Celebrate Teachers With Thoughtful Gifts
To show appreciation to your child's teacher, skip the apple-themed knick-knacks and try these winners instead.
Show your appreciation with a gift your child's teacher will truly love.
The holidays are a perfect time to show your child's teachers how much you appreciate all they do. So what do teachers really want? Favorite gifts cited were candles, plants, candy, and fruit baskets, but we've gathered up some even better — and sometimes cheaper — ideas that are sure-fire teacher winners and heart-warmers.
1. Write from the Heart
"I know it's corny, but getting a thoughtful thank-you card from a student is a hundred times better than a bottle of perfume or a knick-knack," reports Kate, a 7th-grade social studies teacher, echoing a common sentiment. It may seem simple, but a poem or letter of thanks from your child is a gesture that's truly appreciated. Have him tell a story about a special moment during the school year, or about what school would be like without a favorite teacher. As for you, consider writing a letter to the principal lauding a teacher's good work and mailing a copy to that teacher. Or if you feel a teacher is especially noteworthy, take the initiative to nominate her for an award such as Scholastic's National Teacher of the Year Award.
2. Get Together and Give
Get parents and children of a grade (or even several!) together to work up a sweat while doing something nice for teachers. Organize a free car wash just for teachers in the school, or clean and spruce up the teacher break room with wildflowers and fresh-baked goodies. If parents can volunteer in the classroom and take over for a few hours, put together a luncheon for all the teachers so they can really sit down and relax for awhile together. Have each class take on a task such as making centerpieces, place cards or tablecloths while parents take on food duty, bringing in favorite dishes to share.
3. Gifts from the Class
Again and again, when asked what holiday gifts meant the most to them, teachers answered, "something handmade by the class," whether it be a poster with every child's handprint under a "thank you" banner, cookies made by tiny hands, or a simple framed class photo signed by the children. Another great cooperative class ideas is to have each child create a flower out of cardboard and paint, or wires and fabric, and create a bouquet that will brighten the winter days.
4. Give to the Classroom
Many teachers pay for school supplies out of their own pockets, so a gift basket filled with colorful pens, paper clips, post-its, stickers, stamps, and other office goodies is always a favorite gift. Calendars and any items that help the teacher stay organized are also great. If you can organize the parents of the class, ask the teacher for a "wish-list" of books (and even software and videos) and assign parents a book each to create a new classroom library.
5. Make it Personal
Teachers have lives outside the classroom and many of them have hobbies and collections. Find out what activities your child's teacher participates in after school and really show them you care about them as people, adding a snow-globe to a growing collection, giving a skein of pretty yarn to a knitter, or a box of golf balls to a golfer. If you can't ferret out this information, a popular collectable gift to give is a Christmas ornament, which can be handmade or personalized by a child.
6. Treat Teachers like Royalty
Let teachers know that you appreciate all those long hours on their feet and at their desks by giving them the treats they may not give themselves. A pedicure or massage is a great gift. Get parents to chip in for a day at a local spa, tickets to the theater, or a gift certificate to a first-rate restaurant so he can really escape the stresses of school life. Or for a simpler escape, gift certificates for a movie or video rentals — perhaps tied up with a box of candy or popcorn — will surely be appreciated.
