Comprehensive Guide To Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 Deals And Discounts

National Teacher Appreciation Week, scheduled for May 5-9, 2025, is a designated period for businesses and organizations to offer discounts, freebies, and special programs to educators. This annual event, which originated from the advocacy of Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge in the 1940s, provides an opportunity for the public and commercial entities to acknowledge the contributions of teachers and school staff. The available source material documents a variety of offers spanning food and beverage, retail, and educational resources, with eligibility typically requiring verification of teacher status through a valid school ID or enrollment in a specific program.

The scope of available deals varies significantly. Some offers are direct, no-cost gifts such as free food items, while others provide substantial discounts on purchases or exclusive access to services. A notable category includes educational resource partnerships, such as those facilitated by organizations like Teach For America, which connect educators with free tools and materials. The following sections detail these offers, organized by category and provider, based exclusively on the information contained in the provided source documents.

Food and Beverage Discounts and Freebies

A significant portion of the documented deals for Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 comes from the restaurant and food service industry. These offers are generally valid on or around May 6, 2025, which is designated as National Teachers Day, though some extend throughout the week.

Direct Free Food Items

Several national chains are providing complimentary food items to teachers with proper identification.

• Applebees: For a free appetizer (valued up to $12) with the purchase of an adult entrée. This offer is for dine-in only and requires the presentation of a valid teacher ID. The deal is specifically noted for the 2025 Teacher Appreciation Week.
• Aroma Joe’s: Teachers can receive a free 24-ounce drink on May 6, 2025, with a valid teacher ID.
• Atomic Wings: On May 6, teachers can get a free 5-piece order of boneless wings with fries. This offer is available for dine-in only.
• Burger King: Teachers showing a valid teacher ID can receive free fries with any purchase during Teacher Appreciation Week.
• Eddie Merlot’s: Teachers receive a free dessert with the purchase of an entrée from May 5-9, 2025, with a valid teacher ID. This offer is not valid with any other discount and excludes items from the "Dessert for Two" menu.
• The Greene Turtle: On May 6, teachers can get a free dine-in meal valued up to $15 with a valid teacher ID.
• Hat Creek Burger Company: All school staff can receive a free Little Hat Burger on May 6, 2025.
• Shipley Do-Nuts: Teachers and other heroes can get a free half dozen donuts from May 4-6, 2025, with no purchase necessary.
• Sullivan’s Steakhouse: Teachers receive a free dessert with the purchase of an entrée from May 5-9, 2025, by showing a valid teacher’s ID.

Discounted Purchases and Bonus Offers

Other restaurants offer discounts on meals or provide bonus value on gift cards and catering orders.

• Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant: Teachers and school staff receive a 20% discount off their entire check at all locations on May 6.
• Bad Daddy’s: While not exclusively for teachers, the chain offers half-price appetizers during the two hours before closing time throughout the week. Specific teacher discounts are not mentioned.
• Brio Italian Kitchen & Bravo Italian Kitchen: On May 6, teachers can earn a $20 bonus card with catering orders.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: A 20% discount is available with a valid teacher ID.
• Einstein Bros. Bagels: Teachers get 20% off all gift card purchases made online. This deal is valid through June 24, 2025.
• Grimaldi’s: A 15% discount on orders from May 5-9 at participating locations, available by showing a valid school ID.
• Happy Joe’s: Teachers receive 20% off their order at participating locations during the week with a valid school ID.
• Taziki’s: With every $50 spent on gift cards, a $10 voucher is received, which can be redeemed for dining-in through August 31, 2025. The deal is valid at participating locations until June 15, 2025.
• Tim Hortons: Members of the Tims Rewards loyalty program can buy one doughnut and get another of equal or lesser value free, or buy a dozen donuts and get a half dozen of equal or lesser value free. This offer is valid through May 11, 2025.

Loyalty Program and App-Based Offers

Some deals require enrollment in a restaurant’s specific program or mobile app.

• Sonic: Teachers can join the free rewards program by downloading the Sonic app, creating an account, and navigating to Settings > Profile icon > Account to select "I'm a Teacher." The specific benefits of this enrollment for Teacher Appreciation Week are not detailed in the source material.

Retail and Product Discounts

Retailers, particularly those serving the education sector, also participate in Teacher Appreciation Week with discounts on supplies and technology.

Office and School Supplies

• Staples: During Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-10, 2025), teachers can get 20% off their in-store purchase with a valid teacher ID. Additionally, they can receive a free 12-pack of Tru Red Stick Pens (one per customer while supplies last). The coupons for this free item are available in the Staples app.

