Celebrating Labor Day

Honoring the Workforce in Education

Labor Day isn’t just a day off—it’s a chance to help middle school students understand the value of work and the people who make our communities run. It’s also a great time to reflect on how school staff and teachers shape the future workforce every day.

Why Labor Day Matters

Labor Day began in the late 1800s to recognize workers’ contributions and to support fair pay, safe conditions, and reasonable hours. Many of the rights we enjoy today came from people organizing, striking, and demanding change.

Middle schoolers can explore this history through age-appropriate lessons and conversations that connect past labor movements to the working world they’ll enter someday.

Classroom Activities for Middle School

• Labor History Stations: Set up simple stations featuring key events or figures in labor history. Students rotate, take notes, and discuss how those events still matter today.

• Career Vision Boards: Ask students to create a visual project showing their future dream job. What skills will they need? What education is required? What kind of impact will they make?

• School Staff Appreciation: Labor Day is the perfect time to recognize all the people who work hard at school. Have students write thank-you cards or create a “Workforce Wall” highlighting different roles—teachers, office staff, custodians, and more.

A Lesson Beyond the Classroom

Educators are shaping tomorrow’s workers, leaders, and innovators. Helping students learn about Labor Day gives them a deeper appreciation for hard work, fairness, and the idea that every job has value.

This Labor Day, celebrate the role you play—and give your students tools to dream big about their futures.