Google Doodle celebrates National Teacher's Day

WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) -- Google is celebrating Teacher's Day with an animated Doodle embodying the simple and colorful joy of grade school.

In the Doodle, created by artist Nate Swinehart, a class of blue, red, yellow and green pencils -- led by a taller, teacher pencil -- walks enthusiastically in line as they enjoy a lecture.

The animation is meant to honor "the invaluable civil servants all across the United States who've dedicated their lives to molding a thoughtful, compassionate generation of citizens," according to the Doodle's explanation.

National Teacher's Day was founded with the help of a teacher named Mattye Whyte Woodrige and Eleanor Roosevelt in 1953. The National Education Association lobbied alongside the Dodge City Local during the late 1970s for a country-wide holiday in March, and was March 7 as National Teacher Day for that year only.

However, that date in March was continuously celebrated for five years until the NEA voted to change the event date to the Tuesday in the first full week of May.

Now, the nation's teachers and students are celebrating educators on social media with the "#ThankATeacher" campaign. Many, including President Barack Obama, have shared photos, poetry and memories of their favorite teachers.