Help! Teacher gift!

[jbcmom]

Okay, I know we have teachers in here. What do I get my sons kindergarten teacher for Christmas????? I don't want to get an ornament, or candles, or lotions, they get enough of that stuff...what do they REALLY want?

[shannonlspears]

I know some malls will let you get a gift certificate that can be used at any store in the mail. My daughters teachers always like that. No "APPLE THEMED" items....or more christmas stuff they won't use. This way the choice is theres.

[Mzaiderman]

Gift cards and gift certificates are always appreciated! No food (how many boxes of chocolate is a girl supposed to eat?) or apple themed things. Make it something the teacher will personally enjoy as opposed to things to use at school---unless the teacher has expressed a need for school related items.

[Suzette Marie]

I always make my sons teachers a journal, small note book, bookmark & this year I made a sticky note holder out of a 4x6 frame. They always seem to appreciate these. It is something they can use at home, not just at school.

[sscrappystamper]

I teach Special Education and I always love to read these threads...

Usually I don't receive anything from any of my students...my students are the ones that don't get breakfast or have enough money for pencils...so when I see that other teachers out there get gifts...it just KILLS ME!!! (One year, my own kids bought me a teacher's ornament...they thought I would like getting a real teacher gift! ha ha)

Anyway, I think it's great you ladies send gifts for the teacher. I always send gifts for my kids' teachers and look forward to hearing what others get, too!

Kudos to you all.....whether or not anyone realizes it, the teachers really do appreciate it....at least my colleagues do!

[crabbymommyof2]

While at a local elementary school, not the one my ds attends, I noticed a big sign on the front doors saying "check out the teacher's wish lists". At first I was thinking that it was pretty presumptuous to assume that students are buying for the teachers, but I looked anyway, just to see. Each teacher had made a posterboard with their name and little removable tags with ideas. The most popular requests were for gift certificates to teaching stores, bookstores, and office supply stores. I also saw reward certificates for students, stickers, CDs that had classroom purposes, and dinner gift certificates. Each teacher seemed to list classroom needs as well as personal items. One teacher had on hers a gift card for Michaels, which I assumed was for classroom crafts. But then she also had a tag listing a gift certificate to SU and the tag included her demo's business card!

[chef2die4]

This year I gave my daughters' teachers (all 12 of them -- the girls are in middle school) a box of 5 hand-stamped empty cards. All the teachers (even the men) SAID they liked them--maybe they were making the kids feel good? But I figured that everybody has an occasion for a card, and with cards being so expensive, and me stamping....well, it made sense.

[row4d]

I had a teacher in high school who was a coffee fiend -- almost everyone got her something coffee-related, whether it was an assortment, a special mug, or a gift certificate to Barney's or Starbucks! :lol:

I was just thinking back to that show Oprah did a couple of weeks ago with the audience full of teachers. Amazingly, one of the items that got the most reaction was the gift card to Office Max! Teachers often spend a fair amount of money out of pocket for classroom supplies.

[kreativekrissi]

I did the paint can thing. One teacher is Jewish so I used night of navy, going grey, bordering blue and silver with Simply Circles stamp set and for the other teacher I used really red, forest foliage, close to cocoa and gold metallic. I then filled the cans with filler and put a bag of microwave popcorn, milk duds, hot tamles and junior mints along with two movie passes and wrapped it all in cellophane. They loved it!! Teachers do not get paid very well for what they do so I thought they would enjoy a night out.

[Laurie FW]

I am giving my kids' teachers and specialists gift cards to Starbucks, Barnes and Nobles, and Pier 1 last year. I am more broke this year so I made them 5 all occasion cards, a post-it note holder and matching pen, and a stamped small candle for their classroom teachers! I am giving the secretaries something, too!

[stampvamp]

My son is in kindergarten too and I am giving his teacher the Teacher Time stamp set (and yes, I cut the stamps for her) and two of the kids ink pads. She is always stamping the kids' papers with stamps so I thought she'd enjoy it.

[tanya]

I made a jr. legal notepad and matching beaded pen for both of my kids teachers (Kind. and 2nd grade). I tied them together with the wide organdy ribbon. They turned out very well. I figured this was something they could use at home or at school. With both items, the pen can be refilled and the notepad can be replaced, or when they are used up, they can be thrown away. Let us know what you come up with! :lol:

[Connee]

You seem to be thinking "outside the box". YEAH!!! I personally don't want "teacher" things.....no pencils, or paper to write on. Here are some ideas...The gift jars are great, all the ingredients in one place, sigh...movies, yeah!....teachers usually love to read....a THANK YOU card is always appreciated...a note to the principal about how wonderful the teacher is and what he/she has done to help your child (with a cc to the teacher).... a gift to a charity in the teacher's name.

[instcollector]

As a retired teacher, I can tell you that no child's gift is unappreciated! It just shows that the child and parent/parents value you and your time spent working with their little one. I can recall one Christmas when a mother made a Gingerbread house for me.......a special gift as it took her precious time to make and decorate. In that same thought, I think handmade cards with blank insides would be a fabulous gift as most teacher's do not have enough personal time to make them for themselves! Everyone in this special club has the talent to do that and the supplies at hand! Of course, the gift certificates are great ideas, too. I would have loved receiving a gift certificate to a teacher store as I spent tons of my own money on supplies that most schools do not provide for their teachers. That is an excellent idea that someone shared in a previous post!! No matter the gift, it is the thought that counts! One year a little boy brought me one of his favorite Matchbox cars......and tears rolled down my cheeks.......talk about "Show me the love".....

[camsmom]

I always loved hand made gifts and gift cards (one end of the year was a card that said, "have dinner on us" and had gift cards to the grocery store!!!)

I am doing a family movie night with teh stamoed Jiffy Pop and candy, but the also adding in a gift card for them to use on them selves at the mall. (2 preschool teachers)

[ndeelou]

Be sure if you write a letter of commendation to the principal *and or superintendant* to add the magic words PLEASE ENTER INTO PERSONNEL FILE A copy to the teacher is lovely but it is really difficult for administration to deny a parent's request to enter a compliment into the personnel file (or at least the teacher has a written dated copy to add to her own resume)

Also please do not forget the paraprofessionals and "other" teachers. I was with the children every day and the both teachers were remembered by eighteen out of twenty families and two thought of me. At the end of the year *and I was not returning ONE family sent a gift and one sweetie gave me his baseball card AWWWW. (not even my team had a card or gift
and my parting staff gift was a PICTURE OF THE SCHOOL I WANTED TO NEVER SEE AGAIN

ok um was this helpful
maybe not but a letter of recommendation would be for my NEXT job

so game or book for the classroom
blank notecards
stickers for the younger grades
g/c for the teacher store
tissues and hand sanitizer and ziploc bags for classroom essentials
a coupon to lead an activity in january during inside recess time

[Kalkaskamz]

This year I made (along with my daughters) gift baskets for the teachers. I made a tile with their name on it and my DD signed the back. Also included a SU Calandar ( I ordered too much stuff..LOL) a few of those Hershey kisses w/caramel candies, a ceramic snowman and a christmas craft that my girls made, along with a handmade christmas card made by my child. I'm sure they will love them! (at least I hope so) But the bottom line is we worked together to make them things to show them how much we appreciate them!
Kimberly

[StampAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sscrappystamper

my students are the ones that don't get breakfast or have enough money for pencils

Gawd, this just breaks my heart...I wish I had enough money for all the little kids that don't get the things they need...and I wish I could give all the ones with no love, LOTS of love!!
I want to thank all of you teachers, because I know I wouldn't be able to do it! ;o)