Hi all. I am needing ideas for thank you gifts for teachers. We were so blessed this year to get the greatest teachers on the face of the earth. Alittle info, my 2nd grade DD has always had acouple learning problems since she started school. Her main teacher has went out of her way to help my DD including seeking extra help from 2 other special teachers for reading and math and staying after school 5 days a week to help. My DS (Kindergarden) has a teacher who has done wonders for him. This teacher is expecting a baby and I dont know how she stays so calm and together working with little ones yet alone my wild son. These are very special teachers and I would love to get them something just to let them know how great they are. But Im having a hard time thinking of ideas. What do you get for someone who has blessed your's and your childs life?
Gift cards! I have many friends who are teachers and they are unanimous in wanting gift cards. Include a handwritten personal note with each one, so they're meaningful. Teachers don't earn much and gift cards are really appreciated.
As a former teacher, I always wished I'd gotten a NICE gift. I got Dollar store junk instead, but that was the kind of kids I taught. I once got half a bottle of perfume from one student. (so sweet!)
But honestly, a gift card would be great! All teachers love money, for a nice restaurant, for a pedicure/manicure/facial, for new clothes, for baby stuff....
Also - a handmade book from your child with their art and words written inside would be great. One of my greatest gifts is a book where each of my students made one page of a book and it was bound with yarn. Each child's page started with "I love Mrs. Jones because . . . . " They filled in their own response and drew a picture. I will keep it forever. That was from my 2nd graders. Very cute.
Consensus on this site is gift cards from what I've seen. The teacher having the baby you could even do a gift card to Babies R Us or something of that sort.
For my daughters teachers (She has 2 in Preschool) I had her tell me 3 things she liked about them. Then I took a picture that I took of her on the first day of school. I made card with her picture on it, with her name and Preschool class 2009-2010 under the picture. Of to the side I put a title 3 things I ilked about Mrs. ____. Then I wrote the three things she said. Of course I am pretty good on the computer and have software for this thing so I did it on there. But you could hand make it. Then I got them each a gift card to put inside. Inside I also wrote a little note to each of them from me. Then I am also going to have my daughter sign her name inside and write their names on the outside of the envelope.
There is a touching book called "Mrs. Spitzer's Garden" (about $10 at Amazon) http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Spitzers-Garden-Edith-Pattou/dp.... I think any teacher would be thrilled to have a copy of this book ... maybe throw in a book store gift card along with it if you want to do something above and beyond. Good luck!
Just the fact that you want to do something is a huge gift. Though not ever a school teacher, I coached gymnastics for 4 years, and there were many gifts given.
Our kids are in day care, and we try to do things for the teachers, but it can get so expensive. Plus, I like to be unique - I don't like to do what everyone else is doing because I like it to be memorable many years down the road.
We are well-known for giving home-made gifts because of the sentimentality of them. So, one of the easy ones is to go to Walmart, Target, craft store and get acrylic picture frames. Get paint pens, write your child's name and the date on them, find some cute scrapbook paper and mount your kid's picture to them. We usually give these to our family as Christmas gifts because we don't see them often, so the thought is they can put them on the refrigerator throughout the year.
I love Jess's book idea. There are teaching supply stores where you can get bound blank books for a few dollars and can have your child/class personalize a page or two.
Good luck!
We are getting my son's teacher a Starbucks gift card. $5. And a thank you card.
A handwritten thank you...maybe even a note to the principal for her file. Teachers always spend their own money on their class, so if you are able, a gift card to a bookstore or Target. I work with a teacher this year who had to buy the whole class set of books because the school was out of $. Gift cards to subway, etc. are always nice too. I'm glad you had such a good experience.
My kids sent in handmade gifts that had a picture of them on there. If the teacher was so great to the student then she also got close to your child so a picture handmade gift would be lovely and then you could add a gift card from somewere also.
I think, as a teacher reading your note, whatever you get will be lovely, but if you tell them in your card how much you appreciate them for what they do (just as you wrote here) that will really stick with them. I have a "feel good" folder where I keep nice notes from parents because they just don't come in a lot. But it's so wonderful when they do!
