The official history of Teacher Appreciation Week dates back to 1953 when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded Congress that there needed to be a specific day to recognize teachers. Prior to her involvement, it’s believed that some states did practice some kind of annual teacher celebration. However, that part of the history is unclear and unsubstantiated. It’s believed that a teacher from either Wisconsin or Arkansas wrote letters to the First Lady to get help establishing a day of recognition.

The Arkansas theory states that Mattye Whytte Wooldridge communicated with education leaders to form a day to honor teachers. She then began writing letters to Eleanor Roosevelt. Roosevelt decided the cause was worthy of her attention and took it to Congress.

Even with Eleanor Roosevelt taking the case to Congress and getting their help and support, it would take another 27 years to become an official national day. It was in 1980 when the National Education Association (NEA) joined with the Kansas and Indiana State Boards of Education and began to lobby Congress to have the day nationally recognized.

Squeeze as much enjoyment as you can out of every bite this week (and remove the stress of meal planning) by treating yourself to your favorite take-out meals instead of the usual leftovers. Even better, lots of restaurants offer educator discounts and deals for Teacher Appreciation Month and Week—be sure to ask.

It’s the blessing and curse of all great teachers—you never stop thinking about teaching. Embrace the obsession this week and spring for those cool new posters, art supplies, library additions, or flexible furnishing options that you’ve been eyeing for your classroom. Michael’s craft supply stores offer an awesome teacher appreciation discount.

For all of the frustrating, stressful, and difficult moments in the classroom, there are just as many interactions with students that make it all totally worth it. And, you’ve probably got plenty of little tokens collected and given to you by students through the years as mementos. Get them all out, grab a box of Kleenex, and relive those endearing and self-affirming encounters.

You can also assemble a “rainy day” box of positive notes, thank-you cards, inspirational quotes, and anything else you’ve received from students, staff, parents, and others over the years to look over on days when you’re feeling down. This can be a great way to give you a bit of encouragement on the tough days.

What to look forward to:

✨ Daily giveaways: Enter to win exciting prizes every day.

💬 Heartfelt messages: Read inspiring stories from your peers.

🤝 Community interaction: Connect and share experiences and insights with fellow Amplify Science educators.

Teachers matter more to student achievement than any other aspect of schooling. Many factors contribute to a student’s academic performance, including individual characteristics and family and neighborhood experiences. But research suggests that, among school-related factors, teachers matter most. When it comes to student performance on reading and math tests, teachers are estimated to have two to three times the effect of any other school factor, including services, facilities, and even leadership.

Knowledge and education are the basis for all things that can be accomplished in life. Teachers provide the power of education to today’s youth, thereby giving them the possibility for a better future.

Teachers simplify the complex, and make abstract concepts accessible to students. Teachers also expose children to ideas and topics that they might otherwise not have come into contact with. They can expand on interests and push their students to do better.

Teachers don’t accept failure, and therefore, students are more likely to succeed. Teachers know when to push students, when to give a gentle nudge in the right direction, and when to let students figure it out on their own. But they won’t let a student give up.

Teachers can act as a support system that is lacking elsewhere in students’ lives. They can be a role model and an inspiration to go further and to dream bigger. They hold students accountable for their successes and failures and good teachers won’t let their talented students get away with not living up to their full potential.

Teachers of all walks of life and subjects have the ability to shape opinions and help form ideas about society, life and personal goals. Teachers can also expand students’ limits and push their creativity.

In a world where teachers are the real MVPs, Key & Peele bring us the only teacher appreciation video bold enough to ask: what if educators got the superstar treatment they deserve? “If We Treated Teachers Like Pro Athletes” features high-stakes drafting, over-the-top endorsements (“This grading pen brought to you by Gatorade”), and more passion than a playoff game. Spoiler alert: she nailed that lesson on fractions. This week, let’s celebrate the legends walking our hallways — minus the screaming fans and gold-plated whiteboards… for now.

K-8 Science:

• May 14th

K-8 Math:

• May 20th

K-8 ELA:

• May 6th

9-12 Math:

• May 15th

Click on the above title to view the evaluation documents for staff!

Below you can find the new, updated required instructional minutes by grade level and content area. Each grade level also includes a sample schedule.

Teachers are encouraged to monitor student progress regularly using formative assessments and adjust pacing as needed based on classroom data. However, teachers should aim to stay within two weeks of the pacing outlined in the guides to maintain alignment with district-wide goals. While we do not adjust pacing for snow days, the pacing is a guide and the expectation is to stay within the established two-week time frame.

The documents attached outline K-8 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.

The document attached outlines 9-12 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.

A resource to use as you see fit.