Holiday Teacher Gift

Hi C.,

My mom used to teach, and she said the best gift was a personal letter from a parent thanking her for her work. It usually goes in their files and makes the teacher feel great -- and appreciated. Plus, the other day, I saw a teacher in a thrift shop dropping off all those little apple statues and best teacher mugs!

good luck!

L.

Christmas tree ornaments are always nice. Gift certificates to their favorite eating place or shops. Marhalls & Homegoods always have great selections.

Have fun!

I'm a preschool teacher too. Gift cards for movies, restaraunt, book stores or homemade edible goodies are my favorites along with a note of appreciation, etc. Not to be ungrateful but we can only have so many lotions, candles and apple decorations. Try to find out from the office specific things that they like. At my kids school some room moms send out a little list of the teachers fave things which helps a lot.

I usually do some home-made goodies and a bag of coffee beans. I take cues from the teachers as to whether I see them with travel coffee mugs or not. This year I am doing home made goodies and letting the kids do some crafty things for the teachers. I have found a bunch of great ideas on the November blog at www.sewmamasew.com They did a whole month of sewing and craft ideas. You should browse through and see what catches your eye :) Good luck!

I have also seen kids bring flowers and simple things like that for Christmas gifts.

~V

A huge ^^^^thank you^^^^ would be great!!

I too am a preschool teacher and would agree that gift cards are the way to go! I always appreciate the ones to merchants that I can use for personal items.
I spend plenty of time getting things for my classroom, so it's nice to have the freedom to get a little something special for myself. Think of it like this- a gift card to a teacher's supply is rather like giving an office assitant a gift card to office depot..does she really want to go and buy more paperclips and copier paper for her Christmas gift?
Thanks for asking, you are obviously a thoughtful mommy! GOod for you! :)

I teach high school but I know that I get lots of chocolate, lots of starbucks cards but I would really love things that I could use in my classroom. I don't know if she/he has access to tons of supplies but I would love lined paper, construction paper, glue, markers or anything else that I use in my classroom a lot. I hope that helps! :)

Here are some of the gifts that I have given through out the years:

Gift cards to Target or the Cheesecake Factory

Amarylis hoiday planting kits (or some other seasonal bulb flower)

A bottle of Cost Plus' special holiday Beujoulais (sp?) in a special wine bag

Spoon-shaped candy canes dipped in chocolate used to stir in hot coffee or hot cocoa as a special treat (a Cost Plus purchase as well)

I'm sure that you will get some other great ideas with some of the other posters but this should get your mind ticking away.

Good luck and happy holidays!

You've had some great responses, and I agree with them. However, I wanted to add that for an end of year gift last year I purchased gift certs for my child's teachers to get mani/pedis at a local nail shoppe/day spa. They were a big hit!

I'm giving my son's teacher and her aide the same thing...a reindeer platter from Crate and Barrel and a matching spatula. It's cute and only about $20 each...

-M

I certainly can't speak for all teachers, but I know the best gift for me is a heartfelt letter of thanks. I have a scrapbook of all my letters over a 16 year career and they are priceless.

But, if the gift of words isn't your style, a gift card (any amount) to a local eatery, coffee shop or bookstore is always appreciated.

Good luck!

I agree with all these other ladies. I too am a teacher and love getting gift cards! We get so many other gifts (like mugs, ornaments, etc) and the gift cards are always so nice! Most parents get get gift cards for anthing from $10-$30 to places like Target, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, etc.

Hi C., 3/4's of my family is in education and the best gift any parent can give them is a gift certificate to an educational store. Lakeshore is the one closest to us and so it comes readily to mind. Educators spend so much of their own money on schoolroom items that any amount is welcomed. Also one parent went to the school cafeteria and paid for one week's worth of lunches for the teacher, a gift certificate to a bookstore is always welcome. Be creative the gift does not have to be expensive.

Something that I did when my teenager was in elementary school was to give mugs to all the teachers with a packet of hot chocolate, a miniature candy cane, some marshmallows and a simple note that my daughter wrote. I wrapped it in colored tissue paper. It was simple and inexpensive. We drink a lot of hot chocolate during the winter in our house, so we had all of these things around the house anyway. The only thing I had to buy was the mug that fit the teacher's personality, which my daughter helped pick. Another idea that I have seen teachers appreciate, is a simple note pad with a pen. The pen can be attached to the note pad with curling ribbon tied around the pad and the pen and then curled.

