stop giving as teacher gifts […]

      Reply
    4. What to know for Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day – Nevady News says:
      May 11, 2021 at 6:08 pm

      […] Nationwide Trainer Day originated as an thought by former first woman Eleanor Roosevelt in 1953 when she pleaded to Congress that there wanted to be a day when academics had been acknowledged, according to School Specialty. […]

      Reply
    5. Rise and Shine: May 4, 2022 - CivMix says:
      May 4, 2022 at 3:05 am

      […] was Teacher Appreciation Day, which began in 1953 when former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt proposed that Congress set aside a day to acknowledge the work of […]

      Reply

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