From Teachers to TAs: Why Group Cards Are the New End-of-Term Essential
If you think back to your school or college days, chances are there’s at least one teacher whose kindness, encouragement or words of wisdom have stuck with you throughout your life or even influenced the person you’ve become. Shaping the next generation is all in a day’s work for an educator.
Yet, the job of a teacher is so often thankless work. That’s why there’s a growing trend of parents, students and colleagues using group cards as a thoughtful and meaningful way to express appreciation for teachers and teaching assistants at the end of the academic year. Group cards have become an essential end-of-term teacher gift and a unique way to show gratitude for the people who deserve it most.
In this article, we’ll explore why teacher appreciation is so critical, suggest the best types of cards for teachers, and help you decide what to write in your teacher appreciation card.
Why Showing Teacher Appreciation Matters
It’s no secret that educators are some of the hardest-working people on this planet, with as many as 74% of teachers suffering from burnout. It’s a job constantly throwing up challenges – whether addressing a behavioural issue in the classroom or responding to concerned parents. And in a sector where colleagues and management are all facing similar levels of overwork and pressure, there’s not much time left over for staff to receive acknowledgement for all the hard work they’re putting in.
Yet despite these challenges, teachers show up every day to instil in their students the knowledge and wisdom they need to grow into well-rounded adults – and usually, they do it all with a smile on their face! That’s why showing appreciation, especially at the end of the term, after so much hard work has been put in, is so important. It might not solve the issue of burnout in education, but it might just provide the encouragement that a teacher needs to keep on for another term. Group cards are a particularly meaningful way to express a heartfelt thanks, by expressing the collective gratitude of the school community.
Why Group Cards Are the Perfect End-of-Term Essential
There are many benefits to choosing a group card for your end-of-term teacher appreciation gift, especially if you opt for an e-card. As a personalised and collaborative gesture, the collective thanks will mean much more to a teacher than a stack of traditional paper cards. And the best part is that the gesture doesn’t require any extra effort on your part. With no shopping trips and no need to chase up contributors in the schoolyards, it doesn’t get much easier than organising a digital group card.
A group card is also great during a cost-of-living crisis, because it’s accessible for parents and carers with varied incomes. There’s no pressure to spend or donate a lot of money. All of this without compromising on creating a memorable, heartfelt gesture of thanks – a collation of personalised messages in one digital card is more meaningful than any expensive gift could be.
Choosing the Perfect Teacher Appreciation Card - Types of Teacher Cards
A teacher appreciation card is the perfect way to express your gratitude to an educator. It gives you the space to convey to them exactly what all their hard work has meant to you.
These days, there are many different types of cards to choose from. There’s nothing wrong with a traditional paper card, although the options in-store for teacher appreciation are often limited and, let’s face it, they’re more than likely to end up in the bin before next term starts. If you’re a crafty type, you might choose to create a handmade card. But for something that’s just as special but far more convenient, you could opt for an e-card. An online card is excellent for busy parents, high school seniors and college students who are busy studying for exams, as you only need a few minutes and internet access to get the job done.
A digital group card is a perfect choice if you coordinate parent and student community messages. With a digital Thankbox teacher appreciation card, you can easily collect messages from the whole class to present to your teacher. Automated reminders to contributors mean you won’t need to make any awkward phone calls or chase anyone up at school pick-up for their message or contribution.
You can also tailor your e-card to suit the occasion and the individual. An early-career teacher or student teacher might appreciate some colour and humour in the form of fun videos from students. For a teacher retiring after years of experience, make your Thankbox extra special by including a trip down memory lane in the form of old photographs. The digital format is something that educators can keep with them on their desktop forever, without the waste and clutter of a pile of physical cards.
Recognise Teachers and TAs with Thankbox!
Dedication deserves recognition. Celebrate teachers and TAs who go above and beyond with a Thankbox. A kind message, cheerful GIF, or gift card is a simple way to show their efforts are seen and appreciated. Create a Thankbox today.
What to Write on a Teacher Appreciation Card
What you write in your teacher appreciation card should reflect what is special about them. This is your chance to convey what they mean to you and tell them exactly what you’re grateful for. To customise your thank-you message, think about what it is about their teaching that has inspired you. Or, you might like to mention a particular teaching point or piece of advice that you’ll be carrying with you into the years ahead.
If you’re struggling to think of what to put on your teacher appreciation card, remember that your message doesn’t need to be perfect – this isn’t a graded essay, after all! Write from the heart and don’t overthink it. Even the simplest thank you is sure to brighten their day.
For more inspiration, check out our prompts and ideas for messages to write in your teacher appreciation card. We’ve pulled together themes and topics you might like to include in your card for educators, from preschool teachers to teacher’s aides and college professors.
End-of-Term Teacher Gifts: The Perfect Companion to Your Card
The thought and care that goes into a personalised appreciation card make it the perfect way to express end-of-year appreciation for the special teacher in your life. But while there’s no requirement to accompany your card with an expensive gift, sometimes you do want to go the extra mile and include a gift with your card.
Like group cards, organising a group gift from your student and parent community is a great way to give a teacher something meaningful without breaking the bank. And if you’re wondering how much you should contribute to your group gift, don’t worry; we’ve researched for you, so you can see exactly what most parents contribute to the end-of-term gift, and avoid any accidental faux pas.
We all know that teachers deserve an extra treat, so you can easily add a digital gift card to your Thankbox group card for something you know they'll appreciate and put to good use. Or, if you want to give your teacher something they can unwrap, consider something that will brighten up their classroom or desk, like an indoor plant or some special stationery. We’ve pulled together more of our favourite ideas for the perfect teacher gift to inspire you.
A heartfelt thank-you is enough to make anyone’s day and no one deserves more recognition than our teachers and TAs. Acknowledging educators for their hard work every day is the least we can do as parents and students. While it might not ease the inherent challenges of the job, it will serve as a reminder that their care does not go unnoticed.
As discussed in this article, showing teacher appreciation at the end of the school term doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming. With Thankbox, you can easily set up your personalised group e-card, and let us do the hard work of collecting messages and delivering your digital gift to the deserving teacher in your life.
Images: Cover | Teacher at front of classroom | Mother and daughter doing homework | Excited children in classroom
