teachers

2026 Teacher Appreciation Week Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

May 4-8, 2026  is Teacher Appreciation Week, and to celebrate, there are some freebies and deals around.

I have only included those in my local area, but if you are outside the Southern CA area, a quick Google search can find you some local freebies.

Chipotle: This one is pretty popular. Chipotle is saying “thank you” by giving away 100,000 FREE Burrito Cards. Enter to win by 5/12.  

Shake Shack: Teachers receive a free ShackBurger or Veggie Burger with a $10 purchase. Must show school ID.

Some Raising Cane’s locations are offering free drinks (excluding lemonade) in May. My local Raising Cane’s is not participating.  Here is the list of participating locations. 

I’ve read online that some Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s locations may do freebies or deals next week; however, I couldn’t confirm anything online.

If you are a Sonic Drive-In fan, download their app and sign up for an account. When you go to account settings and select “I’m a Teacher” to join the Teachers’ Circle.  You will be asked to verify that you are an educator. Update your profile to verify your status as faculty or staff at a K-12 school or degree-granting university. Once you verify, there will be freebies and deals added to your account throughout the year.

These next freebies are not tied to Teacher Appreciation week- these are available year-round and are pretty amazing.

Canva is free for teachers. Canva for Education

Headspace offers a free subscription for educators.

We are Teachers has free printables!

If you are looking for year-round deals, check out ID.me.

Got A Teacher in Your Life? 7 Ways to Lend Support

Abby H.

May is upon us, which means it’s the downward slide into the end of the school year. It’s also that time of year when your teacher friends are a little more stressed than usual. For some states, standardized testing starts after spring break. For most classrooms, the supplies that were purchased in August have run out completely.

Here are seven ways that you can lend your support to an educator in your life without buying $30 wrapping paper at their next fundraiser.

If you’ve got the time, cash, or inclination, here are a few ways you can help the teacher in your life:

  1. Check with them to see if they need supplies.  Between Dollar Tree, Walmart, and Amazon, there are a lot of places you can find inexpensive number 2 pencils, markers, and lined paper.
  2. Headphones/in-ear headphones. Mid-year is about the time when they stop working. And most schools can’t afford to replace them. A lot of classrooms use programs that read to kids, especially in the lower grades and special education classrooms. Standardized testing frequently has sections that are read to students or require them to speak. A handful of the plug-in in-ear headphones from Dollar Tree or Five Below can help. School iPads use USB-C headphones.
  3. Do they have a Donors Choose Page? Are they trying to raise funds for a special project? Throw $10-$20 their way, and share their donor’s choice link on your socials.
  4. Ask if they have an Amazon wish list. Buy something, share it on your socials.
  5. If you eat out frequently, check to see if your teacher friends’ PTSA/PTA utilizes restaurant fundraisers. The school my children go to has a restaurant fundraiser once a month with local restaurants in our community. 20% of the bill goes towards funds for the school. We don’t eat out very often, but it’s a good way to support my kids’ school without having to buy a $30 roll of wrapping paper.
  6. If you have flexibility in your schedule, offer to volunteer. Either in class or after school. Teachers need help after teaching hours with grading, resetting the classroom, prepping projects, and changing out bulletin boards.
  7. Be supportive. Teaching is more than the three hours, and it can take a lot out of teachers. Teachers are not only educators, but they are also the social and emotional support for kids for six hours a day, 180 days a year.