I spent a few minutes this morning finishing up the gifts that I’ll be bringing to bible study today.
{We have a wonderful bunch of ladies who watch the kiddos while the mommies meet each Wednesday – God Bless their souls}
And as I was tying the bows on my simple little homemade gift, my mind drifted to Christmas, and gift giving and the joy of picking out a teacher gift.
And then I realized that I had something important to share.
I know something about giving teacher gifts.
Of course, I am not a teacher. I am a stay at home mommy who talks to much and needs to do the laundry.
I do however, have the inside scoop on what makes a good teacher gift because my sister teaches first grade. And as I lived with my sister for the first ten years of her teaching career, I know the unadulterated truth about teacher gift giving.
Here’s the low down:
DON’T
… give anything with an apple on it. Trust me, someone else has already got that one covered. And it wasn’t cute then either.
… ever give a mug. Especially not the ones full of Hershey’s Kisses, but any mug in general should be strictly verboten. Achtung Baby.
… even think of giving something that is monogrammed. It might seem cute, but trust me, it’s a big flop. They can’t even be re-gifted*
DO
… give a gift card. Any gift card, in any amount, is nicer than the three things above. $5.00 to Jiffy Lube beats the mug every time, hands down.
… write a personal note expressing your appreciation for the teacher’s hard work. They invest their hearts in your kids and a KIND personalized note makes them want to keep at it (caution, offering input on how they could be doing a better job would fall into the category of bad teacher gift. Just saying…)
… make something that reflects efforts or thoughtfulness. Bake some brownies, creatively frame a picture, or design some note cards…. Even if they aren’t perfect the effort you took will make the point that you care.
… iPods, a week at your Timeshare, a cruise to Bermuda, stock certificates, a trust fund… any of those would go over big. Really BIG. Of course, maybe you should send one to me too just to make sure!
Any other ideas on what makes a winning teacher gift? Feel free to share them!
* several years ago my sister received a monogrammed Christmas Tree ornament from a very nice, young family. It was pink and glittery and monogrammed with the words “Merry Christmas Amy!“ Unfortunately, not only did this fail in the “no monogramming” category, my sister’s name is Ali.
Ooops. Hee Hee Hee!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Those are good tips…and just at the right time, too. Teacher gifts are on my list of things that the kids need to help pick out. Parker has decided that he is going to give his piano teacher a fresh holiday floral arrangement. Faith has decided to follow her brother's lead and do the same for her Kindergarten teacher. Parker's school teacher, however, had me stumped until Parker decided he wants to give him what he's making for grandparents and aunts and uncles…beverage coasters. We're making them out of 4 inch square tiles that I purchased from Lowes. I also bought little round wooden plugs (the ones you put over a screw when making an item out of wood) to use as feet on the tiles. We hot glue them on all four courners and will package them up in sets of four and put them in cute little pre-decorated boxes from Michael's Craft Store.
So…whadda ya think? Would those pass as good teacher gifts? Be honest…I don't want my kids to be lousy gift-givers!
Have loved the photos of your house, your Christmas decor, your tradition of adding a little each week, AND your so-called "uncrafty" craft projects! You ROCK in the crafty department!
Peace and blessings to your day!
Jeanine
What you said. I get the occasional teacher gift b/c I work in a daycare, and gift cards are ALWAYS the best. Not to sound mercenary, but why spend $10 on something I may or may not like when you can spend $5 on a gift card to starbucks or target and know I'll enjoy it?
And the sweet cards and letters and pictures of the kids are always wonderful as well.
Cringing… Who gives a teacher a gift personalized with her first name? Is it just me or shouldn't that have been "Mrs. or Ms. Somebody?"
This is my 3 year old's first year at Preschool. Thanks for the tips. I was thinking gift card, so now I feel better about that choice. I would never have thought to do the personalized note, though. I like that idea too!
Hey Sharon, loved the post! I have been thinking about getting a gift card for my son's teacher but it seemed a little impersonal. So glad to know that is really what they prefer. Merry Christmas!
Gift card is also on the top of my teacher gift list. I always try to get to know the teacher better which makes gift giving much easier. For example, I know one of my kids' teachers travels a bit to teach so I would give the teacher a Shell or Mobile gift card. Another teacher enjoys dark chocolate so I'd get the Dark Cocoa Almonds from Trader Joe's for her. This is the third year I am doing it this way and it works really well. If it is a new teacher, $5.00 StarBucks is the standard.
Haha! You make me laugh, Sharon! (and coming from a former teacher, you are right on!)
This also from a teacher, you're right on. The "#1 Teacher" gifts with an apple are so overused. It also doesn't hurt to receive a personal note from the parent, especially when the students are younger.
As part of a two teacher couple – I agree with the first no – cheesy apple stuff, but I've received some pretty cool mugs – a Chelsea Football (soccer) Mug and a personalized stainless steel mug so mugs are ok. Also, we've received some pretty cool monogrammed stuff, too – towels, bags, stationary (always cool!). So tastefully done monogrammed gifts are great.
But as a teacher, the best thing you can give is a personalized note – especially from the kids. I save all of those and reread them every once in a while.
The gift cards are sweet, too. Before the economic downturn, we used to received enough Starbucks cards to last into June!
If you show a teacher you appreciate them, that by far is the best!
I agree with everything you said, as a former teacher turned SAHM I highly recommend the gift card! Sometimes the homemade gifts are thoughtful too but you just get so many. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Carey
I was a teacher, and the funniest thing I ever received from a student was a pair of used earrings!!!
Barnes and Noble gift cards were a BIG hit with me, because I could use it on books for my classroom or personal books as well. Just my two cents!
HA! Jiffy Lube!
AMEN! Thank you! You are so right, about all of these!
I see that Carrie said Barnes and Noble gift cards were a big hit with her, while I appreciate them I hate that I end up buying something for the class instead of something for myself as a reward for all my hard work. Just sayin'…
Hello! great ideas except for the Jiffy Lube. Unless it covers the cost of the entire oil change, I hate gifts that force me to buy something I wouldn't have bought otherwise.