Teacher Appreciation Week in May 2025 offers a concentrated period for educators to access a variety of freebies and discounts from national brands. Beyond this specific week, numerous companies and organizations provide year-round resources, including free classroom materials, software, and educational tools. This guide aggregates verified offers and programs available to U.S. teachers, focusing on opportunities that require no purchase or minimal verification. The information is derived exclusively from provided source documents, which include official brand promotions and curated lists from deal-focused websites.
Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 Offers
Teacher Appreciation Week for 2025 is scheduled from May 5 through May 9. During this period, several brands offer specific promotions for teachers and school staff. Eligibility typically requires valid identification, such as a school ID or verification through a third-party service like ID.me.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: From May 5 to May 11, teachers and school staff receive a 20% discount on their orders. This discount applies to dine-in, call-in, and walk-in orders and requires a valid ID.
- Chipotle: Through May 13, teachers and healthcare workers can sign up online for a chance to win a free burrito. The promotion randomly selects 100,000 teachers and 100,000 healthcare workers. Selected winners receive an email to verify their employment status via ID.me within 48 hours to claim a free burrito e-card.
- Crocs: Teachers can receive a 15% discount on the Crocs website by verifying their teacher status with ID.me.
- Dearfoams: This promotion allows a customer to buy any pair of Dearfoams and receive a free pair to give to a teacher. The free pair is provided via an email promo code.
- Firehouse Subs: Starting May 5, Firehouse Subs offers deals through its Firehouse Rewards loyalty program and app, including Buy-One-Get-One (BOGO) sub deals during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Year-Round Free Classroom Resources and Materials
Numerous organizations provide free resources specifically for educators, which can be used in classroom settings. These include posters, DVDs, magazines, lesson plans, and educational kits. Most require an official school email or verification of educator status.
- Pass It On: Offers free posters and DVDs for schools or non-profit organizations. Interested parties can request three posters via the organization's request page.
- Scholastic Magazine: Provides a 30-day free trial for educational magazines such as My Big World, Let’s Find Out, Scholastic News, StoryWorks, DynaMath, SuperScience, and Scholastic Art. No credit card is required for the trial order.
- Teaching Tolerance: Provides free film kits for use in K–12 schools, schools of education, public libraries, houses of worship, and youth-serving nonprofit organizations. Available films include An Outrage, Viva La Causa, Starting Small, Selma Bridge to the Ballot, One Survivor Remembers, and Mighty Times The Children’s March.
- Hot Wheels Classroom Kit: Available every September for select certified educators. The kit is designed for Kindergarten classes, 4th-grade classes, and STEM/STEAM educators and includes up to 40 cars and tracks, along with pre-made lesson plans focused on physics.
- Maplesoft: Offers free math and engineering posters for classrooms.
- Corriki: Provides an online learning curriculum with thousands of free activities on various topics for classroom use.
- Rentacalc Pencils: Educators currently teaching in the United States can request a package of free #2 HB Dixon Ticonderoga pencils for their class.
- Seven Miles to Farmington Poster: The Florence Griswold Museum offers a poster of Seven Miles To Farmington by George Henry Durrie.
- Autographed Book: Authors from Wilbooks publishing company give away an autographed book for any pre-k through 4th-grade child in a teacher's classroom. Requests are made through an online form.
- Vooks: Offers a one-year free subscription to the Vooks app, which brings children's books to life with animated illustrations and read-along text, for teachers or homeschool educators.
- MockoFUN: Provides free access to all premium features of this online graphic design tool for teachers and educators in kindergarten through college via the MockoFun Free For Schools & Teachers program.
- Louie the Lightning Bug: Offers free safety booklets or kits. The kit's mascot, Louie the Lightning Bug, is designed to engage younger children.
- Switch Energy Project: Provides a free DVD containing an educational documentary about energy, including lab videos.
- Lenovo Lesson Plans: Offers free downloadable lesson plans about potential career choices, aligned with Common Core standards for grades K through 8.
- YES! Magazine: Teachers and librarians can receive a free one-year subscription to this magazine.
- National Gallery of Art Posters: Offers downloadable posters, which have included works such as "The Farm (La masía)" by Joan Miró, "Shaw Memorial" by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and "The Railway" by Edouard Manet. Available posters may change over time.
- ZooZingo: Schools with more than 150 students can register with an official school email to receive a free set of ZooZingo animal cards.
- Bully Free Toolkit: The National Education Association (NEA) provides a free downloadable kit with resources to help stop bullying in schools.
Free Software and Digital Tools
Several software companies offer free or discounted products to educators, recognizing the financial constraints of teaching.
- Microsoft: Provides free software such as Office, Excel, and Minecraft for educators. A valid Office 365 account is required to sign up.
- Additional Software Discounts: While not listed in detail, source material notes that software companies recognize teacher financial constraints and often provide free access to educational software. Teachers are advised to check directly with software providers for educator programs.
Educator Discount Programs
In addition to freebies, many retailers offer ongoing discounts for educators. These typically require a one-time verification process but provide savings on future purchases.
- Lowe's: Offers a 10% discount on items like paint, tools, and classroom renovation supplies. Verification can be done via ID.me or with an in-store ID.
- Home Depot: Provides a 10% discount (seasonal) on classroom makeover materials during the back-to-school period. Verification requires a school ID in-store.
- J.Crew: Offers a 15% discount on full-price and sale items. Verification is done through SheerID.
- Banana Republic: Provides a 15% discount on full-price items in-store and online, verified through SheerID.
- Joann Fabrics: Offers a 15% discount on regular-price items, including classroom craft supplies, through a free educator program signup.
- Michaels: Provides a 15% discount on regular-price items and hosts special educator events quarterly. Sign-up is required for the free educator program.
According to Teach For America, teachers who actively use educator discount programs save an average of $500-$800 annually on classroom supplies, personal purchases, and professional development materials.
Additional Resources for Personal Use
Some resources are designed for personal use rather than classroom application. These can include freebies, printables, and access to platforms that offer monetary rewards or surveys. Specific platforms mentioned include FreeCash, Earn Haus, HealthyWage, KingOpinion, and Swagbucks. These platforms are not directly related to classroom supplies but are listed as resources for teachers seeking personal freebies or supplemental income.
Important Considerations and Verification
Access to many freebies and discounts requires verification of teacher status. Common methods include: * ID.me: Used by brands like Chipotle, Crocs, and Lowe's. * SheerID: Used by retailers like J.Crew and Banana Republic. * Official School Email: Often required for educational resource programs like ZooZingo and some software sign-ups. * In-Store ID: Used by retailers like Home Depot for their seasonal discount.
Teachers should ensure they have the necessary identification (e.g., school ID, pay stub, or official email) ready before attempting to verify their status for any offer. Promotions are often time-sensitive, so checking the specific terms and expiration dates for each offer is crucial.
Conclusion
The landscape of freebies and discounts for teachers is diverse, encompassing both seasonal promotions like those during Teacher Appreciation Week and year-round programs for classroom resources and retail savings. Verified offers range from food and apparel discounts to free educational materials, software, and classroom kits. The most reliable opportunities typically involve direct sign-up through official brand channels or verification via established services like ID.me and SheerID. By utilizing these resources, educators can access valuable materials and savings to support both their professional and personal needs.