My mom has been a teacher for several years, teaching everything from preschool through college. The gift idea she loves the best and gets the least, is a gift card to the local educational supply store. She also was thankful to the parents who donated books to the classroom, either from their homes or from the book fairs that many schools have.

Best of Luck!
K. C.

As a teacher, I prefer gifts under $10 that are consumable. I have way too many garage sale worthless items, not that I am ungrateful, but a Starbucks card is the best gift of all for me! The aide will also be grateful! On behalf of all teachers, Thanks for your generosity!!

When I asked the Director of our pre-school, she said teachers really like something for their classroom (i.e. new books, posters, etc.). In past years, we have also given $15 gift cards to target and starbucks. Hope that helps some.

As a former teacher, I loved gift cards the most. It's tough to buy for someone you really don't know anything about or what they have/need, so gift cards are always nice. For clothing or eating!

Hello C.,

I try to keep the teacher gift to $20. Assistant teacher $10. My husband doesnt agree and it sounds expensive, but they teach your kid every day, so why not?

Ideas I have used: gift certificate to a breakfast place... they can take a break in shopping.
book stores, smoothie shops, etc. For the smoothie shop, I ask for the large cup, stuff with cute filler and place the gift card inside with cellophane. It makes a cute gift even for the teacher's birthday! find out if the teacher is Diabetic or trying to lose weight. Chocolate or homeade treats might not recieve as much attention. If you wish to make something handmade, make an ornament for her tree..(it makes a great tag on the gift)

Again, make it simple and sweet and it will be appreciated!

M.

How about a gift card or a gift album? Gift albums are these mini catalogs, and you give it to the person, with a gift card inside. You pay the price that you want, and then they can pick whatever gift they want from the the album. I got a bunch of these at my baby shower and I loved them. I am giving them to my daughter's teachers this year. (She is three now)

here is the website to buy them: www.bbrockington.ordermygift.com

hope this helps! :)

I was a teacher for 15 years and always loved gift cards that were given inside a homeade card from the child. That way I could display the cards in the classroom and still have the gift card for a nice treat! The amount never really mattered to me!

Hi Collette,
I was a teacher for 17 years and as a result have more bath gels, lotions, candles, teacher decor, and coffee mugs to beat the band. Although, I loved all of my students thoughtful gestures, I was unable to use much of what I got due to lack of space to store it all! :) May I suggest gift cards to Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, Target, etc.? When I received these it allowed me to get things for my classroom, which I loved (aside from the coffee)!

My son has been in special ed since he was 3, so we've been giving these gifts for years (he's now 6). What we've finally settled on doing, and the teachers seem to really love, is a gift card to either Target or Barnes and Noble. Then I get small flowering plants at Trader Joe's and put the gift card into the plant using one of those plastic bouquet sticks. It gives them a little gift in the moment and something to go buy later on. As my son was in special ed, the teacher's and aide's jobs were particularly challenging. So we were always generous and bought a $40 card for his teacher and $25 for each aide. This year he's transitioned into regular kindergarten, and I'll probably buy a $25 card for the teacher and $15 for the assistant. His current teacher is pregnant, so I'm going to buy her a gift card at Babies R Us.

Hope that helps!
B.

Hi! Best bet, this is what I have done, and works great!

Gift card to Starbucks

or Ross! They love it!

Best of luck, by the way that is what I am doing this year!

Since I know my son preschool teachers a lot more this year than the teachers he had last year...

I will be getting one some chocolate and a gift card to someplace like Target or Toy R Us. She loves chocolate, but doesn't often have any at her house because she has 3 young kids. And since she has 3 young kids, I know the gift card to Target or TRU will come in handy for the holidays.

For his other teacher I will be giving her some movie tickets and a Blockbuster Movie Night for Two Gift card since she has an older daughter (age 13) and a boyfriend.

I won't be spending much out of pocket since I will be getting the gift cards through my Visa reward points.

I definitely like the idea of writing them a letter expressing how much I appreciate what they are doing for my son, and for my sanity :)!

