It's World Teachers' Day 2023—here's how to show your appreciation
Because they deserve more than an apple on their desk
Credit:
Getty Images / miniseries
Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.
Today, October 5 is World Teachers’ Day 2023. It's a day all about showing appreciation to teachers and all that they do in fostering the next generation. Every day, teachers go above and beyond, giving their all for their students. With that in mind, it's the least we can do to have a day where others can give back to them. It’s time to treat a teacher you know to the proverbial apple on their desk. Here are ways you can show your appreciation.
When is World Teachers' Day 2023?
World Teachers’ Day is observed on October 5, which falls on a Thursday this year.
What is World Teachers' Day?
World Teachers’ Day is a global event that highlights the achievements and importance of teachers. It was created in 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994.
Ways to show appreciation on World Teachers’ Day 2023
Write a thoughtful card
A card is a great way to show your appreciation.
Cards are one of the most straightforward gifts you can buy to show your appreciation, though this doesn't mean they're any less effective at getting the message across. A thoughtful card to show you care can be more than enough, whether it’s from a parent or student. Hallmark has cards for a myriad of occasions, with a vast selection to choose from.
A card is a simple, yet effective way to show your appreciation.
Give them a mug
A mug is a gift a teacher will use often.
One popular gift to show appreciation is a mug. And with as many caffeine-fueled late nights and early mornings teachers have, it's a gift that they're sure to get a lot of mileage out of. There's no shortage of mugs to choose from—this one is particularly cute from Amazon and highlights the importance of being a teacher.
A great mug for a great teacher.
They’ll love—and need—a planner
A planner can help a teacher stay organized.
With so many dates and deadlines to keep track of, a planner is another gift your favorite teacher is sure to love thanks to the convenience it brings. Inamio's planner features beautiful, rose gold pages and hourly time increments, allowing users to plan their day in detail—it’s the perfect gift to bring a bit of organization into one's life.
Planners bring organization to the hectic world of teaching.
Gift them your kids' artwork
Give a teacher a wonderful work of art.
A gift that will warm your child’s teacher’s heart is artwork from their student. Whether it’s a drawing, a painting, or a clay creation, they’ll love knowing that their student thought of them enough to make them something special. Beyond this, any teacher will be thrilled to see their student’s creativity flourish.
This big box features 40 unique colors.
Crayola's 6-count of paint makes for a fun activity, plus, it's washable for an easy cleanup.
Students can make a lovely painting with six different colors.
Have your kiddo try their hand at clay sculpting. The world is your oyster with this kit as it comes with 30 different colors.
This clay kit contains 30 colors.
Be more involved in the classroom
Teaching is a lot of hard work; not only does it involve instruction, but prep work, organizing the classroom and many other tasks. A surefire way to show your appreciation and earn their appreciation in turn is by helping them where needed. This could mean helping them clean the classroom at the end of the year, helping them buy books for next year or perhaps chaperoning a field trip. The possibilities are endless. Just ask—and your teacher will love the assistance.
Make them a homemade treat
Bake homemade treats with our favorite kitchen tools.
Another gift perfect for a teacher is a delicious treat made in your very own kitchen. Whether you’re baking cookies or cupcakes, even if you’re not the world’s best cook, it’s the thought and effort that counts more than anything. If you’re looking for new tools to get your bake on, we recommend getting our favorite stand mixer, the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer. It’s durable, quiet and versatile thanks to its many attachments.
Our favorite stand mixer is quiet, durable, and versatile.
If you need a baking sheet, we recommend Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet, which we found to be the best thanks to its versatility, even heat distribution, large size and lightweight.
We love this baking sheet because of its large size and light weight.
Bring them tasty snacks
Your teacher will love these delicious snacks.
If you’re not much of a chef yourself, you can’t go wrong with store-bought chocolate—especially gourmet chocolate. We love the taste of Raaka's unroasted dark chocolate and like any good box of chocolate, Raaka offers a great variety of flavors.
For teacher's who can't get enough chocolate.
Another route to take is gourmet popcorn. From a tin of movie theater-buttery popcorn to a box of caramel popcorn, the Popcorn Factory has many varieties of popcorn to choose from. This gratitude box even includes ranch popcorn, which we didn't even know was a thing. You'll have to ask the teacher in your life how it tastes for us.
Gift a teacher popcorn for a savory, delectable snack.
They can always use more classroom supplies
A teacher will appreciate these supplies.
Another way to help a teacher stay organized is by gifting them supplies for their classroom. A pack of sticky notes can go a long way. They can be used for many things from bookmarks to easily accessible reminders.
With 82 notes on each of the 8 pads, this will last a teacher a while.
Top that off with a healthy supply of pens. Whether they're grading papers or making lesson plans, they go through tons of pens on a daily basis. If you're looking for color variety, one of the best sets you can buy is Paper Mate's Inkjoy assortment. This set has over 6,000 five-star ratings, with buyers loving the color and writing quality.
This pack of pens comes in a pack of 18 and features 8 colors.
Give them a cute tote bag
A tote bag will keep a teacher's supplies in one place as they move to and from a classroom.
Tote bags are the coolest way to carry things around, so if you know a teacher who has to lug around a ton of supplies, we think they'll love this bag from 1-800 Flowers. Better yet, it’s customizable, meaning you can add a message to make the gift personalized. It's machine-washable and will likely last the recipient a long time.
This tote bag comes in two designs and can be personalized.
They’ll love a personalized doormat for the classroom
A cute mat for the classroom.
A fun doormat is one way to liven up a teacher's classroom. It's sure to brighten their day every time they see it before entering and remind them how much they're appreciated for what they do. This doormat from 1-800 Flowers is available in three sizes and is customizable, allowing you to add two lines of text in addition to the teacher's name.
Gift a doormat to add a little pizazz to a teacher's classroom.
Treat them to a lovely flower bouquet
A beautiful gift befitting of a wonderful teacher.
Another great way to show your appreciation is by gifting a beautiful bouquet of flowers. With 1-800 Flowers, you have many options to choose from, all of which are sure to bring a smile to your teacher's face. You can even buy other assorted plants if you prefer. Many bouquets come with chocolates, stuffed animals or messages for you to send with the flowers.
Send a thoughtful message
You don’t need a card or a bouquet to send a message. You can write a thoughtful letter to the teacher you know, detailing how much you appreciate all that they do for their students. For an even more heartwarming message, you can try to arrange for their students to record a video message.
Who doesn't love a gift card?
Teachers will appreciate these gift cards.
Treat your teach' to something nice with a gift card. Whether your teacher is craving a cup of joe, needs to pick up supplies for the classroom or they’re looking to get their hands on some books, a gift card will certainly help them out.
A Starbucks gift card is the ultimate gift, as teachers wake up early and often have to stay up late to grade papers, tests, and more. Starbucks is sure to give them fuel.
We're certain your teacher will appreciate more caffeine to start their days.
Staples is home to all of the office supplies a teacher could possibly need. They'll surely love a gift card to help them fill their classroom.
A Staples gift card will cover all your teacher's supply needs.
Looking to fill up your teacher's classroom with books? Barnes & Noble is the place to get them.
A Barnes & Noble gift card will ease the burden of buying books for class.
Make a special memory book
To commemorate the year your child’s teacher spent with them and their other students, you can coordinate with the other parents to put together a memory book for them. You can fill this memory book with pictures from throughout the year. Remembering all the moments they shared with their students is sure to bring a smile to your teacher’s face.