Calling All Teachers - Gift Advice

I would love the gift cards. I always liked getting supplies too. And the best was a sincere thank you note, letter, or card.

I only received a gift card once in the 5 years that I taught, and I can tell you that it was by far my favorite. I even walked around to the other teachers and bragged. I always got lotion, candles, and other junk, that honestly got thrown in the trash at some point. That sounds so bad. It's just hard, because you as a parent only know the teacher as a teacher, and you really don't know what she really likes, and that's why gift cards are best. :) I hope I helped a little.

There are a few gifts that have stood out for me in the past: Bath and Body Works Gift Card, Gift certificate for some sort of pampering (nails, feet, facial, massage) and one was really cute as it was a movie theatre themed basket...since she knew I couldn't get out much with kids and the husband she bought a really cute bowl and filled it with movie treats (candy, popcorn) and a gift card to rent movies. It was an awesome end of the year gift! I hope it helps...by the way I would say NO to things like pre-bought body lotions (you probably don't know her scent) and stuff that's too personal like someone bought me a huge Rooster Rug for my house!:) Of course, I don't negate the thought behind it, but it was funny (I hate birds!!:)) Candles are fun, but once again you have to know what she likes.If she is a coffee drinker a nice mug is great too---the one's with kid sayings are the best...So, stay neutral gift cards and the former can go a long way! I hope I helped and didn't further confuse you!!:) Let me know what you decide...

When my children were in school, I baked cookies for all their teachers the first day of school. I also baked cookies for each season, (I loved those Pillsbury ready to bake cookies) and the last day of school. They really appreciated being remembered all year. They developed a 'reputation' of being the cookie kids.
I also did this when they were in high school, for each season, too. Then the year they graduated, I had a friend/baker bake a large sheet cake to put in the teachers' lounge thanking them. This was greatly appreciated since HS teachers rarely get gifts.
All this was done while I was getting my school room ready, since I am a teacher, too.
I now bake cookies through out the year and put them in the teacher's mailroom for all the campus personnel. (I also give special bags to the maintenence staff and the cafeteria ladies,) They thoroughly enjoy this, too.
Just a note, I treasure each gift I receive. I appreciate the gift cards, but the ones that are dear to my heart are the notes from the students and parents.

As a teacher I completely agree with the responses. It is so nice to get that thank you card/note. It really makes a big impact.

I love getting pictures from my students as well. The handmade touches are very sweet!

The gift card ideas are great. Half-price books would be a nice card as well; you get a lot of nice books for very little. Food gift cards are nice, but can be difficult if you don't care for a particular restaurant.

I received a bulb kit for Christmas and it is just beautiful. It was simple to do and it blooms! Something foolproof like that is always nice and it lasts.

Just knowing we have parental support is the best gift!
Thank you
D.

I have been teaching for 8 years and I really enjoy cards, gift cards, and homemade things from my students. I get an abundance of mugs, lotions, soaps, stuffed animals, and that sort of thing, and I will be honest and say a lot of this gets stashed away. I think gift cards are a nice idea so the teacher can get something she really wants or needs. Restaurant and food cards are nice too and give you a night off from cooking. Also, one other thing you could give is a gift card to Staples, Barnes and Noble, or your local teacher store. These are places we visit often.

I would stay away from soaps & lotions (Bath & Body Works type stuff), we (teachers) received A LOT of that & it just doesn't all get used. What I enjoy the most is homemade gifts or gift cards....my favorites have been Starbucks, Chik Fil-A & Barnes & Noble. Anything is appreciated though!! Good luck & God bless! H. B.

As a teacher, I was always amazed at the thoughtfulness of my students and parents. My gifts ranged from the expensive store bought variety to the student-created craft and all were equally appreciated and enjoyed. I remember not wearing any jewelry on party days so that I could be sure to wear any earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pins, etc. that were made or bought for me all day for the students to see and enjoy too!

