What Gift to My Daughter's Teacher?

My all time favorite gift was when a parents bought me lunch! Sometimes they picked the restaurant and sometimes the let me pick the nearby restaurant...either way was GREAT! They showed me a menu and I picked what I wanted. Then at lunchtime they brought me my order at the school. It was the GREATEST! It is SO hard to pack your lunch everyday and getting a nice lunch was wonderful! I also had parents do this for breakfast too which was also great. What a TREAT!!!

Hi M.,
My husband is a teacher, so this week he usually comes home with gifts and things. Some of the 'best' gifts that he receives are usually nice note gifts and food gifts. He actually hangs on to the nice notes in a special place unlike regualr holiday cards from his kids. He told his class early in the school year what his favorite food/drinks/snacks were and he usually gets them in some form. He has also received $5 or $10 gift cards to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks for a quick coffee on the go and enjoys that as well.
I hope this helps. Good luck!

M., as a former teacher, I can tell you that a heart-felt note of appreciation and encouragement will probably mean a great deal. You certainly shouldn't feel obligated to buy a gift. If you do, though, avoid all the "teachery" nicknacks. We all have too many. Something personal or useful or a lovely bunch of flowers to make her feel special will go a long way. Gift cards are also very useful.

HI M., i have given three teachers and a bus driver scentsy. i sell it and you can see it on my webpage at scentsy.com/khaney. i have given the plug ins that run $15. and a bar that runs for $5 so for 20 bucks i had a nice gift and everyone was so exciteda bout them. who doesn't want there home or classroom to smell nice. scentsy is warmers and scents, over 80 to choose from. the have no flame, soot or smoke, run off of a 25 walt bulb. check it out and e-mail me if you have any questions. ____@____.com Good luck!!!

A thank-you card is perfect.

Tastefully Simple is a gourmet food company with many yummy desserts, snacks, spices, sauces and meal ideas! Take a peak at my website, www.tastefullysimple.com/web/dmitchell. and then call me. I can help you put together some great (and corny) ideas. Example: Absolutely Almond Pound Cake with a jar of Rhubard Strawberry Fruit Spread and a note that says "You've made learning BERRY FUN!" We also sell Nana's Apple Cake and you can put a box of that with 2 apples and include the poem we have especially for teachers. Even though Teacher Week is over, what a better way to thank a teacher at the end of the year!!

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I am a teacher and I love to receive cards from my students. their own handwritten messages really warm my heart. AF

A card is a great idea. I still have my cards from the year I spent as a preschool aide for 4 year olds in Hawaii. I do not have most of the other gifts I was given. If you want to give something extra, a gift card is a good idea or something that the teacher could use for the class but may not think of. For example, I am getting my daughter's teacher a book with counting from 1 - 10 in Hawaiian and a cd which reads the book to the children since I happen to be in Hawaii this week and since studying Hawaii is part of the Virginia SOL's for first grade. My daughter is also 6, will turn 7 in November

Hi M.,

I am a teacher and would like to thank you for wanting to show appreciation for your daughter's teacher. We get so little of it from parents! I have always appreciated gift cards, like Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, or local bagel/coffee shop. We get so much "stuff" from kids like trinkets, jewelry, etc. that we really don't have a place to keep all of it. If you just wanted to send a card with a nice note, that is very much appreciated as well. Its nice to know that parents are thankful for all that we do.

I am having my daughter make her teachers cards and will add my own little note from my husband and I to tell them how much we love them, because we truly do! Something I do for the end of the year, which is always fun, is make memory jars for them. We will find out their favorite color, get small glass jars from Wal-Mart or something, and have our daughter write out some of her favorite memories from the whole year. Then roll the paper around a pencil to curl it and tie a nice ribbon on the jar. It is the gift that keeps giving :).

Hi,
After coordinating Teacher Appreciation for 2 years at my children's preschool, I have realized that the teachers are really grateful for anything they receive. We give gifts like flowers, handmade cards, favorite treats. It also seems like you can never go wrong with a Starbucks gift card! I think that a note from you and your child is the way to go...teachers these days don't get enough positive feedback from the community. Hope this helps!

