Teachers deserve to be appreciated all year long, yet the first week of May has been designated as Teacher Appreciation Week in most K12 schools in the US.
While teachers play a vital role in shaping students' lives, the support children receive at home is equally important. A positive home environment and parental involvement help reinforce learning and good behavior, making the partnership between school and home essential for student success.
If you are planning on celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week or looking for a Teacher Appreciation gift, this post will give you some great ideas to get you started with planning your activities. PLUS, our team has created a special Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit with 7 FREE posters to share on your digital signage displays, social media, and anywhere else you want to show your teachers some love.
Download our free Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit
- 5 Posters for each day of the week
- 2 customizable posters to add names or photos
- 1 How-To Customize PFD guide
- available in 2 file formats: JPEG + high resolution PDF
Why Teacher Appreciation Week Started
Did you know that Teacher Appreciation Week is also known as National Teacher Day or Teacher Appreciation Day? This fun fact gives a bit of insight into how Teacher Appreciation Week got started. While the origins of this celebration are somewhat unclear, historical information shows that Teacher Appreciation Day was first established in 1953 through the work of Elenor Roosevelt. Yet it was not until 1985 that Teacher Appreciation Week was first fully recognized.
Most importantly, the idea to mark a week of recognition for Teacher Appreciation is based on an understanding of just how important teachers are to our society. To describe National Teachers Day, the National Education Association says: “The day celebrates the outstanding work and lifelong dedication of teachers nationwide”
Poster Ideas and Designs
You know, creating a positive school culture really starts with those simple acts of gratitude, and honestly, displaying teacher appreciation posters is one of the easiest—and most impactful—ways to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week. These posters aren't just decorating the walls; they're expressing heartfelt thanks and highlighting the true value teachers and educators bring to your school every single day.
When you're searching for teacher appreciation poster ideas, related searches like 'teacher appreciation week' or 'teacher appreciation gifts' can really spark inspiration for messages and designs that'll make your teachers feel inspired and supported. Think about what makes your school unique, and let that shine through in your posters. Whether you use uplifting quotes, fun illustrations, or photos of your teachers in action, your posters can become a true reflection of your school's gratitude—kind of like a visual love letter to your staff. For more ideas on how to integrate these elements with your school's digital displays, refer to our school social media and digital displays guide, which offers tips on leveraging technology to maximize the impact of your messages.
Don't be afraid to get creative with where and how you display your posters. Classrooms, hallways, entryways, cafeterias, and even staff break rooms are all great spots to showcase your appreciation. Try mixing up the sizes—large, eye-catching posters can make a big statement in common areas, while smaller versions are perfect for classroom doors or bulletin boards. The more visible your teacher appreciation posters are, the more they'll help foster that sense of community and support throughout your school. It's really about making sure everyone sees and feels the gratitude.
Here's where things get interesting—in addition to posters, consider creating cards for teachers. Cards are a thoughtful way to express gratitude and can be given out not just during Teacher Appreciation Week, but throughout the year. On birthdays, the first or last day of school, or just because. Encourage students, parents, and staff to write personal messages, making each card a meaningful keepsake for the teacher who receives it. Honestly, sometimes those handwritten notes mean more than anything fancy.
The best part? Designing your own posters and cards is easy and fun. Gather your students and brainstorm messages or artwork that celebrate your teachers' dedication and the positive impact they have on students' lives. Use bright colors, bold fonts, and images that capture the spirit of your school. By involving students in the creative process, you'll help them learn the importance of gratitude and give them a chance to express their appreciation in their own words. It's kind of like teaching gratitude while creating something beautiful at the same time.
Remember, showing appreciation doesn't have to be complicated. By displaying teacher appreciation posters and sharing cards, you're building a positive school culture where everyone feels valued and inspired to learn and grow. So why not start today? Gather your supplies, rally your students, and create posters and cards that'll make this Teacher Appreciation Week—and every week—a time to celebrate the amazing teachers in your life. It's a simple, meaningful way to express your gratitude and support for the educators who make your school a great place to learn.
9 Fun Ideas to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week
There is no better Teacher Appreciation gift than genuine, heartfelt thanks from the people they work to support each day. Whether your teachers are teaching in person or remotely, use the ideas below to help make sure your teachers have a happy Teacher Appreciation Week.
1. Write A GIANT Thank You Card
Have students write messages of gratitude and thanks to their teachers and apply them on a large poster board or foam core board. If you have digital signage, take advantage of the chance to shower your teachers with recognition by cueing up your Teacher Appreciation Posters to run all week long. Get a free 14-day trial of Rise Vision to make this process fast and easy!
2. Video Greetings
Students can record themselves sharing what they appreciate most about their teacher, and what they are thankful for. With a little planning (and permission), students learning remotely can record group videos where they recite a poem or sing their teacher’s favorite song. Once the video is recorded, share it directly with the teacher or share it on your school’s digital signage displays.
Download our free Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit
- 5 Posters for each day of the week
- 2 customizable posters to add names or photos
- 1 How-To Customize PFD guide
- available in 2 file formats: JPEG + high resolution PFD
3. Snail It
If you are not able to see your teachers in-person, plan ahead to have a card or gift sent by mail. You can also send flowers or gift cards - these make really great teacher gifts that would make your teachers feel appreciated.
