need ideas for REASONABLY PRICED teacher gifts

[It's A Happy Day]

Check with your childrens school before you go ahead and buy your gifts...I have already been given a heads up that teachers gifts are not accepted at my sons school - he attends our towns preschool not a private one. The teacher said that the only gifts they are able to receive are items that can be used in/for the classroom - school supplies, tissues, books, etc. So before you purchase items you may want to check your schools policy on gift giving/receiving.
I had bought during the back to school sales extra crayons, markers, etc. to make up a box for the class for christmas so all set in this house.

 

[binny]

Another vote for the drink mixes. I make a huge batch of a cocoa or coffee and then make some chocolalte covered candy canes and add that. I make a nice cover and put it in a mug I bought from the dollar store.
I have also done the cookie mixes.

Its lowcost and always appreciated

 

[mickeyluv'r]

As a teacher, I rarely get much in the way of gifts. It's not the done thing in this part of the country, and by law we arent't allowed to accept anything of greater than $10 in value. Often, it make me feel awkward getting gifts from students, because I have to give them grades, and expensive gifts REALLY make the kids who can't afford to give gifts feel really bad about themselves. Please keep this in mind when considering gifts!
Sometimes, it feels like I'm accepting bribes. I also once had a male student drop off a dozen roses for me on my last day of student teaching. That REALLY made me feel akward, especially because it was sucha public gift and all. the student had left the building for the day when he gave it to me (work leave) So I couldn't give them back, andI hadn't done anything inappropriate, but I'm sure there were whispers.
Really the best gift from my perspective, is a nice handmade thank you note, or something of little or no monetary value. Something with a little effort put into it. I love getting drawings from students, especially those who are artistically talented (drawing/painting), or if your kid is into some other kind of craft, like woodworking.

Having said that, my favorite gifts to date have been: a glass apple one of my difficult students gave me (he was ADHD, so saying thanks was literally very hard for him, the gift was his way of saying thanks. He bought it with his own money), a painting of Ceasar that a student let me keep, a handdrawn comic book a student gave me, and a wood carving a student made in wood shop. The very best gift a student ever gave me though was a simple, "Thank you, this [using a computer instead of hand writing] is SO much easier for me!"
Really, a hearfelt thanks is something that many students forget these days, and it's really the best gift your kid ca ngive a teacher. I don't mean the perfunctory good manners kind of 'thank you' ; you know, the kind that sounds like a drill. Those are nice to hear, but the ones that really melt our hearts are the kind that come from the heart. When a kid says, "Thanks for working with me after school." "Thanks for giving me a little extra time." "Thanks for accomodating my special needs."
If you really want to do something special, have your kids list out five things each of their teachers have done for them, and then have them write a thank you note for the top item.

 

[binny]

Here are a few of my favourite gift in a jar websites HTH


http://www.hugs.org/makemixdex.shtml


http://www.recipeusa.org/gift_recipes_mixes.htm


http://pub157.ezboard.com/fthefrugalshopperfrm72?page=2


http://www.recipecottage.com/dry-mixes/


http://www.recipegoldmine.com/season/season.html

 

[mom2dil]

As a teacher myself I have always loved gift cards to bookstores, things for the classroom and any kind of Bath & Body Works. But my favorite gifts are the thoughtful ones- like letters from the parents or students that tell me how much they love being in my class. I keep those letters in a file in one of my desk drawers and when I am having a rough day I pull those out and they make me feel better! Also, once I got a rose bush that had a poem attached that said something along the lines of "Thanks for helping my child grow and bloom!" I loved that and I think of that child every year when my rose bush blooms out!

So the bottom line is the best gift is anything that tells the teacher that she is appreciatied!

 

[missypie]

If any of you are very energetic, here's the best idea ever:

My church has what it called the "Fish and Loaves Gift Market." A committee chooses multiple charities and lists them and suggested donation amounts on a form, such as:

Dinner for a Child at XXXX shelter - $2
20 lbs of food for the XXX food bank - $5
Shoes for an orphan in XXX - $5
Bibles for prisoners at XXXX- $5
etc. etc.

You fill in what you want, pay your money, then the church supplies cards saying that a donation of, for example, Dinner for a child at XXX shelter, has been giving in their honor. (The church pools the donations and forwards them too the charities.) They don't list the amount of the donations on the gift card. They give you the cards.

For years I've given these to teachers, coaches, administrators, etc. etc. I choose children's related donations - nothing overtly religious. We receive so many heart felt thank you notes from the teachers for these donations. One teacher even got all misty eyed about it. Besides giving money to a worthy cause, it lets the teachers, coaches, etc., know that your child comes from a family that cares about others.

 

[MrsPete]

Often, it make me feel awkward getting gifts from students, because I have to give them grades, and expensive gifts REALLY make the kids who can't afford to give gifts feel really bad about themselves. Please keep this in mind when considering gifts!
Sometimes, it feels like I'm accepting bribes . . . Really, a hearfelt thanks is something that many students forget these days, and it's really the best gift your kid ca ngive a teacher.

As a fellow teacher, I agree. Though it's nice to be appreciated, I don't expect gifts for doing my job. You nailed my feelings on the subject quite well.

