Happy Teacher Appreciation Week !

For our 25th birthday celebration this year, we turned the gratitude dial up to max to celebrate our remarkable educators for Teacher Appreciation Week! Teachers make a profound impact in our community by shaping the world of tomorrow through education, and we wish to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to all those who selflessly devote their time and energy to nurture young minds and inspire lifelong learning.

To add a splash of joy during this week of celebration, complimentary refreshments along with special welcome gifts and the opportunity to spin a wheel for additional prizes only brought grateful smiles to all those who shopped at A Gift for Teaching. These small tokens of appreciation were made possible thanks to a $1,000 grant from our local Walmart on John Young Parkway as well as generous community partners including Dunkin’ and Raising Cane’s.

In honor of our 25th Teacher Appreciation Week as an organization, we want to take a moment to shine a spotlight on a few extraordinary educators who have been shopping with A Gift for Teaching since 1998.

Meet Becky

  • Current School: OCPS Academic Center for Excellence
  • Fun Fact: A member of the first teacher focus group Gary Landwirth, founder of A Gift for Teaching, spoke with before our official inception in 1998
  • Education: Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Western Illinois University; Master’s in Education from University of Central Florida
  • Years Teaching: 39
  • Current School: Pinewood Elementary
  • Fun Fact: A true OCPS family! My husband is an assistant principal and my children have graduated from Orange County public schools.
  • Favorite Part of Teaching: When a student has an “Aha!” moment and seeing the growth that students make from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
  • Education: Associate’s from Palm Beach Junior College; Bachelor’s from Florida State University; National Board Certified Teacher
  • Years Teaching: 35

Meet Cathy

Meet Lisa

  • Current School: Apopka High School
  • Fun Fact: I originally wanted to be an artist and still actively immerse myself in pottery today.
  • Before A Gift for Teaching: My mother would run copies at work for my students. Everything came out of my own pocket for my classroom and every day was a struggle, but there was no better feeling than knowing that I was teaching children the skills needed for their success.
  • Education: Brooklyn College
  • Years Teaching: 27
  • Current School: Prairie Lake Elementary
  • Favorite Part of Teaching: Making a difference and having a positive impact on a child.
  • Top Advice to Teachers: It can be overwhelming. But if you follow your heart, know your purpose, and live your purpose by showing your students you truly care for them – that’s all you need and it will all work out.
  • Years Teaching: 32

Meet Denise

Meet Eliu

  • Current School: Engelwood Elementary
  • Orange County Public School Graduate of: Lake Como Elementary, Blankner K-6 School, Memorial Jr. High, and Oak Ridge High School
  • Fun Fact: I am the youngest of seven brothers, five of which were either OCPS substitutes or teachers
  • Education: Bachelor in History from Florida State University
  • Years Teaching: 34

To continue empowering more teachers to inspire future leaders for another quarter century, consider joining our monthly giving community of Classroom Heroes. In honor of our 25th birthday, generous funders will match new recurring monthly donations for an entire year! With this exclusive opportunity, a commitment to a $25 recurring gift will now go even further and provide six classrooms access to essential supplies a year.

Be a Classroom Hero Today!