Teacher Apperciation Gift Ideas

As a teacher, I would say that gift certificates are very nice. Maybe for a local coffee shop or movie rental type place just as a couple of ideas.

I get my son's teachers gift certificates either to go out and eat or to a school supply store because all the little extras in the classroom have to come out of the teachers pockets

As a second grade teacher, I will tell you two things that I love receiving. One is a note from the parents and/or student saying what they appreciate about me. A teacher is a like a mom-a tough job that is underappreciated. Two, I love gift cards! Teachers don't get paid well and gift cards to Target, restuarants, etc are great!

On another note, things teachers often do not need/want are: #1 teacher knick-knacks, candles....

T., I just started a Candle business (called Gold Canyon) I think Candles and their other products such as the lotion and different items like that. They have things for the home, such as decor too. All reasonable price for the product that you get. My website is www.katrinascandles.com. All of my info to contact is there if you live in the Des Moines area and would like to smell the fragrances then just contact me. I could even show you some of the products in person.
Let me know...K. Rapp ____@____.com

Hi~

I am a teacher and some of the things that I have most enjoyed are; special notes/cards saying how you or your child enjoyed the class, bath & body gifts, tea/hot cocoa set and gift cards to places I like to frequent. The most thoughtful and appreciated gift was a "Dinner and a Movie". It was a cute box with everything to make a spaghetti dinner, with salad and garlic bread and a gift card to the local video store. I have never received a voucher for a massage, but that would be a great gift.

you can get a teacher just about anything these days, but i think the most treasured thing is a handwritten note by your son. i know if i got a note like that from one of my day care kids i would keep it forever! LOL.

or you could get her a gift certificate to eat someplace, or to a supply store or something. flowers maybe to brighten up her classroom. a potted flower if they are allowed... my son's ECFE classroom has a few wonderful potted flowers the kids just love.

now im gonna be selfish and give you a plug for my business LOL. i sell usborn books and you could certainly get her a book or book bucks so she get get her own books!
sorry. shameless plug huh?

i hope this helps!

How about making a donation in the teacher's name to her favorite charity? World Vision (www.worldvision.org) actually has a catalog that you can choose gifts, like educational supplies for children in poverty around the world, including the U.S. We've done this the past couple of years, and the teachers have loved it.

I have at various times of the year made them a meal - say a pan of lasagna or a pan of cinnamon rolls that they can take home and bake. This helps them out to spend more time with their family and who doesn't like to have 1 time when they don't have to worry about cooking. The teachers have written wonderful thank-yous for this!

As a teacher of ten years I can tell you the most meaningful gifts I have received have not been the tangibles. While those are nice, I most love the letters I receive from families and students. Most teachers have some kind of file where they tuck those momentos away to pull out on rough days. Thanks for thanking your teacher!

Hi T.!
My name is L. Conzemius. I live in Breckenridge, Mn with my husband of 6 years, 5 year old daughter and 17 mo old son. I wanted to reply to you because I think I have the PERFECT solution to what you are looking for for your child's teacher. My sister in law Carmen Paquin has a bake shop in town where she does Gourmet cakes and cookie bouquets!! They are SO GOOD!!! And yes I would say that even if I was NOT related to her!! This woman has more talent for this in her little pinky than I do in my WHOLE body!!! I dont know where you are from but she WILL ship all over the US! If you go to paquinssweetharmony.com, there are links to see some cakes and bouquets for all sorts of occaisions. "Teacher Appreciation" is about 1/4 of the way down. (I think I counted the 13th category) Anyway I just ordered a small one with a chalk board, pencil, and apple for my daughter's preschool teacher and the same for my Mom, who JUST got a job as a Kindergarten Teacher after searching for a permanant job for a LONG time! If you have some ideas as to what you want you can also call her at 1-877-643-1161. This is a Free call. Ask for Carmen( my SIL) or Margaret (my MIL) and tell them you were referred by me!!! I hope this helped you or anyone else wanting to give that special teacher something for Teacher appreciation week (May 4-9th!!)
Love L.

