The start of May makes it feel like the end of the school year is finally in sight but for teachers, it’s one of the longest months and busiest times of the year. The weather is warmer and kids have gotten way too comfortable in their learning routines. Plus standardized testing throws off every school’s schedule. Despite the chaos, teachers continue to give it their all and there are easy ways to help teachers make it to the last day of school.
Easy Ways to Help Teachers at the End of the Year
As the school year draws to a close, the teachers in your children’s lives could use your help. It doesn’t take a lot of effort or money to give teachers the much-needed morale boost they need.
As a parent and teacher, I know the smallest acts make all the difference at the end of the year. A handwritten note from a parent, email from a former student, drawing left on my desk, or an unexpected delivery of boxes of tissues with my name on it in the office can mean the world. They’re all ways parents and kids show they care!
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Here are some easy ways to help teachers as they count down the days until summer vacation.
Offer to Volunteer
If you’re feeling guilty that you haven’t volunteered in the classroom yet this year, don’t worry! There are easy ways to help teachers both inside and outside the classroom.
Since not all elementary school parents can take time away from work to volunteer at school, one of the best ways to help is by helping at home. Let your teacher know you’re available to help with last minute coloring and cutting for end of the year projects or collating memory books. Anything that you can do at home at night in front of the television saves your child’s teacher from spending their night doing the same task!
Middle and high school parents can send in food or monetary donations for school wide Teacher Appreciation Week events. You can also join the PTA (no, it’s not too late) or volunteer to serve in parent leadership positions that have vacancies for the next school year. Volunteering in middle and high school may look different than in elementary school but it’s just as important!
Assist with End of the Year Celebrations
Each school handles end of the year celebrations differently but if it is the teacher’s responsibility, offer to shoulder some of the burden. Elementary school parents can collect money or volunteer to make a grocery run for supplies. You can also do some reconnaissance to determine what your teacher would love as an end of the year gift. For my teacher gift recommendations, check out my Best Teachers Gifts gift guide for great gifts and 4 things teachers don’t want!
Middle and high school parents are needed to help decorate for an end of the year dance, chaperone end of the year field trips, or volunteer to chaperone prom or after-prom. Pro tip: Don’t volunteer to chaperone your own child’s prom or after-prom. It’s best to volunteer for this the year before or after they attend!
Replenish Classroom Supplies
Classroom cabinets always overflow at start of the school year with abundant donations but by now, items like hand soap, hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, and tissues start to run low. An easy way to help teachers is to restock much needed supplies as the year ends. I remember my kids coming home from elementary school and reporting their rooms were out of wide ruled paper, antibacterial wipes, and tissues a month towards the end of the year!
It’s safe to assume that teachers at all grade levels (elementary, middle, and high) are low on supplies this time of year. It’s ok to send an email or a note asking what supplies you can pick up when you’re out running errands but if you don’t hear back, just know they’re busy. Any supplies you can send in would be most appreciated but extra tissues, hand sanitizer, and antibacterial wipes top the list in late spring because of spring allergies and colds.
And make a spring classroom restock easy on yourself by ordering supplies from Amazon and shipping them directly to your teacher at school. That way you won’t need to deliver them to school and they’ll be a nice surprise for your teacher!
Encourage Teachers to Think About Next Year
As teachers wind down this school year, they’re also thinking ahead to next year. An easy way to help teachers teaching a new grade level or moving to a new school next year is to encourage them to set up a DonorsChoose.org or AdoptaClassroom.org page to help fund the purchase of resources and materials.
These national sites allow individuals to adopt a classroom by entering in a teacher’s name, school, or location. They can be a great way to provide some seed money for large purchases, like iPads for instructional purposes, new rug for whole class instruction, or even the everyday essentials. Donations made through these online organizations can be a great way for family members to support your child’s education by giving to their teacher plus they’ll get a nice tax deduction since gifts are tax deductible.
Send in a Pick Me Up
An easy way to help teachers is through a quick pick me up. A handwritten note, digital e-card, freshly picked flowers from your home garden, or a favorite sweet procured quickly in the grocery store checkout line lets your child’s teacher know you’re thinking of them. Being thoughtful goes a long way in helping teachers know you support and appreciate them.
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When you take the time to show that you care about the teachers in your child’s lives, you’re modeling kindness and gratitude for your kids. I always loved when my middle schoolers left notes in my mailbox, shared their favorite candy with me from home, or drew a picture and slipped it to me at the end of class. The little acts of kindness made a world of difference and really helped get me through May and to the end of the year.
No compensation was received for this post. I Amazon affiliate links are included in this post.
