Within the past year, I made my journey into the world of Twitter.  I was pleasantly surprised at the large community of educators and parents that make up many Twitter groups.  I found resources, articles, and ideas that support education.  I also found chats for parents and teachers together, grade levels, subject areas, and many more.  How can all of this improve your child’s education?  Here are some ideas.

1.  Join a chat.  At first, it can be a little intimidating.  You can just sit back and read all the good ideas that are being shared.  When you feel ready, jump in and add your own comments and questions.  Some people enjoy using Tweet Chat to help follow the chat.

My absolutely favorite Twitter chat is #ptchat (Parent-Teacher Chat).  This chat is made up of teachers, parents, students, and administrators.  Different topics are discussed each week.  Everyone’s voice is heard.  You can find archives of past chats and a calendar of upcoming chats here.

Here is a list of other chats that you may enjoy following as well.  You can find a complete list of weekly education chats and hashtags here.

Education Twitter Chat Times

 (Printable Education Twitter Chat Times)

Some chats are “attended” more than others and meet consistently.

2.  Visit Education Hashtags

Even if you can’t make it to the chat, you can always view the hashtag at other times to find good ideas and to ask your own questions directly to teachers.

Here are a list of popular education hashtags:

Education Hashtags

(Printable Education Hashtags List)

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How Do I Help My Child Become A Better Reader?
How Can I Help My Child With Reading Comprehension?
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Teacher Appreciation Week is the first full week of May.  Teacher gifts to show appreciation do not need to cost a lot of money or any money at all.  They are just something to say thank you to teachers for teaching and caring for your child.  Here are some thoughtful teacher appreciation gift ideas for this week, the end of the school year, or anytime during the year.

1.  One year, my class gave me an apron (shown above) with every child’s name on it written with fabric paint.  It was perfect to wear each year when the class was doing art or a messy activity.

2.  Another year, a parent had each child write their name on a vase.  She then took it to a paint your own pottery store, and they glazed it for her.  She presented the vase full of beautiful flowers.

3.  Plants are a wonderful idea.  I enjoyed planting the potted flowers and plants I would receive in my yard.  They are now a great reminder to me of the wonderful students I have had over the years.

4.  I had some students over the years give me a picture that was taken of the two of us on the first day of school.  Sometimes they would write a kind note with it, frame it, or place a magnet on the back.

5.  Is your child’s teacher a sports fan?  Grab a football, basketball, soccer ball, or volleyball and have the class sign it.  The teacher will enjoy displaying it in his or her classroom.  Want to make it more individualized?  Have your child write a special message on a baseball or softball.

6.  A great idea for a beginning teacher is to have students write messages about what they appreciate about the teacher.  Place these messages and pictures into a photo album with extra blank pages left for her or him to add more pictures and messages in the years to come.

7.  Teachers appreciate gift cards.  You can make it more personalized by picking a store or restaurant they enjoy.  Gift cards do not have to cost a lot of money.  A $5.00 gift card to Starbucks will bring a smile to many teachers’ faces!

8.  When dropping off your child at the beginning of the day, why not bring the teacher a latte or another favorite drink?  I know of many teachers that have appreciated this over the years.

9.  Bringing your child’s teacher lunch from their favorite eatery is a wonderful idea that teachers like.

10.  One of my all time favorite teacher appreciation gifts, is a letter from the child and/or parent telling me thank you.  I have kept every single one of these letters and still enjoy reading them.

Remember teacher appreciation gifts aren’t about how much you spend, they are just a way to tell your child’s teacher thank you and that they are appreciated.

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Related Posts:
Getting Involved In Your Child’s School
Communicating With Your Child’s Teacher
Free Lunch Box Notes

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