It’s the first full week of May, and in the U.S, it’s five days of thanking the educators charged with teaching the next generation of minds for their hard work and their patience. It’s not an uncommon practice too, many countries have a day, a week and in some cases a month dedicated to their classroom champions. It’s a fantastic way to make them feel like their efforts are not going unnoticed. And in America, there’s a wonderful community-driven movement to celebrate the people involved in teaching our kids.
Now as with any holiday, the light-hearted revelry will have presents, cute banners, cards and a gathering of educators, kids and parents. With the K-12 system not exactly being paperless, it’s an opportunity for parents and teachers to use Teachers Appreciation Week as a platform to encourage some great changes in their community. Here are some ways you can help make things a bit greener in and around your school.
Teach kids about recycling and recycled goods.
When students start crafting, cutting and creating their thank you cards and banners, why not teach them of the importance of recycling and using recycled materials? Parents and teachers should take the time to tell them about the difference that reduce, reuse and recycle can have in their world. It’s also a perfect opportunity to help them learn about the process of keeping their environment cleaner by using recycled paper and biodegradable materials. You can:
- Show kids how to identify products that are recycled.
- Tell them how to separate and dispose of paper and food.
- Collect cans and bottles for recycling.
- Keep recyclable materials for art projects.
- Donate leftover food, clothes and materials.
Teachers can use the week to discuss paperless teaching solutions.
Yes, we’re talking educational technology and similar solutions to keep your classrooms less cluttered. There are countless amazing apps and online resources to help teachers come up with fresh ideas, take attendance with the touch of a button, have secure access to student and parent information and manage their classroom in more effective ways. Educational technology has become a fast-growing and increasingly important facet of education, and it’s important to keep your community apprised of great online services and smartphone apps that can help make teaching that much easier. You can:
- Invite parents, teachers and principals to an open discussion about new technologies.
- Encourage kids to research fun apps that can help them learn.
- Research management tools that can connect you to your teaching community, all from your smartphone!
All in all, Teacher Appreciation Week is a great way to say thank you to all the great teachers out there. The one way to make it even better is to use it as a way to become an advocate for change in your community and make education a constantly evolving and positive phenomenon in your students’ lives.
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