National Teacher Appreciation Week in 2018 took place from May 7th through May 11th, with National Teacher Day observed on Tuesday, May 8th. During this time, numerous brands and retailers offered special promotions, free products, and discounts to show gratitude for educators, support staff, and homeschooling parents. These offers generally required proof of employment, such as a valid school ID or homeschool identification.
Food and Beverage Freebies
Several fast-food and casual dining chains provided specific free food items and buy-one-get-one (BOGO) offers on Tuesday, May 8th. It is important to note that participation varied by location, and customers were advised to call ahead or check local Facebook events pages to confirm availability.
Chick-fil-A On May 8th, participating Chick-fil-A restaurants offered a free chicken sandwich to teachers and faculty members. The offer was valid after 10:30 am and available all day at participating locations. Some reports indicated the hours were between 11:00 am and 8:00 pm. A valid faculty ID was required to redeem the offer.
Chipotle Chipotle offered a buy-one-get-one free deal on burritos, bowls, salads, or orders of tacos on Tuesday, May 8th. The promotion ran from 3:00 pm until closing time. This offer was valid for teachers, faculty, and school staff, including homeschoolers, provided they showed a valid teacher ID. The deal was only applicable to orders placed in-store and was not valid through the Chipotle app.
Cicis On Wednesday, May 9th, Cicis offered a free adult buffet to teachers and administrative staff. Participating locations were listed on the Cicis website.
Planet Smoothie In the Tampa Bay area, Planet Smoothie offered a free 16 oz. Planet Favorite, Planet Lite, or Energy smoothie to teachers and school faculty members on Tuesday, May 8th. The offer was valid between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm with a valid ID.
PDQ PDQ offered 50% off the entire order for teachers with a valid ID on Tuesday, May 8th, all day long.
Culver's Select Culver's locations offered specials for teachers on Tuesday, May 8th. Customers were advised to check with their local location to see if they were participating.
Retail and Service Discounts
Beyond food, various retailers offered discounts on products and services for educators.
Apple Store for Education The Apple Store for Education provided discounted rates on Macs, iPads, and other accessories for faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels.
Adobe Educators could get over 60% off an Adobe Creative Cloud purchase.
Ann Taylor LOFT Teachers could receive 15% off all full-priced items by signing up for the LOFT Loves Teachers program.
Banana Republic Banana Republic offered 15% off full-priced in-store purchases with a valid ID. Customers were instructed to show a specific flyer at the register.
Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble provided 20% off the publisher’s price for books purchased for classroom use. Additionally, they offered 25% off the publisher’s price during specific "Educator Appreciation" days.
JoAnn Fabric JoAnn Fabric offered a 15% discount on purchases both in-store and online every day for teachers enrolled in the Teacher Rewards program.
Hanes Members of the education community, including retired educators, received a 10% discount on purchases using a provided promo code.
Kennedy Space Center Full-time teachers in Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands received free access to the Kennedy Space Center’s Educator Resource Center via an Educator Study Pass.
Crayola Experience Teachers received free admission every day, and their families received 25% off general admission rates until May 31, 2018. Proof of employment was required.
Classroom and Activity Resources
For educators looking to engage students during Teacher Appreciation Week, free educational resources were available.
Teachers Pay Teachers A free resource was available on Teachers Pay Teachers designed for kindergarten and first-grade classes. The activity involved creating a book for the teacher(s) during Teacher Appreciation Week. Students created individual pages to be stapled together, with specific pages designated for classes with one teacher versus those with multiple teachers or paraprofessionals. The resource suggested reading "The Thank You Book" by Mo Willems to accompany the lesson.
General Celebration Ideas
Various websites suggested ways to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week beyond commercial offers. Common suggestions included: * Writing notes of thanks and appreciation. * Assembling baskets of goodies for the teacher to enjoy over the summer. * Providing gift cards to favorite restaurants, shops, or coffee spots. * Decorating the teacher's door with banners or signs. * Stocking the classroom with supplies that are often purchased out-of-pocket. * Bringing in favorite treats and snacks or providing lunch for the teacher. * Including support staff, such as secretaries and janitors, in the celebrations. * Creating a classroom gift, such as a photo album involving all students. * Setting up an Amazon wish list for teachers to specify exactly what they need.