Teachers should be appreciated day in and day out, but there is one specific week each year to commemorate teachers and what they do. Teacher appreciation week is a fantastic time to remind teachers why they do what they do. Burnout is real, and any way we can remind our teachers of their worth helps. In this post, you will find some of the best teaching quotes to gift to teachers or to get yourself through the school year if you are a teacher yourself.
Make sure you peek at the bottom for some free samples!

When is Teacher Appreciation Day?
Teacher appreciation day falls on a different day each year, but it is typically the Tuesday of the first full week of May each year. Many schools celebrate Teacher Appreciation week to honor their amazing staff instead of dedicating just one day. This is a special time to show teachers how much they are loved. Sure, they should be recognized every day of the year, but this is a great time to shower them with treats, special notes, and other thoughtful gifts.
Teacher Appreciation Week Messages
While planning your teacher appreciation gifts, you may be brainstorming thoughtful messages to convey to your child’s teacher. The messages teachers want to hear are the ones that warm their hearts and remind them of WHY they became teachers in the first place.
Choose a message that suits the child’s personal teacher. Do they have specific character traits or qualities that your child always talks about? Bring those to light in a card or sweet letter. Here are a few that might inspire you:
- We have never seen your cape or mask, but we see and recognize your superpowers daily. Thanks for being a super teacher.
- Mrs. …, a “Thank You” simply isn’t enough for all that you do, but it’s a start. Thank you!
- Thank you for loving my child and caring for them each and every day. It means the world to this mother!
- You were born to be a teacher. We see it in your heart every day. Thank you!
- You see the good in each child and let them know. This kindness will never be forgotten; thank you!

My advice is to TRULY speak from the bottom of your heart. As a parent, it means the world when a teacher can make our child love school and academics, so get gushy and tell them how you really feel. They will greatly appreciate the kind words. Use some of the best teaching quotes below as well!
Treat Yourself with These Amazing Resources
As your work your way through teacher appreciation week, be sure to gift yourself some organizational tools necessary for the classroom. I have a whole collection of beautiful binder covers, editable forms, and helpful printables to decorate your classroom and keep you organized every day of the year.
- Watercolor Floral Editable Binder Covers & Helpful Classroom Forms – Use these to organize student binders, lesson plan binders, attendance sheets, and more.
- Pastel Floral Binder Covers – Grab these printables to stay on top of each lesson and unit by labeling binders and folders correctly.

- Boho Desert Binder Covers, Calendar, & Helpful Forms – These helpful resources will keep your desk area and classroom organized all year long.
- Retro Classroom Decor Binder Covers, Calendar, & Classroom Forms – Grab these bright printables to add decor to your classroom and keep things organized so you can get home on time.

The Best Teaching Quotes to Add to Notes and Gifts
Whether you are making adorable gifts or writing a sweet card, there are some great quotes you can add. Here is a list of some of my favorites from previous years!
- ” A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.” – Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
- “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Carl W. Buechner
- “The great teacher is not the man who supplies the most facts, but the one in whose presence we become different people.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
- “Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system.” – Sidney Hook

More of the Best Teaching Quotes to Use
- “Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” – Lady Bird Johnson
- “Great teachers empathize with kids, respect them, and believe that each one has something special that can be built upon.” – Ann Lieberman
- “Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions.” – Unknown
- “A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank. But the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child.” – Forest Witcraft
- “One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings.” – Carl Jung
- “The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.” – Robert M. Hutchins
- “Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.” – Bob Talbert
- “Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of the individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honor for me.” – APJ Abdul Kalam
- “Summer vacation is the time when parents realize teachers are grossly underpaid.” – Unknown
Treat Yourself and Refresh Your Classroom Monthly!
The Teacher Refresh Collective is a digital, monthly subscription that helps you bring seasonal joy to your students & families each month. Your monthly teacher “happy mail” helps refresh your space and keep things fun & inviting! Be sure to sign up by entering your email address to receive daily Google slides as well as helpful forms that help you take control of the overwhelm.
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