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Celebrating National Thank a Teacher Day

This article was published in May 2022 and updated in April 2024.

When is National Thank a Teacher Day?

This year’s is on 19 June 2024 and is a chance to celebrate schools, colleges, teachers and support staff across the country.

How to say thank you to a teacher

Anyone can send a card to any member of staff working in UK schools and colleges: school leaders, teachers, teaching assistants and all support staff, such as lunchtime supervisors, caretakers and cleaners – or even the whole school.

But it’s also an opportunity to remind children about the importance of gratitude and saying thank you.

Here are three helpful resources to help start up a conversation about gratitude in the classroom.

A handmade card showing what a child is grateful for with pictures of a home, friends, nature, health and family.
National Thank a Teacher Day is an opportunity to remind children about the importance of gratitude and saying thank you

1. Have a 'thank you' themed lesson or assembly

The National Thank a Teacher Day website has a range of free assembly and PSHE lesson plans to help children understand the importance of saying thank you.

range from Key Stages 1 to 4 and are focused around the theme of gratitude.

They target learning objectives around thinking about people we are grateful to, and understanding how saying thank you can improve mental wellbeing.

2. Learn how to practise gratitude

Wellbeing professional Lorna Walker discusses gratitude in this short classroom video.

In the film she explains: “Gratitude can help us to start to pay attention to what is going well, what we’re thankful for right now.” She takes children through a short mindfulness exercise, guiding them to notice things in life they feel grateful for.

A handmade card showing what a child is grateful for with pictures of a home, friends, nature, health and family.
National Thank a Teacher Day is an opportunity to remind children about the importance of gratitude and saying thank you
A child writing a thank you card.
You could encourage your class to send a thank you card to a member of staff at your school

3. Write thank you notes for teachers

Encourage your class to send a free thank you e-card to any member of staff working at your school. From teachers to lunchtime supervisors, caretakers and cleaners – who would they like to show their appreciate to and why?

Send your pupils this Bitesize information link for more details and further links to send their own e-cards.

Or make a colleague’s day by sending them a message through the .They will receive a special card letting them know just how thankful you are.

Whatever you decide to do to celebrate our amazing, hardworking teachers this year, we’ll sure it will be appreciated!

A child writing a thank you card.
You could encourage your class to send a thank you card to a member of staff at your school

To celebrate schools, teachers and support staff across the country, some friends of ±«Óătv Teach offered thank yous to colleagues who have made a real difference to them.

Celebrate a colleague on National Thank a Teacher Day

Miranda McKearney OBE, founder of EmpathyLab, looks at how reading can build empathy skills in students.

How reading can build empathy

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