The school year is coming to a close, and both teachers and students are looking forward to their summer vacations! Before school is out for summer, it’s important to thank the teachers for their hard work and dedication. After all, they spend a lot of time with your child!

When you package your end of the school year teacher gift, be sure to include a personal note or card. A handwritten note that mentions specific moments from the school year will make a huge impression on the teacher. Long after the gift has been used, the handwritten thank you will remain as a touching tribute to the teacher. You can also attach one of our free printable teacher appreciation Print and Posts for a fun appreciation message.

Here are five end of the school year teacher appreciation ideas that will say thanks:

1. School Supplies Tower.
Teachers are always in need of more school supplies! At the end of the school year, refill your teacher’s supply cabinets with crayons, notebooks, pencils, rulers, and more. Your teacher ill appreciate the practical gift, and the unique presentation will make the gift memorable! You can find several arrangements of this teacher appreciation idea on our Gifts for Teachers Pinterest board. 

2. Fun in the Sun.
Help your teacher get ready for a relaxing summer with a summer-themed gift. Arrange a beach towel, sunscreen, flip flops, and magazines or paperback books in a beach tote. You could also include a gift card to a local bookstore, so the teacher can choose her own beach reading or buy supplies for the classroom. Your teacher will be able to take the bag directly to the beach for some light reading and time in the sun! 

These teacher appreciation ideas are better than an apple!

3. Class Pictures.
For a truly personal end of the school year teacher appreciation idea, utilize pictures of the class from the school year. You can frame a class picture in an engraved photo frame with a personal message for the teacher, create a photo book, or work with a group of students to make a photo collage. 

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer in Michigan, and many of us enjoyed the warm weather last weekend doing summer activities: boating, swimming, visiting the beach, and anything else outside. After five months of cold, wintery weather, Michiganders love to be outside! 

I especially love to be outside in the summer, so sitting in the office on those beautiful days can be tough. But I also love the chance to participate in the many summer team events Baudville plans. Whether it’s a short tournament of backyard games over a lunch break or an evening at the ballpark, summer is a great opportunity for team building. 

I love when I find examples of employee appreciation in pop culture! I can always count on scenes from “The Office”or Dilbert comic strips for comic relief. Both do an excellent job of making fun of some pretty outrageous appreciation blunders. 

I recently learned about this scene from Seinfeld, and I’m certainly going to add it to my video library! In the clip, Jerry and Kramer both give Elaine birthday gifts, but one of them completely misses the mark. Can you guess who made the faux pas? 

I talk a lot about handwritten thank you notes on the Recognition at Work blog, and we have many articles on the topic in our Recognition Resource Center. When you talk and write about something so much, it can be easy to forget about the magnitude of its impact. In most of my articles, I instruct readers to write a thank you note to an employee or co-worker. Baudville is the place for daily recognition after all!

Recently, I was reminded that a thank you note can be a powerful tool for customer retention, too. Within the past week, I learned of two unique instances of organizations using the thank you to leave a positive impression on a customer.

First, I had the privilege of speaking at the Greater Ann Arbor Society for Human Resource Management  chapter last week at their monthly luncheon with a friend from Credential Check. During the presentation, my co-presenter shared that all of his sale representatives do A4s after sales visits. (If you work in an office, you’re probably familiar with the A4 paper size, approximately 8.5” x 11”.) Every sales representative is required to write an A4 thank you note after a customer visit before they even drive out of the parking lot! Sales reps have stationery and stamps in their car, so the letter gets mailed immediately, and the customer gets wowed.

 

Also last week, my dad had an outpatient procedure at a local hospital. Thankfully, everything went well and my parents had all good things to say about their experience. The icing on the cake, however, was when they received a thank you card in the mail from one of his nurses. The card was simple, it said thank you for letting us care for you, and was personally signed by the nurse. The simple gesture of a thank you note made an impact on my parents who told the whole family about it over the weekend.

Have you ever received a thank you note from a company who just wanted to recognize your business? How did it make you feel about the company?

Now imagine how your customers would feel if you sent them a thank you note after a large order, or included a personal note in their shipping box. How would your business grow? Think about the referrals and word of mouth marketing you’d receive!

This week, give a handwritten thank you note a try! Grab your own A4, stationery, or mini note cards (my personal favorite), and take a few moments to write a sincere thank you. I guarantee your card will have a lasting impact! 

Teacher Appreciation Week kicked off yesterday, and that means today, the Tuesday of Teacher Appreciation Week, is National Teacher Day!

We’ve all had teachers who have made a difference in our lives either through their unique teacher style, personalized encouragement, or caring heart. Regardless of the last time you were in a classroom, you’re never too old to thank a teacher!

Take a moment this week to express your appreciation for a special teacher you had growing up or a teacher who’s currently working wonders with your child. Saying thank you is free, but the value is priceless!

Here are four ways you can say thank you on National Teacher Day:

1. Send an ePraise. Our free ecard system is perfect for sending a note to a former teacher. All you need is their email address and a quick personal note from you. We even have Teacher Appreciation designs! 

2. Post a Tweet. The National Education Association is encouraging both current and former students to send tweets with the hashtag #thankateacher.  They recommend these sample tweets:
o If you can write your name, #thankateacher
o If you followed your dreams, #thankateacher
o If you can read, #thankateacher