Teachers don’t always get the recognition they deserve. They take care of and educate our kids, work long hours often for little pay and have been known to reach into their own pockets to help a student or improve their classroom.
While educators should get accolades year-round, National Teacher Appreciation Week (the first full week of May) and Teacher Appreciation Day (the first Tuesday in May) are the official times to offer words of thanks and gifts to our nation’s teaching staff. Local and national businesses join the teacher fan club by offering Teacher Appreciation Week deals and freebies every year.
We’ll update this post as we find out what’s available, so check back frequently.
Retailers, restaurants, even vacation providers all give teachers a little something extra during the first full week of May. Teachers, we hope you treat yourself to something nice. Parents and students, make sure your teachers know about all the discounts and free stuff available to them.
And be sure to review our list of discounts for teachers available all year long.
The offers are available at participating locations. Limit one per person, while supplies last.
Barnes & Noble: Get 20% off publisher’s list price all year long on all purchases for classroom use at Barnes & Noble. Plus, enjoy discounts of up to 25% off the publisher’s list price during Educator Appreciation Days.
Buffalo Wild Wings: Just wing it, teachers! From May 2 to 6, Buffalo Wild Wings is offering a 20% discount for teachers and school staff, available for dine-in or in-store pay + pickup only. Teachers and staff need to show a valid school ID for the saucy savings.
Burger King: Hungry educators can feel appreciated for more than just one week by taking a bite of Burger King’s current special. Teachers (and all customers) get FREE fries with any purchase every week for the rest 2022. The offer is only available to members of the restaurant’s Royal Perks loyalty program.
Cheap Caribbean: Teachers definitely deserve a vacation, and there’s no better place to relax than in a tropical locale. Cheap Caribbean offers an exclusive Hero Discount for teachers, healthcare workers, first responders and members of the military. Teachers can enjoy $150 off their next vacation package with a special promo code. (The discount is valid on package bookings of 5 or more nights.)
Cole Haan: Teachers (and students!) can take a study break with 20% off online at Cole Haan. Just use a valid school e-mail address.
Eyemart Express: National optical retailer Eyemart Express is recognizing all teachers with 20% off on all prescription eyewear, along with 2,000 frames, lens upgrades and accessories. The offer is also extended to school administrators and school district employees, including janitors, counselors, and bus drivers. Simply present a valid school ID badge to take advantage of these savings. Eyemart Express offers this discount all year.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers: From May 2 to 6, teachers can get a free single-topping Mini Sundae. Guests must present a valid school ID; offer good for dine-in or drive-through orders only.
Great American Cookies, the home of the original Cookie Cake, and sister brand, Marble Slab Creamery, the imaginative ice cream shop, are delivering a sweet treat to an equally sweet pairing, teachers and nurses. Starting May 2 through May 6, teachers and nurses can get a free Original Chocolate Chip Cookie with any purchase. At Marble Slab Creamery, the offer is for a buy one, get one free small ice cream. Both offers require customers to show valid identification and are in-store only. At co-branded Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery locations, just one freebie must be selected.
Insomnia Cookies: Teachers, school staff and nurses can get six free Classic cookies with a $5 in-store purchase May 2-6. If the store staff is unaware of the promotion, you can show them the company’s Facebook post, which also has more details about the restrictions that apply.
Lenovo: Computers are a necessary educational tool in every classroom, so any savings are helpful. And both teachers and students can save an extra 5% sitewide at Lenovo. (The discount excludes doorbusters and select
clearance products.)
Michaels: Teachers are crafty people! Enjoy a 15% Teacher Discount at Michaels online and in-store. Teachers need to verify educator ID online through Michaels Rewards.
National Education Association: If you’re one of the millions of members of the National Education Association, enjoy lots of ongoing deals and discounts exclusive to members. The member benefits are wide- ranging, from discounted vacations to credit cards with lots of rewards.
Office Depot / OfficeMax: For Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2 to 6, teachers with an Office Depot / OfficeMax Rewards membership can take advantage of the following coupons available at officedepot.com/rewardsoffers: 20% back in Bonus Rewards on a qualifying in-store purchase and 20% off a qualifying regular-priced purchase. Must present a valid teacher ID and required coupon at checkout.