As a brand new teacher, gift cards to Teacher Heaven in Austin, Amazon, any bookstores and Walmart were very useful and allowed me to improve my classroom library collection for my students for many years to come. I can tell you though, that I still have every homemade card, picture, gift, rock, bubble gum ring etc. that I have received and I try to have them somewhere visible in my classroom for returning students to see when they visit.
As you can see, I valued gifts that allowed me to give back to my classroom and/or involved the actual work or thought of my students.

However, as a single teacher on a limited budget, it was also fun to get the occasional gift card to a fancy restaurant, salon, or movie theatre. Do you know any of her/his hobbies, favorite colors, favorite dishes? One year for my birthday, one of my parents cooked lunch for me and had a place prepared in the lounge with china, silverware, place setting, water goblet, table cloth and flowers. When you bring your lunch everyday, this is a very special treat! I also had parents asked me what they could bring me for lunch and deliver it to me at school.

My favorite all-time gift was a poster with one statement from each student telling me what they liked about their teacher the most. You could do the same and add a picture of the student and/or class in the middle and have it framed.

No matter what you choose to do for your child's teacher, your thought is greatly appreciated. Thank you for trusting your teacher with the most precious thing in your life---your children.

I taught high school for 10 years (just took parenting leave last summer when my daughter was born). I agree with the former PTA pres who said there is an overabundance of coffee mugs and soap products. A heart felt note about what a difference that teacher made in your child's life is a wonderful gift. I have kept every personal note and letter that parents and students have given me over the years. I treasure those, and they are a huge mood booster when you feel down about the job (it is really draining and challenging at times).

That said, if you want to purchase something, please get a gift card. I always used the Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, and Target gift cards I received and they were very much appreciated. Also, in the last few years I had several students give me spa gift certificates (they knew where I went to get my mani/pedi's) and those were awesome.

Although I'm not a K-12 teacher (I do college, and we don't get gifts--which is actually great), I have friends and family who are, and I know that they appreciate restaurant gift cards, so that's what I've been giving my daughter's teachers.

Just make sure that it's a restaurant that works for the child's teacher. (For example, one of my favorite places is a sandwich shop that is open only M-F at lunch. Well, none of my daughter's teachers will ever be able to go, so I've eliminated that restaurant from my potential choices.)

I love to get giftcards - especially for bookstores and restaurants. Small things that parents have done that stick out in my mind - brought lunch, sent cookies (2-3 homemade), special glitter pens & markers for grading, and thank you notes/emails. Don't underestimate the value of notes/emails, they can really make a teacher's day.

Gift cards for restaurants are always my favorite. No cooking! Teachers get to many coffee mugs.

I usually give Starbucks gift cards too. I was curious to see the responses. :-)

As a former teacher, any kind of gift is greatly appreciated. Most teachers go above and beyond the working day schedule for the kids and any type of recognition and appreciation gives teachers the energy to continue to give their all to the kids. It's like being a parent. There are always more things you can do for your kids. I got a nice platter that a child hand painted at one of those places. A home parent collected five bucks from each parent and got me a spa gift certificate (this was a total surprise to me). Also, I love plants and flowers too. Once, a child grew a bean plant at home for me and decorated the cup with paint and stickers. Just picturing the child decorating the cup and starting the plant at least 2 weeks previously to give it to me on Teacher Appreciation Day just melts my heart.

As a former teacher I was never more grateful for food/Chilis, Red Robin etc.. gift cards. These gave me the opportunity to eat out with my husband and still have money to pay a babysitter. Teachers appreciate anything really- but we do get a lot of coffee mugs and nick nacks. However this year I gave my son's teachers a travel coffee mug that could hold a drawing that he had done for her. Later she can put pictures of her grandkids in them. She loved it! Good Luck!

Your ideas are perfect! Also, gift certificate to a teacher supply store. Basket filled with cute stickers, cool or unusual markers, clever notepads,stamps and inkpads...stamp with Happy Face. or Sign and return, or GREAT JOB! or Try again,....these can be found at Teacher Supply Store.

