Any Teachers or Home Room Moms Out There?need Ideas to Celebrate Teacher B-day

Wow, I have never heard of having a party for a teacher's birthday... I would think that a card and cupcakes for the class should be just fine...

They sure do do things differently in Texas ; )

I think cupcakes, juice and a class gift (???!!!) should be just fine. I can't imagine my daughter's teacher providing a gift list for her birthday with the expectation of receiving something from the students. Madness!

I think that it's super sweet to have a party for the teacher. She deserves one and the kids will love giving her one.

Why don't you have each child make something similar - like a card in shape of a flower.. They can decorate it and put their name on it and then you can make a basket and put the cards in.

Something cute and more "savable" that I did for a teacher that I was working with, was to have the students fill out a "fill in the blank" about their teacher when she is not looking (maybe when you pull them to do individual work?) and then have it bound at staples into a "book" for like 5 bucks. The answers that the students have are usually super cute and funny. You can make a template that says things such as:

Mrs. Smith is going to be ___________ years old.

Her favorite color is ____________.

She is going to have a ______________ cake.

She is going to get ______________ for her birthday.

She is the best teacher because________________________.

Then have the kiddos draw a picture of their teacher on either the top or bottom portion, make a cute cover page and have it bound. This way all students get to contribute and there is no stress over forgetting or not being able to bring a gift/card whatever because everyone already contributed.

Lanell,
You worded your question just fine, a lot of ladies on this site just like to jump in and respond, even when they haven't read the question properly or have anything constructive to add. I'm just across the lake (Garland) and I know exactly what you are asking. Cupcakes or cookies the last 10-15 minutes of class is usual protocol of our school. We don't even do drinks normally, but if you do, use box or pouches, don't do cups with pouring. I would usually send out an email to parents letting them know it's your teachers birthday and IF THEY WANT to contribute for a gift card you can take a collection, but it's one hundred percent optional. Some will want to, some won't, by offering your making it easy for the ones that do. I have done or seen done individual cards made by students, one big card made or bought (but usually made) and signed by kids. One year we snuck up for lunch and had made letters spelling out Happy Birthday Mrs. ----- and took pictures of each kid holding a letter then put it together on a poster board, she loved it!! The bottom line, the teachers arn't expecting much, just a small acknowledgement is really all your looking for. Good luck! And remember the other room moms, especially in the older grades(they have been doing it for awhile) can be a great source of help!!!!!!
Have a great Saturday!
A.
-a fellow bigger and BETTER Texan ;)

Never heard of parents throwing a teacher a birthday party. A little over the top. What about the assistant in the class when it is her birthday, then there is the librarian. She has a gift wish list! Holy cow. So not appropriate IMO. I assume you checked with the higher ups. Other classes will see this and want to do the same thing. That would be crazy. Besides who knows when a teachers birthday is.

I was a home room parent for 10 years. We never threw the teacher a party and quite frankly the school would not allow it. Is the teachers wish list stuff for the class at least?

Any party we had we always had a craft, a game and time for a snack. You could also read a fun book to the class. (Check out Gerald McBoing Boing by Dr. Seuss).

FYI... At our elementary school we collected $15 per child at the beginning of the year to fund all parties. I can only imagine what a pain it is to collect money at various times of the year.

Juice and cupcakes is nice.

One year nearly every kid in all of my classes wrote little notes on the day before my birthday because I was out and the sub either couldn't resist the kids or knew I'd appreciate it. They taped all of the notes to the whiteboard. I hated scraping all of the tape off, but I couldn't even be mad at them.

A gift card to Target in the amount of kids she has. 23 students? $23 gift card. Ask each parent for a dollar. Cheap and cute. She probably will spend it on the students anyway.

I would suggest alphabet sandwiches in place of cupcakes. You cut them out to look like the letters if you don't have alphabet cookie cutters. Depending on the size of the class, you can do numbers so that everyone has a sandwich.

I work at an elementary school and also Sub Teach.

Now, the Teacher said, anytime after 1:30 is fine.
And what is their lessons at that time???
Any "party" time, will mean that, their other learning blocks at THAT time, will be either cancelled, or there will not be enough time for it, etc.

Also, how LONG, do you plan on having this "party?"
Everything is about timing.
A party, which starts at 1:30, and since school ends at 3:05, it cannot be for those hours. That is too long. And you also have to factor in, clean up time, WHO is going to do that, and WHO is going to actually do the party???
You NEED to have, volunteers. The Teacher should not have to do that.
And you also have to factor in, time for the Teacher to get her kids back on track after the party and to finish up any lingering lessons etc.
And, if the Kinder kids nap, then when is that? And that may have to be cancelled in lieu of that party etc.

It does not have to be super creative.
It does not have to be complicated.
It should also not be anything "noisy" because then it might disrupt the other classrooms nearby etc.
And aside from the gift to the Teacher, is this a party that you all are planning "activities" or not??????
Anything planned in that sense, needs to be cleared by the Teacher, first.

Cupcakes/juice and presenting her a gift, is fine enough.

And, any fliers sent home to the parents, needs to be done ahead of time. As soon as possible.
The flier, SHOULD include, an FYI that VOLUNTEER helpers are needed for the party too. If not, you... will be doing it all. And the Teacher.
And state, how many volunteers are needed, for clean up and assistance.

Per Valentine's parties... I have not seen any that my kids' had, per their grades, that asked for monetary donations. Monetary "donations" which are optional, are typically asked for per Christmas parties and end-of-the-school-year parties. Not for EVERY party a classroom has. And, many times, as a GRADE level... the Teachers have parties/occasions planned. As a grade level. As a grade level, the Grade level Teachers, often (at least at my kids' school), had various things planned.
So typically, money is not asked for, for EVERY "party" or holiday or occasion, at least at my kids' school.

As a teacher, I have never had my students celebrate my birthday. I've never had a colleague have a class throw a party for them either. (And I've taught in five different districts in two different states.) When I was a classroom teacher I brought treats in on my birthday, but never had anyone else bring them. I've never gotten a birthday present from students or the class as a whole. I have gotten many hand-made birthday cards from students, but they were always spontaneously made. No one ever organized a card-making time. I would never expect my students or parents to recognize my birthday.

Seems a little strange to me, but if that is the tradition in your school I would suggest a small snack (mini-sized cupcakes or cheese sticks) that you drop off. Let the teacher decide when it is an appropriate time to share them. More than likely because of school policies whatever you bring in cannot be homemade. It will probably need to be individual packages or something made in a commercial kitchen.

As far as a gift, I would suggest a book or a gift card for coffee, ice cream, or books. Just a small token is fine.