Appreciating teachers for their commitment to wellness

Posted on March 29, 2019 by

Teacher appreciation is a simple idea. It means showing teachers you value their work. As part of the Jump Right UP program, Crestview Elementary of MSD of Lawrence township thought outside the box when it came to teacher appreciation.

Crestview teachers show their school spirit during their teacher appreciation hunt

With the guidance of Principal Natalie Schneider and third grade teacher Mrs. Alicia Stevens, Crestview Elementary has been working towards a healthier school environment, and they have hit the ground running. This year they have started a robust wellness team, evaluated the overall school health, competed in staff weight loss challenges, and even introduced what they call a “Fit Minute” in the morning announcements to get students moving. When thinking about what to do with the Parent Family Association (PFA) to appreciate staff, wellness was instinctively thought about. “Our PFA sponsored a gift card scavenger hunt to help appreciate staff!” said Mrs. Stevens. This scavenger hunt included teachers actively looking around the building all day for gift card surprises. “At the end of the day, it was a free for all sprint to see how many you could get!” stated Mrs. Stevens.

Gift cards are terrific ways to show teachers your appreciation

Recognition isn’t just about feeling good. Research shows that consistent recognition for doing good work has a direct influence on the key performance measures that we use to evaluate our schools. Teachers who receive regular recognition and praise are more productive, more engaged at work, more likely to stay with their school, and are more likely to receive higher satisfaction scores from students and parents.

National Teacher Appreciation week is celebrated during the first full week of May each year. In 2019, National Teacher Day falls on the Tuesday of Teacher Appreciation week- May 7th, 2019. Start thinking about how you will appreciate your teachers in an active way this year as well!

If you’re interested in starting a school wellness program or supporting health and wellness at your child’s school, we have resources to help. Visit here to get started.