How To Recognize & Support Teachers

Every October, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day. But what exactly is this holiday, and how is it different from Teacher Appreciation Day? Learn all about this special day, and find ideas for celebrating World Teachers’ Day 2024.

When is World Teachers’ Day?

World Teachers’ Day is held each year on October 5. It commemorates the 1966 signing of the International Labour Organization (ILO)–United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers. This important document set international standards for the treatment of teachers, including recruitment, training, continuing education, and labor conditions.

Note that some countries celebrate World Teachers’ Day on a different date, depending on their local school calendars and customs. For instance, India celebrates on September 5, while Australia holds it on the last Friday in October.

What is World Teachers’ Day?

First celebrated in 1994, World Teachers’ Day was created by UNESCO and Education International (EI). It’s an international holiday, one that’s meant to recognize the importance of teachers across the globe. This year marks the 30th anniversary of this special day.

You might be wondering how World Teachers’ Day is different from Teacher Appreciation Day or Week. Teacher Appreciation Day/Week is a U.S. holiday, held toward the end of each school year in May. Its purpose is to give students, parents, and the community a chance to thank teachers for all their hard work throughout the year.

World Teachers’ Day has a somewhat loftier goal. While this is definitely a day to show teacher appreciation, it’s also a time to consider bigger issues related to teaching and education. Each year, UNESCO and EI partner to create a theme. They then use World Teachers’ Day as a springboard to draw community and media attention to this theme, starting conversations on topics that matter to teachers. Past themes have included Teacher Empowerment (2017) and the Global Imperative To Reverse the Teacher Shortage (2023).

What’s the theme for World Teachers’ Day 2024?

For 2024, UNESCO/EI have declared the theme to be “Valuing Teachers’ Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education.”

In many states and communities, teaching becomes more challenging every day. New laws regularly restrict what and how educators teach. Cuts in funding strip away vital education resources and lower teacher salaries. And all of this is usually done without any input from teachers themselves. It’s high time we value teachers’ voices and bring them front and center in the conversation.

This year’s celebrations and events will focus on this issue, emphasizing the importance of integrating teacher perspectives into educational policies. It will also highlight the need to provide teachers with ongoing professional development in a supportive environment. Today’s teachers want respect and agency as experts in their profession, and the 2024 World Teachers’ Day theme is the perfect time to consider meaningful ways to make this happen.

Dignity and Respect for Teachers

“The dignity of teachers is closely linked to the conditions that support humanity in the teaching profession, including freedom of association, fair and adequate wages, decent working conditions, limits on the working day and secure terms and conditions of employment.

“To ensure the dignity of teachers, these conditions require the support and protection of legal frameworks and policy instruments. Such efforts will improve the social status and respect for the teaching profession, which are themselves essential to ensuring dignity for teachers.”

-From the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession

How can we celebrate World Teachers’ Day?

Schools and communities can (and should) take several approaches to celebrating World Teachers’ Day 2024. First, spend the day appreciating teachers, publicly and privately, for their hard work. We’ve got some fun ideas to try below. (This year’s World Teachers’ Day falls on a Saturday, so you may want to hold in-person celebrations the day before.)

But even more importantly, take the opportunity to bring wider attention to major teacher issues, including 2024’s theme of valuing teacher voices. If we want to show teachers we truly appreciate them, we need to actually support them in and out of the classroom. Appreciation gifts and thank-you notes are lovely, but what teachers really want is recognition of the issues they face, financial and administrative support of their actions, and respect for their skill and expertise. We have suggestions for how schools and communities can do that too.

Teacher Appreciation and Recognition Ideas

• Thank a teacher. Encourage students, parents, and the community to write thank-you notes to teachers in their lives. Heartfelt messages really do mean a lot, as these teachers can attest.
• Find ways to make teachers’ jobs easier for a day. Administrators and support staff might take over classrooms for an hour, giving teachers a few much-needed minutes to catch up.
• Ask local businesses to join in. Encourage them to offer teacher discounts or freebies on or around October 5, or to contribute treats or beverages for the teachers lounge.
• Fulfill their wishes. Have teachers create Amazon Wish Lists or DonorsChoose campaigns, or conduct surveys to find out what they need for their classrooms. Engage the community in helping to make these wishes a reality.
• Give them a token of appreciation. Truly thoughtful teacher gifts are always appreciated. Get lots of ideas here.
• Buy them lunch—and give them time to actually eat it. Provide a delicious meal (remember to accommodate dietary restrictions), and ensure they get the chance to enjoy it. Consider asking parents to step in and cover extra-long lunches.

See even more Teacher Appreciation ideas here.

Ways To Support Teachers on the Wider Stage

• Amplify their voices. Use school social media channels to share articles about World Teachers’ Day and the 2024 theme. Post follow-up articles about amplifying teacher voices to start community conversation, and share thought-provoking quotes from local teachers and those around the world (see below).
• Hold a community town hall. Invite parents and other community members to a constructive dialogue about ways to tackle your school’s major teaching issues.
• Fight for teachers. Mount a letter-writing campaign to local or state government regarding teacher issues. Get students and parents involved, and push for real, meaningful change.
• Listen to teachers. School administration can use World Teachers’ Day as a chance to sincerely solicit teacher thoughts and opinions. Welcome their feedback, and look for concrete changes your school can make to support teacher efforts.
• Participate in planned activities. Bookmark UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day page to find out what they have planned for October 5, 2024.

Articles To Share on World Teachers’ Day

Use your social media account to share informational and advocacy posts about teachers, schools, and education. Start with these articles, and find more on our Teacher Pay & Advocacy page.

World Teachers’ Day Quotes To Share

“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” —John Steinbeck

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” —Henry Adams

“Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions.” —Unknown

“The best thing about being a teacher is that it matters. The hardest thing about being a teacher is that it matters every day.” —Todd Whitaker

“Teaching is the greatest act of optimism.” —Colleen Wilcox

“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” —John Dewey

“The duties of a teacher are neither few nor small, but they elevate the mind and give energy to the character.” —Dorothea Dix

“Teachers appreciate being appreciated, for teacher appreciation is their highest award.” —William Prince

Find more inspirational quotes about teachers and teaching here.

Does your school community celebrate World Teachers’ Day? Come share your experiences in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, the Big List of Teacher Discounts and Perks in 2024.