They encourage us. They motivate us. They inspire us to learn and grow.
Teachers make a lasting difference.
May 2-6 is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to celebrate educators and give them the extra credit they deserve!
Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is credited with proposing the idea of an annual day recognizing teachers to Congress in 1953. Despite legislative support, the first National Techer Day didn’t occur until May 7, 1980. In 1985, the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) expanded that recognition to a weeklong event occurring the first full week of May.
While we’ve always been grateful to teachers, parents’ appreciation for what educators do took on new meaning in March of 2020 when students transitioned to remote learning due to the pandemic. And beyond the extra time teachers devote to grading papers and preparing lesson plans, many are also contributing their own money to make learning possible.
A study conducted by the national nonprofit Adoptaclassroom.org estimated that teachers spent an average of $750 out of pocket during the 2020-2021 school year, with 30% spending $1,000 or more on classroom supplies to help their students succeed.
- Teacher spending on supplies has increased 25% since 2016.
- 70% of teachers said they had to change their lesson plans because they did not have the resources they needed.
- It’s bigger than just backpack items. During the 2020-2021 school year, teacher spending extended beyond purchasing the usual pencils and paper, with educators investing an average of $160 of their own money to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) and related supplies to help reduce the impact of COVID-19.
During the past three years, we’ve written a variety of Doing More Today stories highlighting teachers, schools and education nonprofits across Regions’ footprint like Classroom Central in Charlotte, North Carolina, dedicated to connecting teachers with free classroom supplies. To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we’re revisiting several of them. Take a look here.
We’ve also created three Teacher Appreciation Week ecards as part of this special week. We encourage you to send an ecard to thank a teacher who made a difference in your life or who inspires your child’s learning today.
Interested in doing even more to thank a teacher? Check out some Teacher Appreciation Week ideas from the National PTA here.