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Talk It Out:
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"This
suggestion might be a
little late for this
year but the room
mother in my classroom
created a scrapbook
for my end of the year
gift. Pictures
were taken of parties,
field trips,
activities etc and
also individual kids.
Each child was asked
why I was a special
teacher....it was
really cute.
This gift is great for
retiring teachers and
classrooms with young
children. Money
could be collected in
the beginning of the
year toward this. Another
year I received a
basket with a Tea and
Coffee theme.
Each parent purchased
an item for the
basket...good for a
small classroom or
Sunday school teacher.
I also had a single
gift card for one
particular place like
a major department
store. Each
parent contributed
roughly $10 toward
this. That was
nice as it ended up
being quite a lot.
Since many teachers
have hidden medical
conditions like
allergies, high
cholesterol, diabetes
etc., I would suggest
being very careful
with food gifts. I
have thoroughly
enjoyed gift cards to
movie theatres, craft
stores and local
restaurants where I
can choose the food
items that benefit my
health. I also
received an enlarged
picture of my entire
class with me
included...the
children wrote their
names along the matted
part of the frame.
Hope these ideas help!"
~ Janice
"My 3rd grade teacher was on a diet so we were asked to bring in one piece of fruit each. One of the mothers put it all together in a big basket and my teacher was thrilled! I don't know any teacher who wouldn't be touched by a scrapbook of thank you notes from students AND parents, perhaps pointing out some victory the student had that year or an especially memorable event." ~ Cindy "I think store gift cards are probably the most appreciated gift these days. My sister-in-law who is an elementary school teacher appreciates all the gifts she receives because they are all given with love, but says she has enough soaps, note cards, pencils, mugs, etc. to last her the rest of her teaching career, and she has only been teaching for 5 years! Even a $5.00 gift card to a bookstore like Borders (which can even be used for on-line purchases) or a restaurant (such as Panera or Applebee’s) can help. Have the child decorate a plain box or plain gift bag with stamps or markers, and the gift will be much more personal." ~ Barbara "My sister-in-law, Julie, is an elementary school teacher. Her favorite teacher gift ever is one that she still uses every day at home.
"Take
digital pictures of
all the kids and
make a collage or
scrapbook of this
year's kids...add
their names to their
pictures. (We
do forget as time
passes.)
Each
child can give a
dollar and buy a
gift card for gas or
for use at a
department store
(Target, JC Penny,
Sears, Walmart,
etc.)
If
the teacher doesn't
have a weight
problem, a box of
chocolate candy (or
other use-it-up
product) would be
nice. Include short
notes from all the
kids responding to
'What I learned this
year' or 'My best memory
of __ grade in
Mrs._________ class.'
An autograph book
might work for this."
~ Lana
"As
a former teacher, I can say
from experience that
heartfelt, handwritten notes
of appreciation are the
greatest gifts any teacher can
receive. The most
precious thing to give that
4th-grade teacher is a
stack of letters from her
students telling her ways in
which she helped or made a
difference in their lives. The
cost is nothing more than a
sheet of paper and a writing
utensil. This will have a far
longer-lasting value than any
other thing that class could
give." ~ Anne
Marie
"One
idea I've used in the past has worked well for me.
I send home a letter asking for donations under the
guise of arranging an end-of-year trip to the zoo.
The parents can send their donations back to school
and the teacher forwards the envelopes home to me.
