Teacher Gifts

LucsMama · Senior Member

Teacher Gifts

Sonya · Guru

I give gift cards.

I've done grocery store, movie money, book store...

I try to do something different but still useful.

If a teacher leaves, I give her around 20 or 25$ card. If I have to give to all the teachers (like christmas, etc - both kids have 3 teachers in each room - Charlie will have four in january), I have to keep it around $15. Still pricy though. But their teachers are simply fantastic and I have no idea how they do it.

Cuppycake · Guru

It sounds impersonal, but sweet Lord did I ever love Starbucks gc. Now that I'm done teaching, I love all my little ornaments from the kids, but at the time, I didn't really appreciate them like I should have.

I think this year we are getting Hannah's teacher a gc for a massage. I don't know how she does it!!!

Robin · Guru

LucsMama wrote:

I just got home from a field trip with Lucas' class... OMG, his teachers are amazing. I don't know how the 2 of them handle 20 4 year olds from 9-4 5 days a week. I am WORN out just from the few hours I spent with them.

ANYWAY, getting to my point. I would like to get them both something for Christmas and yes I know it isn't even quite Halloween yet, but I like to get my shopping done WAY before time. This is Lucas' first time in school so I am clueless about what makes a good teacher gift.

So what are you ladies thinking about doing or what did you do last year? If you are a teacher, what's the best christmas gift you ever got from a student?

The BEST gifts are giftcards--to Target or somewhere you know the teacher likes. Some teachers love Starbuck's but I'd ask first because I don't go to Starbuck's and therefore wouldn't use that.

I also always like when parents send in homemade bread or cookies. One year, a student gave me a flowerpot that he had painted with handprints and stuff with a miniature rosebush planted in it. I loved that.

Sonya · Guru

I've also been tossing around the idea of a pizza gift card for both rooms of teachers for parent teacher night.

I can't even imagine going from 8 am until 5:30 with those beasts and then having to meet up with parents.

Robin · Guru

Sonya wrote:

I've also been tossing around the idea of a pizza gift card for both rooms of teachers for parent teacher night.

I can't even imagine going from 8 am until 5:30 with those beasts and then having to meet up with parents.

The PTA at Henry's school always supplies a catered meal for when the teachers have to work after-hours.

It always smells so good there when I go to those meetings.

daisy · Guru

glad you started this thread. i'm ready to get going on teacher gifts too.
not sure what i'm doing yet. ug.

Juni · Guru

Definitely a gift card! Yes, it's somewhat impersonal but teachers get so much of that cutesy stuff that the gift cards make the best gifts!

FWIW I have already started thinking about this too and I am lucky because Gavin's teacher's daughter works at the same school so I am going to talk to her about where to get the gift card. Teachers spend so much of their own money on their classroom so you could see if they go to a specific store if you can't find out what they personally would like. Honestly, Target or Walmart would be my choice if I can't find out exactly what she wants.

I am thinking about bringing in a pointsettia or other plant for her, a tin with goodies and a gift card. But I will decide for sure after I talk to her daughter. :)

Cuppycake · Guru

Oh, and Hannah's teachers at her other school are new and I don't know them very well. I think they are getting cupcakes (baked and contained in tiny mason jars), coffee mugs with cupcakes on them, and sample size coffee (in a coordinating flavor to whatever cupcakes I make.)

supergrover · Guru

My holiday budget just went from not too bad to holy crap in a matter of one hour (Travis decided he may want to job search at the end of this year instead of next which places an urgency on our debt repayment).

All that said, we will be doing something home baked. I know not as appreciated, but it is what we can do this year! Travis is a great cook though :)

happylib · Guru

Honestly, when I taught, I was happy with pretty much anything. Gift cards are good, but I also appreciated ornaments, Christmas decorations and home goodies. I think the thing that I had the hardest time with were gifts like lotion with some crazy scent.

I am giving the teachers at E's school some holiday picture frames that are really cute. If I have my act together I might include some cookies or something.

Hmmm..... I guess this also means I should get her dance teacher something??

happylib · Guru

supergrover wrote:

My holiday budget just went from not too bad to holy crap in a matter of one hour (Travis decided he may want to job search at the end of this year instead of next which places an urgency on our debt repayment).

All that said, we will be doing something home baked. I know not as appreciated, but it is what we can do this year! Travis is a great cook though :)

I think teachers like it more than you know. With working, as you know, your home time is limited. I also found it nice to have home baked goods because it took the pressure off to do tons of baking.

