I am planning ahead but does anyone have any diffrent ideas for teacher appreciation?

[rdsx28]

I know it's early but I am plannning ahead. Does anyone have any great, diffrent ideas for teacher appreciation other than gift cards? Thanks for the help!

 

[lillygator]

is this for school age or preschool?
My dd's are in preshool and this year I am going to bring in Olive Garden or some other catered type lunch for them...they don't get to leave the center for lunches.

 

[mmfan53226]

I am in charge of Teacher Appreciation week at my kids school and this is what I did last year:

Mon~Breakfast in lounge with a Thank You Sign
Tues~Flowers on desk with Thank You in different lanuages
Wednesday ~ Chocolates in mail box with a quote about teachers.
Thursday ~ Goodie Bags that we collected from area business
Friday ~ Luncheon with lounge decorated by stuff we were able to get from Kohls. Contact them if you are able, with their school program they give donate some items that are in cleareance section.

HTH
Krystine

 

[rdsx28]

Hi,
Sorry my daughter is in second grade and I am looking for maybe a class gift i can make or something. Thanks again. I will check out the Kohl's idea as well.

 

[HenDuck]

This year, my DS and I will be baking for his 3 teachers. I will make sure that DS helps. And we will give them the recipe of our favorite cookies.

 

[mom2rose&john]

I give tulips in a container or some other flower they can plant in the garden.

Ann Marie

 

[heathersmom]

Last year I was grade mom so I put unpopped popcorn, a couple sodas and movie theater candy in a large bowl with a gift card for the local movie rental place. Just an idea!!!

 

[dopeyfanatic]

I know a lot of people don't like giving gift cards, but honestly my kids teachers have ALWAYS asked for classroom stuff. I've not had one teacher want something for themselves. They want stuff for the class, or gift cards so they can purchase the stuff. Most teachers spend a lot of their own money running extra copies, buying extra supplies....don't let them fool you otherwise either. They might say they don't, but they do. Some teachers just feel bad admitting they spend their own money. I'd look for classroom supplies. Paints, erasers, construction paper....things that they might get budget money for, but if you bought it they could use their budget money for something else! I also just ask them what they need. I'd rather get something they need then something that I think might be great, but maybe they already have enough of...

 

[Jsme]

I work in the school system and I will tell you the things we have enjoyed at my/our school. To give you a detail of the school I work in, it is "the" school in our county. It is a high school that has 1600 students. I say this because some of the things I am going to post might offend. But they are honest. It is an old prestige school that the rich kids go to. Recently during lunch a few of us discussed this same issue.

Lunch is a wondeful treat, however, we are leary of home cooked foods. Normally throw them away. Just not too sure how clean people are.

Fresh fruit is nice. Apples, pears, etc

Breakfast is also a big hit. We love biscuits, muffins and bagels. Once again not homemade.

Coffee is also a treat. While we have coffee, sometimes it is nice to have special coffee as a treat.

Gift cards from Target is always a treat. Target is a major

Flowers is a nice gesture but to be honest if it is given to the office, no one in my school sees them, except office staff. Giving them to an individual teacher is nicer.

Remember that most schools are strapped for money and supplies. While we have an excellent PTSO group at the school I am at classes room teachers still suffer with supplies. Normally they have to buy them with their own money. Mostly classes that are hurt are the Special Ed type classes. While you would assume Art is hit really hard, normally people remember them and either buy supplies or send some in or even donate money. But those that teacher occupational students or special ed often buys supplies with their own money. For the record I do not teach any of these subjects, but a good friend does and she has opened my eyes.

Remember there are all kinds of giving. You can always donate your time so the teacher could have a few minutes to have the lunch your brought her. This is a huge hit in the elementary schools.

I am just typing ideas. If I offend anyone I do not mean to. I am only giving you the ideas that was recently discussed in our 1st floor work room.

Once again this subject is broad. Some people might post about giving gifts to the whole staff while others are posting about giving to their child's teacher.