In the letter to the parents I request that if anyone
has a business that could offer a gift certificate to
send that also. Any personal handwritten notes
from the child are encouraged if the family budget
won't allow a cash contribution. Things I've purchased
in the past: plants that can be planted in the
teacher's yard presented in a basket, money tree for a
teacher that was facing medical bills, day spa
treatments, bookstore gift cards, ice cream gift
cards, and movie passes. Teacher Appreciation
Week is next week so I've tried to coordinate with
that week of celebration. I sometimes try to do
something small each day of that week to help extend
the happiness." ~
Cassie
"A perfect gift would be a wall hanging quilt. Each child would get a piece of felt all cut the same size for them to each complete a piece of artwork. Everyone could bring in some scrap material of a variety of colours for them to cut their picture pieces from. It could be a one theme quilt with say, flowers or it could be individual with their own story they wish the teacher to remember. Younger children could have a theme and older children love to be more free with their ideas. The children get to cut out any shape they want from the materials and glue them on their square. The squares are all collected and sewn together to make a quilt. Someone who has some experience in quilting would be good for this part to seek out. What teacher wouldn't want such a beautiful master piece. Don't forget to have the children sign the back and put the year it is created." ~ Margot "Last year my daughter's kindergarten class took her teacher to the Build-a-Bear Workshop where they all helped their teacher build a teddy bear for her birthday. It was adorable: the teacher did the choosing, the kids were allowed to put extra hearts in the bear, and help fluff and clean it, etc. The teacher then made the bear the class' mascot for the remainder of the year. Each child was allowed to take the bear home for an overnight visit to their own home, then report to the class what he/she did with the bear. This was all recorded in the Bear's journal. It was a very bonding experience for all. One year my daughter's preschool class gave a scrapbook to their teacher. One mother organized and created a scrapbook page for each child. The other parents contributed the pictures, and money to help with costs. If the class is large, a few parents will need to do the scrapbooking, but this could be done all together one evening. Another
idea is an end of the year party for the
teacher/class. One parent organizes, everyone
signs up to bring something or help set up, serve and
clean up. Have each student write a letter or poem or draw a picture for their teacher. Bind all letters/poems/pictures in a book for teacher. If possible include a wallet size picture of each student on page and have child sign own name (depending on age, especially endearing)." ~ Jen "One idea I've participated in for Teacher Appreciation gifts is providing lunch for my child's teacher. During the week of Teacher Appreciation five parents each took a day and brought lunch to the teacher. On the day prior to my assigned day I gave the teacher a menu to a local deli and instructed her to circle the sandwich she wanted (including condiments), the drink she wanted, and a dessert she would like. My daughter is diabetic and has a school nurse so I've also used this idea for Nurse Appreciation Day. They've been so appreciative to have a break from school lunches and it really isn't very expensive." ~ Elise For myself, I would prefer the same thing if a room mother would organize it or a gift card to Wal-mart's, or a nearby teacher store. Sometimes I even get a gift card to a nice restaurant. I especially love those! We are people, too! Teachers run out of: tissues, dry erase markers, zippered plastic bags of any size, pencils, erasers, stickers. If parents simply offer to provide treats say three times a year, it would be wonderful. A rule I have at home and a rule I would love to activate at school is don't buy it for me if I have to dust it. If I have to dust it, I want to pick it out." ~ Jennifer "I received the best and most unique present today from one of my students. She registered my name as a star at www.freenameastar.com. I have a certificate with the coordinates and magnitude of my star, as well as the comments she wrote about me online. I plan on framing it and hanging it up by my computer. I was very touched by this gift, and the sentiment of the student that presented it." ~ Sherri "Teacher's do not need junk and clutter. They do enjoy gifts from the heart. May I suggest taking each child's picture - or getting one from the parents and giving each child a piece of paper and have them answer the following question: (any question can work) 'What I learned from Miss ______'s 3rd Grade Class...' Take these along with the pictures and make a scrapbook. This is something tangible a teacher will treasure forever and can go back and look at in years to come and on days when the going is not going so good! I did this as a room mom and the teacher loved it! It was relatively easy, fun for me and inexpensive. You can also take a donation if you wish and get a gift certificate for the teacher as well." ~ Gail, room mom in PA "When my daughter was in kindergarten, her teacher would read them a book and then have the children draw a picture representative of the story and write 2 or 3 sentences underneath; then she would bind the pages and make a class book. The class made over 20 of these books. At the end of the year, I had the children do their version of the book, 'All I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten."' During their library time (when the teacher wasn't present), I had them draw a picture of their favorite thing from the school year and write 1 or 2 sentences about that activity or what they learned. I then made a cover with the title, 'All We Need to Know, We Learned from Mrs. Jones.' I wrote a small introductory page and got permission from the school secretary to laminate the cover and back page and spiral-bound the book together. The teacher loved it so much, she cried, and the children were very proud to have made it. It didn't cost the families anything, and it is something the teacher has kept many years later. She said it meant more to her to receive something the children made and came from their hearts than any 'expensive' gift she had received in years past." ~ Carolyn "I am a teacher. I do not expect expensive gifts. I find homemade gifts have more meaning. One year one of my classroom mothers had each child use a crayon to trace his hand and write his name on a cloth square. Then she sewed the squares together and stitched around each hand. She turned the children's 'handy' work into a wonderful quilted wall hanging that has hung in my home for over twenty years now. Another year one of my parents sent wooden flower shapes home with the children. The instructions were for each child to decorate the flower and send it back to her. Most of the children glued their picture in the middle of the flower and painted around it. She then used the flowers to make a door hanging that looked like a picket fence in a flower garden. Both of these are special because each child had a part--not just the parents." ~ A Teacher "One of the greatest gifts a coworker ever received from her class was a gift certificate for a massage! Each child sent in $2. A parent collected the money and purchased the gift certificate. Each child also wrote a thank you note for the teacher's hard work throughout the year." ~ Amy "One year a parent organized a 'book making' for the teacher. She took a piece of 8.5" x 11" white piece of paper and wrote a sentence starter. The starter was the same for the whole class. It could be something like, 'What I like about Mrs. ________' or 'Mr. _______ is the best teacher because _____'. She then photocopied it and gave one to each student (at a prearranged time when the teacher was not there that day or was not in that class). She then had the kids write and draw/color their page and then had it bound into a book. The teacher was thrilled with her personalized gift." ~ GG "I
teach kindergarten, and most of the
teachers I work with have all been
teaching a number of years. We are
grateful for any gift we might receive,
but items that are consumable in some way
are the ones that may be appreciated more.
