Teacher Appreciation, although widely celebrated for just one week every May, is an important year-round practice for students, families, and school communities. Teachers nationwide continue to navigate challenges, including increasing burnout and declining job satisfaction. Yet, in the face of these challenges, educators continue to show up for their students, leaving a lasting and life-changing impact.
Recognition is a proven and effective tool to keep exceptional teachers engaged and fulfilled in their roles. At Honored, teacher appreciation is a meaningful exercise that has many benefits for the entire school community.
The Importance of Teacher Appreciation
1. Improves Teacher Retention
The teaching profession is in crisis: many of the metrics that measure the health of the profession are at their lowest levels in recent years. There is diminishing interest in entering the profession, decreased job satisfaction among current teachers, and a high level of teacher attrition.
There are many ways to increase teacher retention, and at Honored, we’ve found that appreciation is one of the simplest ways to combat this issue. Feeling valued is a huge indicator of whether educators choose to remain in their profession.
Since 2016, Honored’s program has proven to be effective in increasing teacher satisfaction and retention. Surveys of nominated teachers for our Honored National Teaching Award demonstrated that:
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- 91% of nominated teachers are more certain they will continue to be a teacher for the next five years.
- 90% of nominated teachers want to remain teaching for as long as they can.
The 2024 Early Childhood Educator Survey by Teaching Strategies also found in their survey that 60% of educators stated that feeling more respected in their roles would increase their likelihood of staying in their current positions. Expressing appreciation is a seemingly small gesture, but it makes a huge impact on teacher retention.
2. Helps Teachers Feel More Inspired
The demanding responsibilities of teaching can cause educators to lose their passion for their profession. However, regular recognition supports teachers in feeling inspired and engaged in their classroom. When teachers hear directly from students and families about their impact, it can reignite their passion and remind them of the invaluable role they play in our communities.
Surveys of nominated teachers for our Honored National Teaching Award highlight this impact by showing that:
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- 100% of nominated teachers feel more enthusiastic about teaching.
- 100% of nominated teachers feel more inspired in their teaching practice.
During a conversation with our September 2025 Honoree, middle school math teacher Rachel Bowen shared how meaningful appreciation is to her. For her, knowing that she has changed the life of even a single student reminds her how important her work is and encourages her to keep going.
She shared that, “Things like this nomination are what get me from year to year. Knowing that if I touched one student's life that they can come back and say, ‘Man, Coach Bowen was that person for me that changed my life. That put in all of the honesty, put in the ethics.’ That is life-changing to me. That would get me from year to year. That this is what I was called to do.”
4. Strengthens School Communities
To have strong school communities, you need strong and supported teachers. Creating an environment where teachers are celebrated for their impacts has a ripple effect for the entire community, from students to administrators to parents and anyone involved in the educational landscape.
Consistent and meaningful recognition builds trust among the community and creates an environment where teachers feel connected to the work that they do. It reminds teachers that they are part of a community working together to support students and families.
5. Improves Student Success
When teachers feel appreciated, they are more motivated to cultivate positive student relationships and invest more energy to their workplace. Stronger teacher-student relationships ultimately lead to greater student achievement and growth.
Surveys of nominated teachers for our Honored National Teaching Award demonstrated that:
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- 99% of teachers want to focus even more on building relationships with their students.
Studies from Gallup also show that when teachers engage more with their students, they “2.5 times more likely to say that they get excellent grades and do well in school, and they are 4.5 times more likely to be hopeful about the future than their actively disengaged peers.” Teachers who feel seen are excited about investing their time into building connections that shape students’ futures.
Teachers leave life-changing impacts on students and families every day. At Honored, we see the power of appreciation through the teacher impact stories shared by students and families. By continuing to recognize teachers, we help keep teachers in the classroom and ensure they feel seen and valued.