OR a note that says lunch will be provided on Wed. and take her a neat lunch like chicken salad and croissants, and fresh fruit with a cookie...This is also a great idea for a team of teachers like the homeroom teacher and all others who are involved with your child Music, PE, Spanish, Computer,etc.

Or a cake dropped off for that same team of teachers and another cake dropped off for office staff, principal and assist. principal.

A giftcard to Walmart or Target or even a universal giftcard is best. A note added is always wonderful.

I wanted to add that a gift card to the local Teacher Supply Store is great for the beginning of the following year supplies.

After teaching for 26 years I do not need anymore apples!! I love to receive gift cards! I don't mean to sound greedy but it is even nicer when a couple of families go in together. A few favorites are to resturants and manicures/pedicures. It is so thoughtful of you to think of your children's teachers!

I have to agree with the responses I've read. I have received MANY bath salts, lotions, and soaps. While any gift is appreciated simply for the thought, I am allergic to most perfumes. Therefore using any of those items causes congestion and sometimes even hives. A nice gift card or even a handmade card from the child would be appreciated and treasured.

One of my kids made me a pot, personalized to our classroom learning - strategies we use, my cute sayings on it, and planted a flower in it. She had painted it with chalkboard paint. It was so cute. I also had a boy make me a birdhouse. Heartfelt notes are wonderful. So are the pampering gifts - spa, pedicure, manicure, restaurants. Thanks for asking!

My idea is that teachers like mom's do not often treat them selves. Their family always come first. Give them something that only they can use, something that they can treat them selves with.

OK, this may be totally out of line, but I personally don't like lotions, candles, etc. I prefer a gift card to a food place so on the days when I'm tired or during the summer I can relax and eat something yummy. Better than that I really appreciate a personal note telling me what I've done to make a difference in your child's education. Those notes I save forever and on a really bad day I'll pull one out for inspiration. If the teacher hasn't really done anything out of the ordinary then just give a gift card with a "We appreciate you" note.

Hi T.,

Here is my favorite gift as a teacher and for my daughter's wonderful teachers. Go to amyscandykitchen.com and check out the delicious caramel apples, they are truly the best. No other apple anywhere in the world compares to these. I love them and can't stop purchasing them for myself and for my friends and family. Once you taste them, no other caramel apple will even compare!

V.

I have a friend who sales jewelry and stuff. I always just call her and buy some jewelry from her. You can't beat paying $10-$15 for a gift that looks like you paid more!! Plus they always love the jewelry!!
S.

Gift Cards are great gifts, but can be costly. This is especially true if you have more than one child in school. The best gift for me is a homemade card by the child and slipper socks. The card lets the kids be creative and expressive and the socks are great after a day of standing and walking all day.

A gift card to her favorite restaurant! So she one night she won't have to go home cook dinner! Believe me after grading tons of work and it would be nice to just go out and have some one serve me dinner.

I am not a teacher, but I have been a PTA President at 2 different schools and this is what I have learned from my teacher friends and my daughters past teachers.
This was an article I found at Christmas time.It talks about this exact subject.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28162413/

I helped the teachers at my daughter's elementary school start an annual Garage Sale to benefit their on campus Daycare. I learned a deep dark secret.

We had to set up 4- 8ft tables to hold all of the Bath Goodies (soaps, candles, loofas, bath salts, potpourri etc), Mugs, picture frames, photo albums and "Apple" or "School themed" items that the teachers had to sell. Some of the teachers had to be persuaded to fess up and bring in all of their unused gifts. Some of the teachers stated that they are actually allergic or get headaches from highly scented items.

This is when I realized, there are only so much of these items any one person can use.

I asked them what were some of their favorite gifts. Many of them honestly said a card with a note from the parents or child was enough to make them happy. I told them parents and students love to reward them, what other types of gifts would they love to receive. Many of them said Gift Certificates, to restaurants, movies, plays, book stores, the mall.

Many of them said a homemade meal or dessert. They loved plants, magazine subscriptions, Video rental gift cards.

I vowed that day to give things that did not take up space. I try to give them things that allow the teachers to pick out as a treat for themselves.