Cuppycake · Guru

supergrover wrote:

My holiday budget just went from not too bad to holy crap in a matter of one hour (Travis decided he may want to job search at the end of this year instead of next which places an urgency on our debt repayment).

All that said, we will be doing something home baked. I know not as appreciated, but it is what we can do this year! Travis is a great cook though :)

I love home baked goodies.

Seriously.

I'd send Muffy all the Christmas presents I get to get on her cookie list, lmao.

supergrover · Guru

Cuppycake wrote:

supergrover wrote:

My holiday budget just went from not too bad to holy crap in a matter of one hour (Travis decided he may want to job search at the end of this year instead of next which places an urgency on our debt repayment).

All that said, we will be doing something home baked. I know not as appreciated, but it is what we can do this year! Travis is a great cook though :)

I love home baked goodies.

Seriously.

I'd send Muffy all the Christmas presents I get to get on her cookie list, lmao.

lmao. If I lived in Lux and was invited to a party, I would gain 10 pounds, for sure :)

I just got another idea to add with the baked goods. We will have Koda help and Travis or I wil take pictures. We'll write (ie. color) a story about making his best teachers the best cookies and paste in pictures of the process. Knowing his teachers, they will love that even more than the cookies :)

apies · Guru

Sonya wrote:

I give gift cards.

I've done grocery store, movie money, book store...

I try to do something different but still useful.

If a teacher leaves, I give her around 20 or 25$ card. If I have to give to all the teachers (like christmas, etc - both kids have 3 teachers in each room - Charlie will have four in january), I have to keep it around $15. Still pricy though. But their teachers are simply fantastic and I have no idea how they do it.

ditto on this from us. emily has a teacher and an assistant and 2 aids. ugh. that gets pricey (any input from anyone on if i can give different values or do i need to make them all the same?).

i also include something homemade inside something inexpensive. last year i found some inexpensive oversized holiday coffee mugs (think HUGE). i bagged up 2 different kinds of cookies and then added a bag of homemade chocolate covered pretzels.

i made them cards using a picture of emily on the front. she signed her name and i wrote a note inside thanking them and i usually use the adage of "it takes a village to raise a child" in my cards.

the teachers were really grateful for the gifts i sent in. i really think as long as there is thought behind it, they will be thrilled.

daisy · Guru

one thought i had was sigg water bottles instead of coffee mugs so they can use them at school - i know our teachers never drink hot coffee while teaching, but they do always have a plastic water bottle.
i thought maybe that with some cookies and a card might be nice? i dunno.

apies · Guru

Robin wrote:

Sonya wrote:

I've also been tossing around the idea of a pizza gift card for both rooms of teachers for parent teacher night.

I can't even imagine going from 8 am until 5:30 with those beasts and then having to meet up with parents.

The PTA at Henry's school always supplies a catered meal for when the teachers have to work after-hours.

It always smells so good there when I go to those meetings.

ha.

we get nothing. and we are stuck there until 9:15pm or later.

we even have a new policy (as of last year) that they cannot use any budget money to feed teachers.

:glum:

eta: they even did away with the pta this year.

-- Edited by apies on Monday 26th of October 2009 05:35:05 PM

Juni · Guru

So as far as home baked goodies - what are you guys doing?

I get circular tins at the dollar store - usually they are christmas themed - and this is what I have so far:

Chocolate covered pretzel rods with christmas sprinkles.

Sugar cookies with frosting (it's my grandma's recipe and they are seriously the best cookies in the world!!!)

Maybe rice krispie treats, not sure on this one.

Puppy chow - I think it's chex cereal with peanut butter, choclate and powdered sugar. It's way good but I don't have the recipe memorized.

I'd love some easy/fun ideas either to go with that or instead of.

apies · Guru

Cuppycake wrote:

Oh, and Hannah's teachers at her other school are new and I don't know them very well. I think they are getting cupcakes (baked and contained in tiny mason jars), coffee mugs with cupcakes on them, and sample size coffee (in a coordinating flavor to whatever cupcakes I make.)

leah, if you don't mind, will you share the info for the cupcakes in the jars? i've been wanting to try that and i'd love to see how you do it. tia!

Juni · Guru

Does anybody do something for the kids in the class?

For halloween (they had their party today) Gavin and I did little halloween paper bags and put little activity books, pencils, a stencil thing, eraser and candy (very little candy) in it. We actually did it on the super cheap but they looked really cute and we did one with some extra stuff for his teacher.

I am thinking about doing something like that for christmas too but with some sugar cookies or something like that in there.

Anybody else do something like this? any ideas?