I'm a teacher... we LOVE gift certificates! Spa? restaurant? favorite clothing store? Deb.

Coming from a teacher... the best gift is knowing someone really does appreciate what you have done for their child. A simple note explaining why you are thankful would probably be cherished much more than a store bought gift. A picture of her with your child to go along with it might be a nice touch too!

A radio station was talking about this a year ago at this time, and quite a few teachers called in and stated that they loved all the kind thoughts and whatnot, but they had enough knicknacks, body lotions & candles, and apple things...The best bet was a gift certificate to a restaurant or even to Target just to stock up on stuff. I now go to my bank and get Visa Gift Cards for everyone...they can be used on anything and anywhere they accept Visa so if they need gas, groceries, or just something special like a book they can get it. Last year when we were leaving a school and moving, my kids and I bought a bunch of classroom activity books and project books and stuff for the class, we included the gift card for the teacher and put the whole thing in the basket.

My mom is a 3rd grade teacher, and I know that while yes, they like the little cards and things kids make to show appreciation, they also REALLY enjoy things that aren't for the classroom but for them. Gift cards to restaurants or stores are always the biggest hit. It isn't that they are any more materialistic than any of us. I wouldn't be thrilled if my work gave me a useful gift, ie stapler, as a appreciation gift I think it is wonderful you are wanting to do something! I would suggest something just for them to pamper themselves and show how much of an impact they made on your child.

I have found that the older teachers enjoy home made gifts more then the store bought. This also gives your child a hand in making it. Maybe you could find some hankerchifes and some fabric paint and embrodriy them for her or something along thoes lines. My son and I did a t-shirt for his kindergarten teacher like that and she loved it. You could also make her some little soaps from a mold and find some sents to put in it. My son loved that one too. The hardest I found was to make something for a male teacher but we did an ornament for him. Put your thinking cap on and you'll come up with something. Another idea is to make several small things and put them in a basket. Sorry about the spelling, hope it helps

Write her a note!!! I know that sounds cheap and easy, but as a teacher of 8 years, NOTHING compares to the notes I've gotten from kids and parents expressing what I've done right!! If you want to do something monetary, a gift cert to a restaurant or a store (something for her, not the classroom, and something just about everyone can use) would be appreciated too.

We gave our daughters teacher a plant that blooms (like a Christmas catus) and put in a stick (popicle) with her picture on one side and on the other said "Thanks for helping me bloom". We put it in a clay pot and let our daughter decorate the pot. She wrote "thank you" and "you are the best" on the sides as well as drew pictures and put stickers on it.
The teacher has it and reports back that it makes her smile everytime she seems a bud on the plant.

I've done the flower/planter idea, and also the ice cream sundae idea. Another good one is a "Movie Night" basket filled with popcorn, movie candy, and a gift card for Blockbuster. The teachers have loved all 3 ideas! Gift cards always work great too!

I would write a letter to her telling her how much you appreciate everything. Along with it add a dinner certificate or something like that. Say you know shes been taking out of her time to help your child and that you want her to have a nice night out. They say give teachers something that is disposable such as a gift certificate, a batch of cookies, stuff for the classroom, etc. Could you imagine if a teacher got a coffee mug from all of her students in class? Maybe your son would like to give her a note with a picture of him too.

I know that at our school, the parents got together and each made a dish to have a potluck for the teachers. Also, we received beautiful flowers, bath and body baskets, gift cards, home made goodies, candies, and all kinds of tear jerking cards made specifically by the kids.It was a great week :)

T.,

This year I purchased a gift card to the local book store for my sons teacher, which she absolutely LOVED because she was able to buy books for her classroom that she would have had to otherwise purchase with her own money. When I gave it to her, I intended her to use it for books for herself (I never said that to her), but she was so thrilled to use that way, that was fine too. Also, at the end of every school year, I write a thank you note to the kids teachers and let them know the ways the have directly impacted the childrens education. All the teachers have told me the note means more than the gift!! Everyone wants to know they make a difference. Good for you for wanting to let this teacher know how much you appreciate her.

