There are certain days, weeks, and months throughout the year to celebrate different communities of people. For example, there is Veteran’s Day which celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans. Similarly, there is a day to celebrate employees. It is called the National Employee Appreciation Day.
This is a day in which employers celebrate and appreciate their employees for their contribution towards the success of their business/companies. It is the day for employers to show their workers that they care. When words fail, actions speak. Giving employees a small token of appreciation for their efforts creates a productive, harmonious, and happy workplace. It keeps the employee motivated.
There are plenty of ways to celebrate National Employee Appreciation Days for the field of education. This could be extended lunch, special awards, and personalized thank you notes, among others. You could also honor them with an honorarium. Keep reading for more information about how to use an honorarium to honor teachers and raise money for your school or school district.
Below is a list we’ve compiled to help you find the best opportunities to recognize educators throughout the year. There may be additional days that are specific to your state or your particular field of education. You can also do research to find further opportunities at nationaldaycalendar.com, nationaltoday.com, and daysoftheyear.com.
Education Appreciation Opportunities in the 2023-24 School Year
September 2023
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Attendance Awareness Month
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National Substitute Appreciation Week (4-8)
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World Physical Therapy Day (8)
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National IT Professionals Day (19)
October 2023
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National Principal Month
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School Custodian Appreciation Day (2)
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National Boss's Day (16)
November 2023
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National School Psychology Week (13-17)
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World Kindness Week
January 2024
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School Board Appreciation Month
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Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (9)
February 2024
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National School Counseling Week (5-9)
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School Bus Driver Appreciation Day (22)
March 2024
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Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day (1)
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National Employee Appreciation Day (1)
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National School Social Worker Week (3-9)
April 2024
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Paraprofessional Appreciation Day (3)
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School Librarian Appreciation Day (4)
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National Assistant Principal Week (1-5)
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National Volunteer Recognition Week (14-20)
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National Administrative Professionals Day (24)
May 2024
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School Principals Day (1)
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School Lunch Hero Day (3)
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Teacher Appreciation Week (5-11)
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School Nurse Day (8)
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National Speech Language Pathologist Day (18)
Celebrating Teachers
As far as the entire team at LeanStream is concerned, fewer people deserve more recognition on National Employee Appreciation Days than teachers. And for obvious reasons. Their contribution is immense, priceless, and, most of the time, selfless. These are the people feeding the minds of our young people, the same people who will be the leaders of tomorrow.
The past few years have taught us the importance of teachers and the tremendous work they do. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they continued teaching virtually to ensure learning never stopped. Under such difficult circumstances, they showed tremendous love for their profession, equipping their students with the tools they need to reach their full potential.
Everyone knows that education is the key to a better future both for society and the economy. None of this can be achieved without the great work and sacrifices made by teachers. Teachers are expected to wear many hats including managers, fundraisers, life coaches, trip coordinators, counselors, and role models. They frequently work under very difficult circumstances, so it is important for them to know how appreciative we are of the incredible work they do.
Luckily, there are plenty of way to show educators, especially teachers, your appreciation.
Enter the Teacher Honorarium
There are plenty of ways to show appreciation to a teacher for their contribution to your child’s educational life. Perhaps the best way is to honor them with a donation in their name, aka a Teacher Honorarium.
An honorarium is a donation made as a ‘thank you” or a gesture of goodwill for a job well done. The amount should be the decision of the donor; however, the gift is tax-deductible.
The platform at Lean Stream allows families to donate in the name of a teacher, principal, or any school staff member. Donors can also leave their comments showing appreciation to the recipient of the honorarium. The feature also accepts pledges and company donations in addition to standard donations with a credit or debit card.
Additionally, you can use the reporting features in LeanStream to determine which teachers received the most honoraria donations to select a teacher of the month or other recognition. You could also use the information to run a contest to see which teachers receive the most donations or have the highest number of individual donors.
A Win-Win for All!
The best thing about a teacher honorarium is everyone wins. Parents and students are given a platform to express their gratitude to people who made them who they are via an online gift. Using Lean Stream’s platform, you can do it within a few taps or clicks on your device.
Perhaps more importantly, the gift will help provide educational resources for children. The money can fund teacher grants that can enhance student growth by innovating classrooms and buying essential classroom equipment. It also has a high fundraising impact. Talk about a gift within a gift! When making an online gift using our platform, you will be able to select the school in which your child attends and select the educator who has made an impact worth gifting. Leave a comment with your donation, so the teacher will know just how much of an impact they had.
The gift will be transferred to your school or distrct. Teachers could be further rewarded with a certificate or other items to recognize their impact. Even better, the teacher you choose will never know the amount you gifted in their name. This means nothing is too small or too large. Your donation will help recognize the employees who make the best impact on our children and encourage them to continue their excellent work in the classrooms for years to come. See the Honor Your Teacher Program for Madison City Schools in Alabama to understand how it works.
You simply can’t go wrong by making the Teacher Honorarium initiative a part of your school’s fundraising repertoire. If you are not using LeanStream already, don’t sweat it. You can get going within a few clicks of your mouse.
Final Word
We all know that schools do not always receive the funding necessary to provide all theie programs and opportunities . With the Teacher Honorarium, you can leverage the work of your amazing employees as a fundraiser for your school while boosting teacher morale and showing them just how appreciated they truly are.