I'm a Kindergarten teacher and I know that I LOVE it when the parents bring me lunch. Think about it, teachers are stuck bringing what they packed or eating cafeteria food that isn't always the best. I've had parents bring me lunch before and I loved it because it was a nice break and treat from what I normally get. Or, you could always bring him/her dinner to pop in the oven when they get home after a long day at school. Gift cards are also nice too! Personally I know that I get any more lotion or bath products I may scream and tear my hair out. I hope this helps.

my mom was a teacher years and honestly a card with a personal message is awesome. get ur daughter involved ask her what she would like to give to her teacher. those little touches from kids are awesome. also something small like one person suggested a gift card is nice but totally up to you. i would stay away from mugs, cookies/candies they get ALOT of those. although all appreciated growing up we could of had a seperate cabnit for all the mugs and alot of time the cookies and candies would have to get thrown out b.c there were alot of those too. i would say something like that depends really on the class time. my mom taught classes of 30 so you can imagine. sometimes something for everyday needs for the classroom works out good too. they are always looking for ideas for boards and things like that.
hope this helps

You can always have your dd make a card and give it with an apple...something simple. (the last idea was good too - I LOVE Scentsy!) Also, GC's are nice - like to a teacher supply store for the following year- teaching supplies are expensive and I know my mom (taught 1st grade) loved getting those so she could save money and buy nice things for her classroom...it helped out a lot.

A card with a heartfelt note would be appreciated. If you feel like you want to add more to that gift, then you could bake something like cookies or bread (banana bread, zucchini bread, etc.). Other ideas could be a movie night package (bag of popcorn, soda, thing of candy and $5 gift card to the local movie rental place), something for the classroom (hand sanitizer, notecards/paper, thin markers for grading, stickers, a new stamp/stamp pad, etc.), or a $10 gift card to anywhere (Starbucks, Target, Wawa, etc.)

Teachers normally get far too many mugs, candles, and lotions, so steer clear of these items!

And if you REALLY want to make your teachers day - write a note (from you the parent) about something positive that has happened this year because your child was in his/her class.

A card would be fine. Perhaps include a picture that your daughter has drawn. When I buy gifts for teachers, I get $10 gift cards to Target or Walmart.
M.

teachers love anything they can eat or drink. chocolate & coffee are especially popular! neat colored pens also fit the bill.

Hi M.... funny you posted this question, as I just had this conversation with my sister last night! She has been a teacher for 12 years now, mostly preschool/kindergarten. Her favorite gifts are heartfelt letters and cards, baked good items, and gift certificates to places like bookstores, restaurants, even gas cards (average amount she said was $10.) One year she got a tote bag, which she said she still uses. A small personalized gift is always nice too (say, a bracelet, frame or keychain with their name on it.) Mugs, Bath & Body type gifts, and candy are popular, but can get tiresome. She said though, ANY gift (or card) is really appreciated and that they remember those things for years and years.

My father and mother each taught for decades (my father taught high school history for 37 years and my mom taught math for over 20), and I still can remember the mounds of chocolates, mugs and coffees they would get in June. I bet they still ahve some left, ha ha!!

As a kindergarten teacher, I appreciated thank you notes/cards just as much as gifts. It was nice just being thought of! If you decide to give a gift, have your child help pick it out - (i.e. if you chose a plant - let her pick which one she likes), don't go over board - remember its the thought that counts! :)

My son's school is doing the same this week. I know my sons school is asking the children to bring in a flower, real or artificial, for the teacher to be added to a vase. I am also getting a coffee mug for his teacher, they have really cute ones at the dollar store. The card should be fine too. Let me know if this helps you out!!
K.

I was a teacher for 40 years. My favorite gifts were:
cards made by the child him or herself, with maybe a comment from the parent about how happy they were with my teaching.
Baked goods, especially at Christmas since I didn't have a lot of time to bake.
Something for the classroom: you could even ask the teacher what she needs.
Grandma N.