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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Teacher Gifts, Already?

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Yes, it's that time of year again! The end of the school year is looming just around the corner. Sooner for some than others.

It hit me yesterday. My youngest son's last day of school in on Monday.

And not only did I not have any teacher gifts, I had no idea what to get!

I'm going to make a confession here... I hate buying teacher gifts! I never know what to get! And to top it off, I have so many that I need to get!

My youngest is three and has two teachers in his pre-K program. And not to be "cheap" but I don't really feel the need to go out and spend a fortune on each of the teachers. Plus, my oldest, in first grade, has three teachers I need to buy for. And I'm not even talking about "specials" teachers (like Art, Music, Gym, Spanish, etc...).

I'm a stay at home mom. We're a one income family. I don't have an extra $100 laying around the house to spend on teacher gifts.

So, I've been trying to think of teacher gift ideas that would work.

Obviously, there is the "Home Baked" gift. At Christmas time, each teacher received an assortment of cookies that I had made along with a coffee cup and some coffee. I thought about baking something, but seriously -- I have so much going on right now, baking is pretty far down the list of something I'd want to do, let alone have time to do.

Then, there is the Home Made gift. I'm not crafty. I can't draw or sew. My sister is a wonderful potter with her own kiln so her daughters always get home made pottery. And my mom can sew like nobody's business. I have some really lovely purses that she made for me. Perhaps I should have her start making some now for next year? I do knit, but time is of the essence here and I just didn't think far enough in advance to knit something up for them. And again, I have too much going on right now to do something I'd be happy with giving as a gift. Note to self: begin knitting Christmas gifts NOW.

Logically then, we're moving on to something store bought. I could do a gift card of some sort, but honestly, I always feel a bit cheap giving a gift card for less than $10. And where do I get it from? Not everyone drinks coffee (gasp!) or shops at the same shops as me. So, while they are great if you know the teacher a bit better, I just don't.

Of course there are some things I could do, like lotions and candles, but they just don't do it for me. I did consider a potted plant and may have to remember that one for later.

In the end, I decided on something I'd like to get. You see, I am a reusable shopping bag junkie. I loved these bags suggested by Charlene from the Shine staff, but again -- the whole "time" issue with ordering and all. So I began my search for a reusable shopping bag that was nice enough to use as a pre-school teacher gift.

I had to go to Harry's Farmer's Market this morning (Whole Foods) and I saw these adorable bags. At $7.99 they were a bit more expensive than the $.99 ones, but they are bigger and more substantial.

I bought a bar of my favorite, Lindt Chocolate and wrapped them up with ribbon.


So, what do you think?



And any ideas for teacher gifts for my son's First Grade Teacher, his Reading Teacher and ALP teacher would be greatly appreciated. I have 2 more weeks to prepare!






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Comments 11-18 of 18
  • Heather's Avatar
    Posted by Heather Mon May 12, 2008 8:58am PDT

    I usually make simple bookmarks for our teachers. When my children have more than one teacher, I ask them to choose which teacher will recieve the small gift. When they were younger, we only gave to the main teacher in their lives. This keeps the cost way down. When exactly did we start having to give our teachers gifts anyway? Just saying thank you is generally acceptable. I always feel like I'm tipping the teacher when I give a teacher gift. Retirement is one thing....but otherwise is something small, simple, and cheap.

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  • Teresa's Avatar
    Posted by Teresa Wed May 14, 2008 7:15am PDT

    Last year I give my sons' teachers (4 in all) a SunTea container - purchased at Wal-Mart for under $5 (with spout) and a SunTea recipe. In the container I put a box of tea bags and a small container of sugar...the idea was received EXTREMELY well! At least it's something that is a bit practical...This year I'm thinking about giving a nice candle with the quote attached "A good teacher is like a candle, it consumes itself to light the way for others"...but I haven't really decided if this is the way to go. My oldest is graduating from 8th grade and my youngest is graduating from Kindergarten so I'm not sure if I should give something more significant...any suggestions that others have would be appreciated!

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  • Lefty's Avatar
    Posted by Lefty Wed May 14, 2008 6:05pm PDT

    I teach music in a preschool. I appreciate any little tokens that the kids and their parents give me.

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  • teachergirl's Avatar
    Posted by teachergirl Thu May 15, 2008 3:35pm PDT

    No good teacher wants you to feel obligated! As an 8th grade teacher, my favorite gifts have included letters of thanks (or even emails). But a few parents have done the inspired! They wrote my principals and central office to thank them for having me on staff! That made my day, because the big bosses of course told me how wonderful that was to receive. Best of all, it only costs time, paper, and a pen (or a computer--most district superintendents and principals have email links from their school's website).

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  • Lady Kelien's Avatar
    Posted by Lady Kelien Fri May 16, 2008 6:54am PDT

    My families gift to teachers was to just move. LOL We gave a gift to teachers at christmas, usually a christmas tree ornament. But, never a end of the year gift. If you just have to get them a gift it should be something they can use for the next year. Teachers, at least in public schools have to furnish their classrooms with books and games out of their own pocket. Do you have any books for that age group that your children don't like or don't want anymore that are still in good condition? What about a game you bought and no one ever plays? Teachers from what I can tell appreciate those kinds of gifts. If they don't then, they shouldn't be teaching.

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  • widallas's Avatar
    Posted by widallas Fri May 16, 2008 8:31pm PDT

    The bags are such a great idea! We just bought some bookmarks and a few gift certificates for teachers, and both kids are excited to make cards for their teachers. As a teachers assistant (parapro), I've always felt odd receiving some big, ridiculous thing that I'll never use, and then I feel guilty about it. My family is moving, and the class teacher asked the kids to write cards for me. Their little notes -- some of them wonderfully heartfelt -- will go in my treasure box, and it was such a sweet and simple thing.

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  • Melissa's Avatar
    Posted by Melissa Fri May 16, 2008 10:05pm PDT

    As a teacher, I have always loved child made cards. I actually keep them in my file cabinet and read them when I need a boost. After 10 years teaching, I still have all of them saved. $5 gift cards were a regular gift and were appreciated. Book stores, teacher supply stores, Starbucks, and the movie theater were my favorites. If you have flowers in your garden, you could buy a practical vase and fill it w/ fresh cut flowers. I re-gift the bath and body stuff, candles, knick knacks, and coffee mugs. Know that most families don't give gifts. It is not expected, but it does make a teacher feel appreciated, no matter what you give.

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Comments 11-18 of 18

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