On the other hand, I have 14 years' worth of kind notes and cards (some from parents, some from students) in a file in my desk drawer. If the building were on fire, that's the thing I'd grab.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

keep the ideas coming........especially from teachers themselves or spouses of teachers..... this can be helpful to so many of us.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

I always give candles - these are the best! ANd I love the 6 / $30 deal.

http://www.ooohlalaspa.com/soy_jar_candles.htm

 

[LIGrumpyGirl]

Before I start, please let me tell you that I appreciate everything my students give me...but some of it is a little hard to take. Mugs? Have a million. Bath & Body works? I am allergic to most. A Gift card would be better so I can choose my own. Homemade food? Again, allergies unless I know what is in there. Candles? I have more of those than mugs.

The best gifts are the gift cards for Blockbuster, Borders, even a small coffee shop in town. The BEST ones ever are the cards and notes written by the parents. I have many of them saved...but can't tell you where the candles and mugs are!

Thank you for thanking your teachers. So many people think our thanks are our paychecks (which the taxpayers think is too high anyway...but that is another topic!). The smiles on the kids faces as we read those cards is the best!

 

[DISLOVE]

I'm shocked that a town preschool would take such a step! Our corporate child care center has a policy about expensive gifts, but to be honest, no one follows it.

I am a director AND a parent and I always spoil my daughter's teachers. I always write a heartfelt thank you and then give them gift certificates for manicures. There hands get so cracked and brittle from all the handwashing, it's the least I can do! And to say that the teachers love it, is an understatement!

 

[patsal]

grades K-5 $25.00 mall gift certificate for classroom teacher, $10.00 gift for for classroom aide

grades 6-8 box of candy for each teacher--my son has 6-8 depending on the number of electives he is taking

small token for bus drivers, religious education instructors, and day care provider--DD only spends about 45 minutes per day there

I am a High School teacher and we rarely if ever recieve gifts from the students. I have a few very treasured notes though, that I have kept in a small box--some days when I think that I am not getting through to the kids I take these down--it reminds me why I do this and that I have made a difference and will continue to be able to do so! (I work with really tough "Alternative school" type students--some days you're not sure you've made a difference!)

 

[Jen D]

For those of you who give gifts... does your classroom do a collection and you give gifts on top of that? Our parents have always done a collection and done one gift from everyone... people give what they can, $5 to $25, whatever. Usually we give a gift certificate, although one year we gave a digital camera.

I've always given for the class gift and not a regular gift (although we usually bake cookies.) Do your schools do class gifts?

 

[buzzandwoodysmom07]

Last year we gave my son's preschool teacher a framed a quote that I found on the internet and put in an inxpensive frame - The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. ~Author Unknown. I printed it on marbleized paper and I added a note that this is how we felt about her We also included a Target gift card because of an illness with her husband, we knew her family was struggling financially. For the end of the year of DS 3 yead old program, I collected a picture of each child, scanned their face and cropped in into the center of a flower. I put their names on the stem and printed them on an iron-on transfer. I put these on the front of the shirt and on the back I wrote: "How Do Our Children Grow?" I wrapped it in a flower pot with a stuffed flower coming out. Last year for his four year old gift I bought a plan bookshelf at Michael's and had each child write their name on it with paint pen. I decorated it with rub on transfers and sealed it with a clear urethane. I sent a note to each parent and we had each child present her with their favorite book and we included a book plate saying who gave the book to leave as their legacy to her classroom. So, now what??? My next DS3 started with the same teacher this year! The pressure to come up with something else!!

 

[CheapMom]

We take a collection $5-$10 per kid and buy 1 gift card for the teacher. There are people who still get a gift on top of that but I don't. Usually the teacher gets a $75-$100 gift card and it is from the entire class, it does not matter if a kid's parents didn't pitch in- they all sign the card and the gift is from everyone.

 

[buzzandwoodysmom07]

I can't believe that I left this out - I bought DS3 teacher this year a Mickey Cardigan from Disney Direct, with the discount code it was about 13.99 or so. It's very cute with ABC's on it and school items with Mickey and Minnie. Totally something that she would wear!

 

[binny]

I noticed a chair in Karisssas class today that someone had painted ( just a plain adult size wooden chair) it had all the kids' names on it and the teachers name with the year 2003, it was really cute!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

After re-reading my note, I feel a little bad because it is great to know that so many parents are thinking of showing their appreciation. If I came off as unappreciative, I am sorry. I do appreciate the fact that many parents are trying to show that they appreciate the work that we do.

If you are looking for something special, consider something like this:
My sister gave her son's classroom a fish tank. She came in and showed them how to take care of it, and helped them. She discussed this with the teacher first of course. When I was a kid, we had a group of mothers that got toegther through the PTA to present classical composers to us. They would play each composer's music, and tell his biography. To this day, I draw upon that experience. Sometimes, when I hear background music, I think, "Oh, I've heard this before!" I was lucky to have relatives that exposed me to some classical music, but having a community of mothers coming in once a month really reinforced the idea that classical music was something important. If you are looking to something inexpensive, what about giving the gift of your time?

 

[MichelleB]

These are good ideas, but does anyone have ideas specifically geared to a male teacher???

 

[fiveforall]

We've given male teachers movie baskets(Blockbuster gift card, popcorn, soda, candy) and we always give all teachers a huge candy tray. I give my kids' teachers $25 Outback gift cards, candy tray, and a note of appreciation. I also send homemade cinnamon rolls at least once a month. I teach high school, and believe me, it certainly makes you feel appreciated to get a gift. I love getting homemade goodies the best. It always brightens my day to get homemade bread or cookies!