Why I Celebrate Teachers After the First Week

As a teacher, the first days and weeks of school are a whirlwind of excitement and stress. There’s so much to plan and prepare to make sure the year gets off to a great start.

But one year, my perspective on the “first full week” completely changed.

Like many kindergarten teachers, I sent home piles of paperwork that week. Each day, I checked folders to see what parents had returned—because let’s be honest, no five-year-old is going to initiate that on their own while they’re still figuring out the new world of school.

One day, I opened a student’s folder and noticed a card with my name on it. Surprised, I asked the student about it. He said, “My mom put it in there for you. She said you’d need it.”

Inside was a handwritten note and a $5 Dairy Queen gift card. The note read something like: “We know it’s a lot of work starting the school year. We wanted to celebrate that you made it through the first full week. Treat yourself.”

I had never felt so seen.

That family didn’t know that earlier in the week I had a student elope (leave the room) multiple times—bringing me to tears by the third day. They didn’t know I had dedicated weeks ahead of my contract to carrying in supplies, arranging materials, and preparing my classroom for my students. They didn’t know I was staying late every single day that week, only to commute 45 minutes home, collapse into bed, and wake up early to do it all over again.

They didn’t know the countless behind-the-scenes tasks teachers do without recognition—simply because they must be done.

And yet, they still acknowledged the weight of the work. Their small gesture carried a huge impact.

Now, as a mom sending my own boys to school, I carry that lesson with me. Every year, I ask their teachers about their favorite snacks and drinks. After the first full week of school, I surprise them with something simple—just to say: “I see you. You did it.”

It doesn’t have to be expensive. It just has to be intentional. Teachers need that reminder that their work matters, especially during one of the most exhausting times of the year.

This year, I challenge you to join me in starting this tradition: celebrate your child’s teacher after their first full week of school.

And if you already missed it? No problem—celebrate the first month instead. Recognition is powerful no matter when it comes

Download this free template to make honoring teachers quick and easy!

First Full week.pdf

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First Full month.pdf

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