End of the year Teacher Gift ideas?

[chellt]

I give personalized flash drives at the end of the year. Teachers have to back up their files from their computers (we usually reimage them during the summer), and they come in handy.

I order from www.pexagontech.com and let my kids pick the color of the flash drive and what wording to put on them. You get two lines of text. We tried the ones with the swivel caps this year and I really like them!

My thought is that you can never have too many flash drives!

What a great idea!

 

[mb_uh]

As a former teacher I have to agree-

No mugs, no candles, no lotions. I did get some really neat personalized gifts- wood carved my name, earrings made by a mom, and giftcards . I think movie tickets might be really neat as well.

 

[sillylily]

My fifth grade DDs teacher has been amazing this year. We share a profound love of education, of children and of Disney! She and her family are leaving for WDW the day school lets out for summer, and that's how her end of year gift evolved... I have done Mickey tie dyed t-shirts for her, her DH and DS, a $25 Disney gift card, and several of the new candy boxes they have recently come out with in the parks (the candy guppies, chocolate cremes, etc.). I figure it will be a nice surprise for her AND her family, and hopefully better received than coffee mugs!

 

[littlezar]

I usually do a bouquet of flowers in a vase (nothing fancy - either one I've received...you know, the generic plain glass vase or one I pick up at a thrift store cheap) and instead of the little card, we put a gift card on the plastic stick. We also make a card to go with it.

Last year, my son's teacher was obsessed with M&M's so for the end of the year we bought packages of every type of M&M's we could find plus a cute dispenser I had found at the supermarket. Some packages were bigger than others but there was a huge variety - regular, peanut, dark chocolate, mini, coconut, pretzel...I forget what else! The teacher LOVED it!

A couple of years ago when I was the room mom, I sent a note home to all the parents to send in a picture of their child and a handwritten note stating what they loved best about 2nd grade. Then I put them all in a small 4X6 album for the teacher and told her it was from the class at their last day of school party. Another really loved gift. (I also did the flowers/gc thing from my son)

 

[EcbLovesMickey]

I love all these ideas, keep 'em coming!

 

[J. Galt]

I always give my kid's teachers plants. I attach a note that says, "Thanks for helping me grow!". It usually costs me around $2. That way, I can give one to everyone - my son has speech, social workers, gym, music, etc etc etc. His "main" teachers - special ed and regular ed - also get a home depot gift card to buy more garden supplies

I do the same thing!! I usually do tomato plants. These have been a HUGE hit!

 

[MoeFam]

Last year my kids and I took pictures around town of letters we found in architecure, nature etc. For instance- the sides of the benches near our pond are a perfect letter "R"! Then we placed them in a photo frame and spelled out the name of the preschool my daughter attended, and the word "READ" for my son's 1st grade teacher- since she helped him to LOVE reading! For the 1st grade classroom we included a stack of Early Reader books. The teachers seemed to really like them and I have seen them both hanging in their classrooms

The year before we bought reusable grocery bags and all the ingredients for one of our favorite recipes.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

I have been doing teacher gifts for 7 yrs.

this is what I have done that don't cost alot. Our school frowns on GCs.

class photo from a field trip or other special event - printed to an 8X10 and framed-- having the students sign the mat. I did this for one FT to a park. The students and teacher sat on the picnic table- lake in the back ground. The photo came out absolutely awesome-- right color everything. The teacher LOVED that picture!! She even took it to a staff meeting to show it off. I am not a profession photographer - just love taking pics.

apron for the teacher (kindergarten). had the kids handprints on it w. their names- the top of the apron said - best teacher hands down.

a scrap book with I like (teachers name) bc_____ and the best part about (grade) was____. I add a wallet size pic that I take of the child. I put it on a scrapbook page and have it binded at Kinkos. THis yr Michael's crafts had a nice scrapbook for $4.99 reg $20 so I grab that this year instead of going to kinkos.

a large card from the student w/ flowers drawn on them and a saying of 'thank you for planting the seed of learning' A photo of each child and having them sign it.

I don;t send anything home with the kids- I ask the teacher for a few minutes with the students out in the hallway. They are always happy to let me do my thing. we found if we sent it home it doesn't come back.

Hope this give someone an idea on teacher gifts.

 

[ferrytale]

DS is in kindergarten, and his teacher is *new* this year. She's been in the school as a sub & working with special needs for a few years, but the lead kindergarten teacher retired at the end of last year and she was able to secure the permanent position. She has done an amazing job and I wanted to get her something nice - I found a book at Big Lots for $3.00 - called Kids Say the Funniest Things About Teachers! It's really cute. I planned on getting a gift card for a teacher's store and/or a restaurant, but I LOVE some of these ideas - the plants, the flash drive, etc. I also plan on having DS write a small Thank You note. He could barely write at the beginning of the year and is reading and writing amazingly now!

