Well, it is that time of year again. School time for our children means it is time for teacher gifts – whether it be her birthday, teacher appreciation week, or a holiday. Trust me, it makes a teacher's day to receive a gift from a student. It is one of the few material perks of the job. So don't overlook it.
I am writing from experience. I taught 5 years in an affluent public school district. Based upon that, here are my thoughts. Not all teachers might agree with me (especially if they are older or wealthier than I personally was). I do not want to come across pushy or ungrateful, but I am going to be flat honest and tell you my perspective.
If you really want to know our favorite gift – it is a gift card to a place that we like. If you are the "room parent" that organizes parties and things, try to get the parents to pool their money and give a great big gift card to a really nice mall or shopping center. Then the teacher can choose to use it for many different things, including restaurants. These large gift cards from the class are especially nice for Christmas or end-of-the-year gifts. It is the closest thing to a "bonus" we will ever get.
Do not give gift cards to teacher supply stores. That would be like my husband giving me a gift card to Cabela's or Bass Pro. Think about it. Generally speaking, do not give gifts that are teacher-ish, unless you are simply showing "teacher appreciation". (See acceptable craft below.)
We really do not need any more decorative objects. If you are short on money, but long on time, ask how your talents can be put to use. For example, I had one mom who volunteered to sew the curtains for my classroom after I purchased the fabric.
If you child would like to write something, of course we love that. I still have cards saved from some of my sweet first graders. My favorite is one from a little boy where he compared me to a rose and thanked me for not getting mad at him when he messed up. How heart warming is that! Thank you notes and cards from parents mean a lot, too.
Another nice gesture is a cool plant. My favorite was a Rosemary tree that I received one winter… if only I had been able to keep it alive! I appreciated plants because I didn't usually go out and buy many myself. But be careful, some people may already have too many plants.
A hint for the "room parents": have your teacher fill out a "favorites sheet" (drink, snack, flower, place to shop, restaurant, hobby, etc.) and use it as a guide for giving thoughtful gifts throughout the course of the year. This will help you know, for example, if she would like a surprise Starbucks brought into her some morning…mmm.
And finally: an easy and practical craft to make for your child's teacher to show appreciation. I received this from a student on the first day of school with an encouraging note written to me on it from his mom (wouldn't ya know, she was a teacher, too!)
The Raggedy Clipboard
Find a wooden or plastic clipboard with the "wire" style clamp.
Use colorful ribbons or rags cut in strips to tie around the clamp. Trim if needed. Ta-da! Don't forget to attach a kind note, too!
(Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8, 2009)
Ok, so the bottom line is, go ahead and be creative when showing appreciation, but if your family situation allows, try to swing it so you can give something really good for those special holiday and end-the-year gifts.
And if you are struggling just to pay the bills, simply be your child's teacher's biggest cheerleader… they need it. And that far outweighs any material item.
What are some creative or thrifty teacher gifts that you have given? Please join us on our forum for a fun discussion!
Emily is a wife, mother, and former 1st grade teacher. She blogs at Little Home where she shares ideas for living the good and simple life.
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From one teacher to another- amen!
I thought this was going to be a post about making odd crafts for your child's teacher:) All gifts are appreciated, but the ones you mentioned ANY teacher can use and love, without having to find another spot for a world's greatest teacher mug:)
Depending upon the teacher, one of the things we've done in the past that worked well was just give the teachers a bit of a break. We organized it with the rest of the school but we had the teachers take 1.5 hours off and be treated to a meal served by the 6th graders. Parent volunteers came in and spent time with the kids and ran them through some crafts. We had an ex-teacher parent in the group and she led things off really well (and she had good class control skills). Teachers seemed to like it but maybe they were just being nice
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Those are some great things to consider!! Thanks for this post.
Hey there. Thanks for the tips. I would really like to see the picture of the clipboard but the site says it's unavailable; would you mind posting it again or emailing it to me? Thanks a ton!
Thanks for the tips.UP !!