Teacher Appreciation Week, 2022… with Tim’s Reviews!

Hello, I’ve been a consultant for Class Team Building for 4 years. Below are my reviews and suggestions for this year’s programs.

$149 - A professional mystery week they run for you.

The Teacher’s Contest is a professional, week-long mystery contest that fits into the background of Teacher Appreciation Week, instantly injecting energy and smiles.

Tim’s Review: This is the original, the first I personally started consulting on, and it’s always amazing. If you haven’t done it, you really should.

First off, it’s very easy on the administrators because it’s run for you. You fill out the setup file, email it back, and then they take it from there. The only thing you are responsible for is a prize for the winning team, though because it’s Teacher Appreciation Week, you might want to also follow some of their optional suggestions to include more treats for everyone.

The only issues I’ve ever seen with this one is when principals want to start changing things around. They run this a lot have it down to a science, so stick to their suggestions. It’s going to give your school a super fun week and a meeting at the end with tons of laughter.

Conclusion: Do this one if you haven’t done it before and want an easy option with tons of laughter during your week.

$79 - A week-long gameshow that will have your school rolling with laughter.

The week centers around an online gameshow that will have your teachers laughing, sending hilarious videos and pictures, doing anonymous challenges, and overall giving you a great excuse to show how much you appreciate all they do.

Tim’s Review: This game has been called pure gold, and I think that’s pretty much accurate. I like it for Teacher Appreciation Week because the game allows for tons of prizes, and the challenges will have everyone laughing and having fun.

This one is easy too, with the biggest thing being organizing prizes beforehand. There is a prize guide that makes this easy, and most schools end up going to the Dollar Store for the grab-bag prizes and then do school privileges or gift cards for the few bigger prizes. But don’t let the prizes scare you, it truly allows for any size budget… or lack their of.

This one is also very flexible, allowing you to customize everything to fit your style and school. If you are a control freak (and many administrators are, that’s ok!) this is a good one because you get everything in the packet beforehand.

Conclusion: This one was a big hit last year, and I would recommend it for any school, especially if you would like a little more control than The Teacher Contest. It’s an easy setup, and once it’s going, the game runs itself so it’s easy on the administrators too. I also like that this one includes a packet with pre-written emails to parents and the community to get them involved too.

$88 - An absolutely incredible week full of radio show silliness, contests, and appreciation.

The week centers around hilarious 3-5 minute “radio shows” that you broadcast over your intercom during morning announcements or online as podcasts. Each show includes a contest or giveaway that will have your staff searching for secret agents, texting in trivia answers, making long-distance dedications to other coworkers, and laughing all week long.

Tim’s Review: This is the newest and, in my opinion, most complete Teacher Appreciation Week program we have. It has contests, it has prizes, it has humor, it has options to include parents and the community, and it has a big theme of appreciation that comes through loud and clear.

If you’re someone who likes to go big, this is for you. It’s also great for schools who have done Class Team Building programs in the past, because you kind of already know what to expect and can hit the ground running.

The setup for this, while not difficult, is more than the previous two. You need to decide who your radio hosts will be, decide which contests you want to do, decide if you want to use the pre-written emails to find prizes from businesses, etc.. Again, it’s not hard, but you’ll want to start preparing at least a week in advance, and probably delegate an assistant to take the lead as “producer.”

That said, I think the week is an absolute blast. Teachers love listening for the contests and texting in answers. Plus, you truly can make this one as big or as small as you would like. It’s also perfect if you have a PTA/PTO who want to take the lead and can use this program to create an amazing week.

Conclusion: Do this one if you have already done The Teacher Contest and Survivor, OR if you are a school who likes to go all-out for Teacher Appreciation Week, because this one will accommodate that.

$119 - Continue the tradition! (For schools who have already completed Game of Games or Survivor in previous years)

Some things you’ll recognize right away: The wheel, the challenges, the prizes… but we’ve made big changes to make the experience and game play fresh and exciting.

Tim’s Review: This one is simple. If your school has done Survivor or The Game of Games in the past (each of them use the wheel and challenges concept), and you want to do something similar again, then this is the one for you.

My favorite part of this one is the Pop-Up VIP Club that is hidden around the school each day. If someone lands on “Go to Jail,” they are given instructions on how to go to this club for some treats. It’s super cool.