I personally have limited cabinet or shelf
space, so coffee mugs or knickknacks are
hard to store. Candles and lotions can
always be used, my family looks forward to
any candy received, and gift cards that
have ranged from Target to restaurants to
teacher supply stores have all been used
enthusiastically. "As a kindergarten room mom, I was in charge of the teacher's end of the year gift. With the help of the aids in the class, I was able to compile a scrapbook of projects done for the teacher by each student. I purchased the tablet of paper which has lines on the bottom, and clear space for drawing on top. Each student drew a picture for the teacher, and wrote one thing that he/she liked about the teacher. I took snapshots of the children individually, printed them out with my computer at home, then put the picture with the artwork. I used a Creative Memories scrapbook, which is more expensive than some, but the quality was much better, in my opinion. The teacher cried as she looked at it; I believe the effort and cost was worth being touched by the words of the students." ~ Anonymous "One
thing I have done for several years that could be
done individually or by the entire class is to
purchase a favorite book at the local public library
in honor of the teacher. A little plaque or piece of
paper is included in the front of the book that
tells the child’s and teachers name and a short
message. his has been a big hit with the
teachers we have bestowed this gift on. "My son's kindergarten class gave his teacher a scrapbook at the end of the year. Each child had their own page and a couple of pictures and was encouraged to decorate and write a special note to their teacher right on the paper. We visit from time to time and she still has the scrapbook displayed in her room and my son is 13 now!" ~ Christy "While I was a preschool teacher for 4 years the parents often gave individual gifts. Sometimes they were the usual items with the word 'teacher' on them, but sometimes the gifts were very creative. One year a nice sturdy apron was purchased by all the parents, and each child put their handprints with their names below in a waterproof paint. That was a keeper. Another year they all went in on a personal gift of gift cards to Starbucks, Bath and Body, movie passes etc.. Individual handmade and handwritten letters were always welcome, but I honestly enjoyed the personalized package of gift cards. They lasted longer, and they were meant just for me." ~ Terri "I have worked in the school system before and know that teachers are very appreciative of the gifts they are given...especially gifts that tend to say, 'This gift is for you to use on yourself'...not on the classroom, etc. In the past, I have given my son's teachers the following:
-gift card to local restaurant
-money
-gift certificate to local 'spa-type' salon for
manicure, etc.
-gift card to local department store
-gas card or grocery card (with the price
of gas and groceries soaring, each of
these cards would be extremely beneficial)
-fine chocolates (A welcome treat for many, if you
know there are no diet restrictions.)
These ideas are not specifically for the
teacher, but these are often still appreciated since
many teachers purchase books/supplies with
money from their own pockets:
-book donations to the classroom (can ask for a wish
list ahead of time)
-classroom supplies (here again, a wish list can be
requested ahead of time)
-gift card to local educational store
I also like to add a very personal touch to the
end-of-year gift from our family. I take the time to
write a one-page letter--one to the teacher and one to
the assistant in the classroom (if there is
one). I pick a specific quality/trait I have
witnessed in that person and what a difference it
has made in my son's education as well as his life.
Of course, I express our gratitude for their hard
work and dedication. Since you are doing a group
gift, each family/child could write something to the
teacher, and it could all be compiled in a letter,
scrapbook, poster, etc.
Sorry to be long-winded. These ideas are just
a small sample of what many teachers would
appreciate. And these are all 'clutter-free'
gifts...nothing to crowd the home, classroom,
etc. I hope something here sparks your
interest! Just remember that it is the thought
that counts, and not the gift! Best of luck!"
~ Elizabeth, NC
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