Homemade soy candles are perfect along with a letter from your child. My candles start at $10.00 and you can add a gift card if you like.

M.

I've had great responses from my Trader Joe's and Lakeshore Learning Giftcards. I don't go crazy, just $10 or $15. Teachers always want more for their classrooms and the Lakeshore giftcard means it doesn't come out of their own pocket. Have your pre-K draw a nice picture to go with it.

I'm a teacher and a gift card inside a card made/written by the student is always wonderful. Great places to give gift cards from include: Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Trader Joes, or Target. I would say that $5 or $10 is an appropriate amount. I also appreciated getting writing paper, journals, decorated post-it notes...things I could use at school or at home. The best gift I ever received was from one of my third grade students. She wrote a poem about me and put it in a very simple frame. I was so touched. Since then it always sits on my desk to remind me of the type of teacher I should always strive to be. Thank you for being so thoughtful and caring about your son's teacher.

I gave the teacher little tea candles. Also, if you know something personal about her that might help. I knew our Kindergarten teacher liked the Eagles and bought her their new CD.

Another good idea is a mall gift card, most malls have them good at any store in the mall. They can use it for restaurants, clothes, toys, whatever.

From the daughter of a teacher of many many years I suggest gift cards to a teacher's store or Target/Walmart...I think anything you give out of your heart will be appreciated but every teacher can only have so many mugs...YOu are an awesome Mom to ask...

Hi C.,
I am a consultant for Southern Living At Home and for Votre Vu. Both make great gifts but SLAH is having a HUGE sale in the morning with 50%-90% off their products. I'm happy to send you catalogs or more info, if interested. My email address is ____@____.com
Also, gift certificates to Starbucks or Jamba Juice are great!
A.

As a teacher myself, I always enjoy gift cards!

Good Gift card examples: Starbucks, Subway, blockbuster, teacher supply store.

Hi C.,

You are so nice for thinking of the teachers.

I make beautiful Mary Kay gift baskets. They can include anything you wish.

I have gifts from $2.50 to $40.

I would suggest staying around $15 - $20 and of course that is dependent on your own budget.

Some examples are on my webpage www.myspace.com/discoverthemagicofpink.

Also you can see gift ideas on marykay.com/emorta
I am in the Chino Hills Area if you'd like a personal viewing, I can come to you for convenience.

###-###-####
My business is listed on Mamasource
Discover the Magic of Pink.

Having been a teacher for the last 8 years, I have to say that gift cards are the way to go. Perhaps to their favorite coffee shop, barnes and noble, or if your mall does one which will apply to any store, that is always a good one. We love the little ones, but no home made gifts :)

My suggestion is to give a gift certificate to a book store, craft store or educational store. This way the teacher and aid could get something for themselves or the class. Many teachers must use their own money to buy supplies so this is helpful. I usually spend about $25.

Check with your child's teacher and see if there is anything special she wants for the classroom. Another alternative would be a gift card to Target, Wal-Mart, or a teacher supply store that could be used for supplies, or a gift card to Barnes & Noble for books. Don't forget a little letter from your son!

As for the aide...A personal gift might be appreciated, such as a Starbucks or iTunes gift card for someone who is younger, a gift card for school supplies if they're working on a teaching credential, etc.

C.,

I sketched a picture of my son's teacher and all the kids surrounding her as a gift.

Rochelle

Amount is up to you and what you can afford. Sometimes I try to notice what the teacher's interests are: dogs, cats, music, crafting, etc. If you can't think of anything personal, teachers can always use gift cards for the teacher supply store and who doesn't like chocolate or dinner out. Its really nice if you can get your child to personalize the gift card.

I was a preK and toddler teacher for several years before my son came along and I can tell you that the most memorable present I ever received was a short poem written by the mom of one of my boys. She tied a candy cane to the paper, but that was just for pretty - the true gift was knowing how much she appreciated my hard work and that she recognized that I really LOVED her son, he was not just my paycheck. Just a pat on the back and some true heartfelt acknowledgement is usually the best gift to give!

Hi C.,

Here's something new and different. Get them a Key finder! These also make great stocking stuffers for all the women in your circle. Check out my site www.4mypurse.com