"Specialists" Gifts

My kids give them all a $5 scratch off lotto ticket. I never would have thought of the idea until my sons Kindergarten teacher suggested it for them. He's in 3rd grade now and has given them the tickets every year. One year his music teacher won $1,000! He used it to buy a much needed new Piano for the school. I thought that was awesome!

Don't forget the bus driver!

I get them the candy, Lindt Lindor truffles. They are $3 / bag at Walmart (3.33 at Target). I think it is nice to remember the "specials" teachers. Not many people do. ( I also buy candy for the 3 secretaries, the nurse and guidance counselor. I don't get anything for the Principal but I would have if I liked him☺️)

My friend makes a huge tray of various cookies each year and puts it in the teacher lounge.

Last two years I stole ideas off pinterest.

When my son was in kindergarten I bought insulated cups wholesale. They wound up costing me $2 a piece. I split the box with a mom who had kids at a different school. I put a package of lemonade mix in the cup. Added a ribbon and put a not that said "Thanks for being such an "ade" in learning and helping quench our thirst for knowledge".

Last year I tried the personalized hand sanitizer. Everything I saw said to buy the hand sanitizer (which I found on sale for less than a dollar), take off the labels. Print the teacher's name on overhead projector sheets and slide the sheet into the bottle. Maybe it was the sheets I was using but it didn't work...at all. It looked cool for about 30 seconds before the lettering started to slide off.. So I went and picked up some clear mailing labels( on sale and a rebate offered). I printed my pics on there and stuck it to the outside of the bottle. Those were a big hit. And it wound up being so inexpensive, that I was able to include the office staff and the janitors.

$5 caribou giftcard. That's what I usually do for teachers. It can get expensive especially if you're buying for gym, art, music & spanish. Write a nice note in the card.

As a "specialist teacher" I don't expect anything from students and I think most specialist teachers are very surprised when they do get something. I probably won't give anything to my daughter's specialist teachers simply because it isn't in our budget to do it. We already have 6 Sunday school teachers, 2 daycare/preschool teachers, and a gymnastics coach to give to.

When I have gotten something it is usually a couple pieces of chocolate, a fancy hot cocoa packet, an ornament. I don't think I have ever gotten a gift card or anything like that since I became a specialist teacher.

Last year during teacher appreciation week I gave all of our daycare teachers a s'more kit (1/2 chocolate bar, a graham cracker broken in two, and a marshmallow) with a note that said, "Thank you for all you do. We couldn't appreciate it s'more."

Go to the dollar store, get a pretty mug, and stick a pack of hot chocolate mix or instant coffee with some tissue paper. $2 a person! Or get some of those holiday tins and put some candy or homemade cookies in. People just appreciate knowing you thought of them and took the time to put something together.

Several years ago I started baking cookings for my boys teachers. And their Specials teachers. They really appriciate it a lot. I had not thought about the bus driver I will have to add him to the list for my youngest. Now that my oldest is in high school i asked if he wanted to make them for his teachers and he said no. I will not argue with him cause he has at least 10 teachers. And he does not have a locker he can store them in to take them to the teacher as he goes to that class.

Small bright LED flashlights!
Everyone can use one and you can never have enough of them!
Buy them in bulk, hand them out to everyone, they make great stocking stuffers.

http://www.amazon.com/12pc-Bulk-Wholesale-Flashlights/dp/...