4. Teacher Feature Slideshow
Use this opportunity to highlight each teacher individually. Create a full-size graphic that includes the teacher’s photo and some fun facts about them. Load each of these into a slideshow presentation like Google slides and share it on the digital signage displays in your school. Another option is to use a pre-made template to help make this process fast. With Rise Vision you can even embed your slideshows on websites, chrome browsers or your school’s social media sites!
5. Say It Loud!
For a “multi-media” approach, use your school’s public address system to make “announcements” throughout the day with Thank You messages, greetings, and acknowledgments to teachers. If your teachers are teaching online, students and principals can record audio greetings and play them in a slideshow presentation along with “Thank You” Slides. Our poster set would be ideal to use in a slide deck!
6. Share A Laugh
Create your funniest puns to keep your teachers giggling with delight. Can’t think of any good puns? You’ll find s’more great puns like these when you download your free set!
7. Go Social
If your teacher uses social media, post Thank You notes on their favorite social media platform from students and also former students. Young students should seek permission and help from parents with this. Be sure to include your “Thank You” posters among all the posts to make the feed “pop” and keep your teacher laughing at the silly puns. To make this fun and super easy, our poster set includes posters in portrait layout - perfect for Instagram stories! Use the hashtag #ThankATeacher when you share.
8. Parent Posts
Teachers really appreciate hearing positive feedback from parents. Have parents send thank you notes or gift cards to teachers and other administrators, to show gratitude and recognition of the work they do.
Download our free Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit
- 5 Posters for each day of the week
- 2 customizable posters to add names or photos
- 1 How-To Customize PFD guide
- available in 2 file formats: JPEG + high resolution PFD
9. Supplies The Limit
For many teachers, the sky is the limit when it comes to supporting their students. For Teacher Appreciation week, treat your teacher to extra classroom supplies, along with your Thank You cards and messages. Teachers are always happy to receive resources for their classrooms, whether virtual or on-site. If possible, gather extra school supplies and classroom essentials to deliver to your teachers. Craft and writing supplies, paper, post-its, stickers, and any other tools your teacher may need. For virtual learning, subscriptions to online services can make great teacher gifts. Gift cards to office supply stores are another great option.
What Educators are Saying about Rise Vision
“The platform offers both ready-made templates and the flexibility to create my own content, which makes it easy to tailor displays for different needs,” reports one school user. The feedback continues: “The templates make it simple to create professional displays, and the ability to manage screens remotely is a huge plus.”
When you’re planning something like a Teacher Appreciation Week display roll-out, those comments matter. You’re not just looking for pretty graphics—you need something that’s reliable, easy for school staff (not just IT folks) to manage, and flexible enough to adapt for special moments. Rise Vision ticks those boxes.
Seeing teachers recognised, posters updated, announcements shared across displays—these are the things that help build culture, not just install a screen. The reviews suggest Rise Vision supports exactly that kind of school-focused communication.
Real-Life Example: When Schools Make Signage Work
At Dexter Community Schools (Michigan), a teacher named Jason Elmy launched an elective called Community Announcements, where students design and produce content that now runs on monitors throughout the district. You can read more about it on this case study: https://www.risevision.com/blog/school-encourages-student-expression-with-digital-signage
What does this have to do with Teacher Appreciation Week?
- The system empowers students to create the content and manage displays—so your free posters for Teacher Appreciation Week can actually look fresh, get updated easily, and reach screens that matter.
- The signage is used for celebrations, recognitions and classroom highlights—your teacher-recognition posters fit naturally into that strategy.
- Instead of just passive announcements, the school uses the displays to build engagement and community – which means when you roll out posters for teachers, the impact is bigger than the content alone.
As you explore creative ways to use the free posters for Teacher Appreciation Week, you may also be thinking about the free digital-signage platform that makes deployment easy and scalable. Below is a comparison of how Rise Vision stacks up against other popular alternatives — so you can see why Rise Vision is the smarter choice for schools and education environments.
|
Feature |
Rise Vision |
Competitor – OptiSigns |
|
Templates & ready‐made content |
600+ professionally designed, animated and customizable templates (per Rise Vision website) |
“Thousands of free templates/supports 100+ apps & integrations” (per OptiSigns) |
|
Pricing (entry level) |
Basic plan starts around US$11/month per screen (public pricing summary) |
Standard plan about US$9–10/month per screen (OptiSigns pricing page) |
|
Unlimited storage & content management |
Rise Vision claims “Unlimited storage for videos and images” for certain plans |
OptiSigns offers “Unlimited cloud storage” starting from its Standard plan |
|
Education / K-12 focus & non-profit pricing |
Tailored features for schools, mentions “Schools & Non-Profits get 10% off” and emphasises K-12 use-cases |
OptiSigns has education use-case reference but more broadly business focused; fewer public statements about dedicated K-12 pricing |
|
Support & scalability for large display networks |
Supports unlimited users/teams, account hierarchies for school districts (per Rise Vision) |
Scalable plans exist, but enterprise features may require higher cost/tier |
Bonus: Ideas Round-up
Here are a few links with some more great ideas to spark your Teacher Appreciation Week Celebrations. Your teachers deserve to have a happy Teacher Appreciation Week, so get creative!
Remember to keep any social distancing requirements in mind when making your plans.
And because we love puns, here’s a fun post for getting crafty with candy treats:
Download our free Teacher Appreciation Week Poster Kit
- 5 Posters for each day of the week
- 2 customizable posters to add names or photos
- 1 How-To Customize PFD guide
- available in 2 file formats: JPEG + high resolution PFD