We've only had to do one other teacher gift for pre-k - we got large Hershey Bars and printed our own wrappers saying "We've had a Sweet Year" and also sent gift cards to Starbucks.

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Allabtprincesses]

Awesome ideas!

 

[rainydayplay]

Just wondering the grade that teacher's stop receiving gifts (asking teachers)
Or maybe they don’t,

DD has so many teachers/coaches, that it would get expensive to give each one of them a gift. I do help when help is needed throughout the year but haven’t given a gift since maybe 4th grade.

I teach middle school, and I don't get many gifts. I get a few at Christmas (and quite often of the type that causes a raised eyebrow and wondering if the parent knows this was brought to school to give away...like the crystal hurricane lamp that didn't have all the packing material in the box...) None (thus far) at the end of the year.

I know this has been said before. But a personal note from the student and/or parent is what is appreciated the most. I have been teaching for 23 years and I have all the notes my students and/or parents have written to me. When I am having a bad day, I like to go through this file. These are the families I remember the most just because they took time out of their busy schedules to say thanks.

I am a teacher and don't expect anything for doing my job. Times are tough for everyone. Save your money for a Disney trip.

I feel like I cheat with my students. I buy a 1 1/2" binder and page protectors each year, then give my kids an optional "extra credit" project. Each student, whether or not they want to participate, gets a sheet of card stock, then they are allowed to write whatever they want on the page as long as (a) it has their name somewhere and (b) it's positive. They have to state how they want me to remember them. Some only put their name. Some write letters and give pictures. It's great because I can pick these notebooks up on a bad day, and it makes me feel tons better. And, of course, 8th graders love seeing what they wrote the year before (I have 7th grade first term each year, and 8th grade second term. They never remember what they put the year before!)

I like the gift card idea and may use it this year for my DD's first grade teacher....

 

[mjmartin01]

LOVE all these ideas... we got our DD kindergarten teacher a Starbucks gc at Christmas (she loved it!).

Plan on getting her another Starbucks GC and a flash drive.... just an FYI, I saw that Best Buy has flash drives on sale this week 4GB for $7.99

 

[camandjacksmom]

Aveda has the best hand cream! Its 8.00 and if you tell them its a gift they will probably put other free samples in there for you! Plus they have other travel sizes for 3-4 dollars. Teachers wash their hands all the time and they love it!

 

[las3888]

I just wanted to add a comment re: Starbucks - make SURE your child's teacher is a coffee drinker...not everybody is!

 

[heathernfrankie]

I bought a tote from Thirty-One Gifts for my boys teachers. I also am giving them a box of candy from one of the local candy places (I work there and they all know that and tell me they love getting spoiled with the candy).

Next year, it will be different b/c hopefully they won't have as many. This year, I have 5 to buy for b/c the 2 Pre-K teachers, the regular classroom teacher, who is on Maternity Leave the past 5 weeks and is coming back soon, her sub and the aide that comes in. YIKES!!!

 

[heathernfrankie]

I just wanted to add a comment re: Starbucks - make SURE your child's teacher is a coffee drinker...not everybody is!

EXACTLY!!! I don't like the smell of coffee, so if I was still teaching and got one, I would not use it.

 

[torinsmom]

EXACTLY!!! I don't like the smell of coffee, so if I was still teaching and got one, I would not use it.

I gave mine to someone else. I would never buy a Starbucks card for someone unless I had seen them with a Starbucks cup, but that is just me. I know they sell a few other things, but the smell of coffee makes me lose my appetite. I really don't know why, but I don't like to go in that place.

ETA--I DID appreciate the thought behind the GC, but I passed it on so it woudn't go to waste.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Grocery or gas gift card. Although I live the tomato plant idea for myself! Some people dont do lotions or smelly things, and or knick knacks.

 

[java]

I'm stealing that flash drive idea! LOVE IT! For my high school son's photography teacher- high school teachers get nothing!
I might even use it for one of my daughter's teachers

In preschool I had a bunch of teachers to buy for. My gift that year was an "outside dining" gift. I bought colorful trays at Target, then added Plastic tumblers and plates (I always like to get new ones for the summer) and other little "deck" items. Like weights to hold down the tablecloth. Citronella candle. ect. I spent less than $20 per teacher.

 

[linnell]

My 4yo is in an integrated preschool class, so he has his "teacher" the ABA therapist that works with him, the SLP that works with him and two other ABA therapists that work with other kids in his class (but give him attention too!). That is a lot of people to buy for, so I appreciate the idea. His teacher went on maternity leave this year after having her fourth son in as many years, so I'm thinking a restaurant GC may go unused. I gave her a Target one at Christmas. I'm thinking of one from a small chain around hear called The Learning Store - but how much and should I get one for all of them?

Maybe The Learning Store for the teacher and Starbucks for the others? I don't want to spend a small fortune!