Panda Express: Panda Express wants to help you show your appreciation for teachers by giving them a gift card to enjoy the chain’s American Chinese classics. From May 2 to 6, when you purchase a $30 gift card online, get a FREE bowl to enjoy for yourself.
Potbelly: The sandwich shop is recognizing teachers with a free cookie or regular-sized soft drink when they order any entrée all week from May 1 through May 8. Just show a work ID to get the free item.
Quick Quack Car Wash: On May 3, teachers can get their vehicle all cleaned up for FREE at Quick Quack Car Wash for Teacher Appreciation Day. The chain has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas and Utah.
Red Robin: No red, shiny apples here, just juicy burgers. From April 18 to June 19, Red Robin is giving all customers a $5 Bonus Bucks reward with the the purchase of a $25 gift card. (The bonus is valid June 20 to Aug. 21.)
Samsung: Teachers can get plugged into big savings through Samsung’s Education Offers Program. Teachers and educators can save up to 30% off on laptops, tablets, smartphones and more when shopping on Samsung.com. The offer includes many popular electronic products, inlcuding Samsung’s new Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy Tab S8 series, Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 and Galaxy Book2 series.
Sonic Drive-In: Teachers can bite into a big deal at Sonic Drive-In. Every teacher, faculty or staff at K-12 or degree-granting university in America is eligible for a FREE cheeseburger with purchase. To get the offer, educators need to enroll in the SONIC Teachers’ Circle, an awards program exclusively available for educators through the chain’s app.
Staples: Staples is supplying teachers with lots of gratitude for Teacher Appreciation Week, including FREE teacher gift box (including Sharpie highlighters, glue sticks, stickers, 25 thank you cards, 50% off custom stamps coupon and more), exclusive savings and 20% back in classroom rewards. The giveaway runs from April 30 to May 6.
Subway: Teachers (and everyone else) can take advantage of Subway’s latest special. From April 26 to May 21, the sub shop is offering a buy-one-get-one FREE Footlong sub special online. In addition, enjoy savings all year long with these Subway deals and specials.
Zaxby’s: Known for its Chicken Fingerz, wings and signature sauces, Zaxby’s is celebrating National Teachers Appreciation Week with a buy-one-get-one FREE Boneless Wings Meal special on May 3. To redeem the offer, order two Boneless Wings Meals in-restaurant or online via Zaxby’s site or app and one meal will be discounted at checkout. The chain has more than 900 locations, largely in the Southern U.S.
For more articles about teachers and year-round deals and discounts:
Sadly these aren’t really teacher appreciation deals as many of these everyone can get. As a teacher I feel the lack of appreciation in our lack of raises, high price for family insurance. Car dealers have discounts for everyone except teachers. College grads, first responders, military. Who helps create those people? Teachers. Everybody wants to cut costs on education. Teacher appreciation used to be an exciting week. Now not so much. The week just shows how truly unappreciated we really are. McDonald’s used to give free frappe and free meal, chick-fil-a too. They ought to just drop it. We weren’t essential workers. Why bother pretending we are appreciated?
Hi, Christine. I’m the editor of Living on the Cheap and a former teacher. I can empathize with every word in your comment. I can only hope that teachers, students and administrators at your school will do something this week to make you feel appreciated. When I was a teacher, every educator I knew had a file of notes from students that they’d re-read when they felt down. Here’s hoping you get many of those to add to your collection this week. And thank you for continuing to do one of the hardest, most essential — and yes, underappreciated — jobs in the nation.
Finally, be sure to check our post on educator discounts available all year long for more savings: https://livingonthecheap.com/teacher-discounts-year-round/
Thanks, but I agree with the previous reader. We aren’t appreciated. My Administrators gave us sodas and muffins for teacher appreciation week. They were left over from the snack shop. On top of that we have state testing this week and many of us are working 8 hour days with no breaks. I love the kids and I love education. My mother was a teacher and she was treated much better than I am now. The retention rate is scary and there won’t be enough STEM/ SPED teachers in the upcpming years. Maybe then people will value educators when their kids no longer have certified classroom teachers. Thanks again for the freebie list and the space to vent.
Hi, Bianca. This is just so sad. You deserve more than just a place to vent. With appreciation from a former seventh-grade teacher in Title I schools.