Gift certificates, educational toys or games for her classroom, books for her classroom. How about a photo of your son and a letter of appreciation? Other than a photo I would avoid anything knick-knacky or too personal unless you are very familiar with what she likes.

I taught for several years and I agree with those recommending gift certificates (restaurants, bookstores, teacher stores, and movies are all great options). The note is a wonderful gift as well. I'm not sure what other teachers do but I still have a file of the nice notes I received from parents...on days when you are having a hard time it can really "pick you up" to read some of those notes. Cut flowers are also a nice gift. A picture of your child is a nice remembrance but I recommend not giving it in a frame. You can only put up so many pictures of children you've taught but you can make lots of scrapbooks or just include them in your photo albums. It's much easier.

Get her a gift certificate for your local spa or for a massage. They are great! And she will appreciate it!
C.

How about you ask the office if you can surprise her with a
hour of help from you.

My sons class I had one may day plant flower seeds they could watch grow then give them to her to take home...sunny reminder.

Also we had a tree planting for a teacher at the school, when days was blah the blah sky would bring down on the tree a ray of sun light and you could see she loved life even when she soon passed away or was in a care center or something.

Also maybe a shadow picture of her as your teacher with a now photo of her on top of it.
Or one look out at you photo and a side veiw lookin at the past/future veiw.

Last year I bought supplies for ice cream sundaes...everything except the ice cream. I found inexpensive sundae cups, toppings, etc. and gave them as gifts to teachers and the bus driver. It was lots of fun and sort of unexpected. In the past I've done a small cooler full of all the things to make s'mores. Yummy.

Teachers need a night out and to relax just like us moms do. We like to give bath stuff, candles, and gift cards to restaurants. Since she is so special to you and your family you may want to add in a teacher's survival kit with your gift. Here is an example...

Teacher's survival kit
Contained.......to help you survive teaching

toothpick - to help you "pick" out the good qualities in others and yourself
crayon - to color you day bright and cheerful
Hersheys Hugs and Kisses - for when you need a hug
candle - when you're up late grading papers
eraser - to remind you everyone makes mistakes
rubberband - to remind you to be flexible and try to work on "win-win" situations
string - to tie things together when everything falls apart
pencil - to "write your wrongs"
Marbles - to replace the ones you've lost (we enclosed extra, you'll need them later)
Lifesaver candy - you are a lifesaver to many of your students
paperclip - to hold it all together
jewel - because you are as valuable as any precious stone
and a prayer for you to say at the start of each day
Cup/Mug for when yours is overflowing

I have recipes for handmade bathsalts and soaps if you and your kids would like to make something yourselves. Teachers love homemade gifts from their kids.
http://www.yourfunfamily.com/Hobbies/bathsalts.html
http://www.yourfunfamily.com/Hobbies/soapcrafts.html

M.
http://www.yourfunfamily.com

I like to give gift certificates to a nice local restraunt. They can use it for lunch or towards a dinner out. Our teachers work hard and I think its a nice jester to show that we know they need a break too.

Hi T.,
I have a son that just turned 9 also. Last year my sons 2nd grade teacher was great, not just with my son but the whole class. To show her how much she meant to us and the class I asked her if she would mind leaving the classroom for a half-in-hour that I had something special planed for her. The next week I went in to the class and explained all the nice and good things that she had done for them and asked if they want to make a video about her. They all loved the idea. I took each student aside and asked them to say how they felt about her. Then at the end all the kids said thank-you Mrs.Anderson we love you and will miss you next year. When I went and got her back in the classroom she watched it. She had alot of laughs,but also alot of tears. She said she would keep that tape for the rest of her life. Out of all the years teaching she never had anyone do anything like that for her. It meant the world to her she said. That made it all worth it.