Technology and Electronics

• Samsung: The electronics company offers special savings on interactive displays and monitors for Teacher Appreciation Week. The documented discounts include $300 off the Interactive Display (available in 65-, 75-, and 86-inch models), a $620 discount on the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 monitor, $300 off the curved 34-inch ViewFinity S65VC, and up to $360 off the 34-inch ViewFinity S65TC monitor. These savings are available during the month of May.

Clothing and Personal Style

• Stitch Fix: The online styling service offers teachers and educators 25% off their first order from May 5-9, 2025. To access this deal, individuals must sign up on the Stitch Fix site, complete a style quiz, and be verified by ID.me. The offer is valid for 90 days after verification.

Educational Resources and Exclusive Programs

Beyond direct consumer discounts, several organizations provide dedicated resources and programs for educators, some of which are available year-round or have specific promotional periods.

Teach For America Exclusive Partnerships

Teach For America alumni and corps members have access to a curated set of deals and discounts exclusive to their network.

• Canva: Teach For America teachers can claim a free Canva Pro account. This subscription provides access to over 420,000 templates, 75 million+ premium stock photos, videos, and graphics for use in presentations, classroom decorations, worksheets, lesson plans, and other educational materials.
• Enterprise and National Car Rental: Alumni and corps members are eligible for special discounts and benefits for personal use rentals. To receive the discount, renters must call Enterprise at 1.800.261.7331 and use customer number XZ24174.
• FirstBook: Teach For America partners with FirstBook to help teachers access affordable, top-quality books and educational resources for students in need.

Student Reward Programs

• BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse: Through the Awesome Achievement Program, elementary school teachers can reward students for great achievements and behavior. Teachers can sign up online to receive up to 90 certificates per school year. Students who earn “Awesome Achiever” status receive a certificate that can be redeemed for a free Snickers Pizookie and a silicone bracelet. When students dine in to redeem their award, they are congratulated by the restaurant manager.

Educational App Bonuses

• Box Tops for Education: During May (also recognized as Teacher Appreciation Month), educators can get a $5 bonus for their school by downloading the Box Tops app and scanning their first receipt. The bonus is obtained by using the code TEACHER.

Classroom Supply Discounts

• Doodleface: For Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5–9, 2025), educators receive 20% off sustainable, smudge-free crayon boards available online and on Amazon. The discount code is 20LOVETEACH.

Important Considerations and Eligibility

The availability and terms of these offers are subject to specific conditions that consumers must verify.

• Verification of Teacher Status: Most offers require proof of employment as a teacher or school staff member. This is typically a valid school ID, though some programs (e.g., Stitch Fix, Sonic) use digital verification through third-party services like ID.me or specific app settings.
• Geographic and Location Restrictions: Many restaurant offers are valid only at participating locations. For example, Taziki’s specifies that its gift card promotion is valid at participating locations, and Grimaldi’s notes the discount is available at participating locations. Consumers are advised to confirm with their local establishment before attempting to redeem an offer.
• Purchase Requirements: Some deals are contingent on a separate purchase. A free appetizer from Applebees requires an entrée purchase, and free desserts from Eddie Merlot’s and Sullivan’s Steakhouse require the purchase of an entrée. Conversely, offers like the free drink from Aroma Joe’s or free donuts from Shipley Do-Nuts are standalone gifts with no purchase necessary.
• Time-Sensitive Offers: The vast majority of these deals are confined to the National Teacher Appreciation Week period (May 5-9, 2025, with some starting or ending on adjacent dates). A few, such as the Einstein Bros. gift card discount and the Stitch Fix styling offer, have validity periods extending beyond the immediate week.
• Program Enrollment: Access to certain benefits, like the Canva Pro account for Teach For America members or the BJ’s Awesome Achievement Program, requires prior enrollment or sign-up, which may be available year-round but is highlighted during this promotional period.

The provided source material does not contain information regarding free samples or mail-in sample programs for beauty, baby care, pet products, health, or household goods specifically tied to Teacher Appreciation Week. The documented offers are primarily focused on food, retail discounts, and educational resources.

Conclusion

Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 presents a structured opportunity for educators to access a variety of discounts and freebies, primarily from the food service and retail sectors. The documented offers range from complimentary meals and desserts to significant discounts on technology, office supplies, and personal styling services. Eligibility is generally tied to formal teacher or school staff status, with verification required through ID or program enrollment. While the concentration of deals is during the designated week in early May, some benefits, particularly those tied to educational resource partnerships, may have longer-term availability. Consumers are strongly encouraged to verify all terms, including location participation and purchase requirements, directly with the provider before attempting to redeem any offer.

Sources

1. Deals and Discounts for Teachers
2. The Educators Room: Teacher Appreciation Week Deals and Freebies
3. USA Today: Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 deals, free food and discounts for educators
4. Hip2Save: Best Teacher Appreciation Week Freebies & Deals