 

[nicurn]

try www.ptotoday.com

they have a bunch of great ideas. (look on the message boards) maggie

 

[RedAlfalfa]

Donation to a kids charity in the teachers name. My Mom used to do that for our teachers when I was a kid & I remember my Middle School teacher w/ tears in her eye telling me it was the best gift she recieved. And it was only $5 per teacher (middle school we had 6 classes). It was a Christmas gift since teacher appreciation wasn't that big back then.

 

[tiggger1]

I am getting my daughter's teachers plaques from Bear in Chairs. they are expensive but so cute!

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

is this for school age or preschool?
My dd's are in preshool and this year I am going to bring in Olive Garden or some other catered type lunch for them...they don't get to leave the center for lunches.

As someone who works in a daycare center, let me tell you what a great and very thoughtful idea this is, I know my co-workers and I would love something like that!

 

[daisyduck123]

Lunch is a wondeful treat, however, we are leary of home cooked foods. Normally throw them away. Just not too sure how clean people are.

I don't eat anything homemade that parents send in either.
My teammates and I usually place homemade goodies in the Teacher's Lounge for the custodians to share.


Giftcards are my favorite...Target, Michael's etc. I really enjoy Michael's because then I can pick out what my class needs for any upcoming special projects.

 

[my3princes]

Last year I made up little gift baskets. Each one had candies with little notes attached. Example. Lifesavers with a note "for being such a lifesaver for my little boy" Snickers "for putting up with the kids sense of humor" 100 Grand bar "Because your worth a 100 Grand to me". You get the idea. I think we came up with 6 or 7 different things. They seemed to love it.

 

[TruBlu]

Last year we made mail boxes for each staff member and placed them around the school with note cards for the children to write thank you notes. The PTSA members wrote each of them a personal note also.

The staff really enjoyed reading all the notes.

 

[tinkinthehouse]

when is TA Days?

 

[bclydia]

It is an old prestige school that the rich kids go to. Recently during lunch a few of us discussed this same issue.

Lunch is a wondeful treat, however, we are leary of home cooked foods. Normally throw them away. Just not too sure how clean people are.

Fresh fruit is nice. Apples, pears, etc

Breakfast is also a big hit. We love biscuits, muffins and bagels. Once again not homemade.
.

How rude! I can't believe that you wouldn't appreciate something that someone has made especially for you themselves. That seems incredibly ungrateful. I can understand concerns about allergies etc but just deciding that something homemade isn't good enough is terribly offensive.
Perhaps working in a "rich kids" school is the problem. What is special about picking up a bunch of pre-made muffins compared to some that were made from scratch? What happened to appreciating the thought of something and the time and love that went into it?
So glad I'm not sending my children to a school like that! I wouldn't want the kids learning those kind of values!

 

[daisyduck123]

How rude! I can't believe that you wouldn't appreciate something that someone has made especially for you themselves. That seems incredibly ungrateful. I can understand concerns about allergies etc but just deciding that something homemade isn't good enough is terribly offensive.
Perhaps working in a "rich kids" school is the problem. What is special about picking up a bunch of pre-made muffins compared to some that were made from scratch? What happened to appreciating the thought of something and the time and love that went into it?
So glad I'm not sending my children to a school like that! I wouldn't want the kids learning those kind of values!

If you read other threads that have been posted about this topic before, you will find that there are MANY other teachers (myself included) on the DIS who feel this way...not just this poster. We never said we were ungrateful. Would you like to eat something made from someone's kitchen that you've never seen? I've seen neighbors' kitchens & some of them you wouldn't believe....animal hair floating around (heck, some of my neighbors allow their cats to sit on the counters, counters that are never wiped, just uncleanly environments).

Values has nothing to do with it & this does not send any kind of message to the students.

 

[kbkids]

I don't think she was being rude either. Unless you know the families, you really don't know how clean the cooking environment is in their home. I don't think it's being snooty - just fear of the unknown

And she did say, "If I offend anyone I do not mean to. I am only giving you the ideas that was recently discussed in our 1st floor work room."

We are by no means a prestige school. We're small town folks here, and I've heard teachers make the same comments. It has nothing to do with money.