Teachers-GOOD gift ideas!

[goinback]

Well, it is time for me to start thinking about teacher gifts again. I have three kids and one is in Middle School and has 6 teachers....so I need budget ideas. I want to give something nice, I am blessed that all my kids got great teachers this year, but I can't spend alot. I also don't like to give stuff with "teacher" on it, they always get a ton of those things! Any ideas? Are any DISers out there teachers? What would be helpful, or appreciated?

 

[tar heel]

Make sure your middle school student wants to give gifts. Mine did the first year only and didn't want to do an end-of-the-year gift.

For middle school and elementary "specials" teachers my kids wanted to give small gifts to, one of the best things I've come up with is B&BW antibacterials. I like this gift b/c they can use it in the classroom if they don't want/need it for themselves and it's very inexpensive if you catch the 5/$10 sale. There are several products to choose from including liquid soap and waterless cleanser. I use cellophane gift bags tied with ribbon.

When I was a preschool teacher, one of my favorite gifts was a set of nice paperplates and napkins, and I've repeated that gift many times. Depending on my budget at the time, it might have been one size of each or two or three. You can use cellophane and ribbon to create a really pretty gift, too. Include a note about how hard they work and need to take some time off during the holidays.

I've always thought teachers probably preferred disposable gifts, ones they can use in the classroom and giftcards. My middle DS, though, MADE one of his 8th grade teachers a gift. I didn't know about this gift until the teacher pointed it out to us at this year's curriculum night (youngest DS has him) -- six years later it's setting on his desk! That DS is studying art in college, though, so it was nice work and it had to do specifically with something the teacher liked.

 

[DisneyDotty]

As a high school teacher I never expected anything from my students, but was always grateful for any homemade gift I would get. I still enjoy decorating my Christmas tree with the numerous homemade "teacher" ornaments I received. (I even kept the cards the kids gave me.) Nice memento of my (former) career.
Also appreciated--book store gift cards, lotion and hand santizer as PP mentioned, coffee/tea, homemade goodies.
Really, honestly and truly--just a card with a few words of appreciation is the nicest gift I could have ever received as a teacher!

 

[Minniemouse07]

When dd was in daycare we did restaurant gift cards but last year when she was in K we started having her make a gift for her teacher. Dd painted a plain wooden birdhouse (picked it up at Michaels or AC Moore) and her teacher LOVED it!

I have to figure out what she will make this year!

 

[hugabearjo]

As a former teacher, I agree with previous posters. Things that get used up were always my favorite. You can only keep so many mugs, nicknacks, etc.

My kids are in Middle and High School we don't give individual gifts anymore but, make or buy goodies (costco has awesome loaves of sweet bread) and leave them in the teachers lounge. This way I can thank the behind the scene staff as well (janitor, tech guy, secretary, principal) I always include something healthy for those who are trying to watch what they eat. I already have this years planned. We are getting the breads from costco, and I am making a basket with apples, oranges banana's and whole mixed nuts. I hope I can find something else to put in it as well. I adding a basket and hot cups for hot cider, tea, hot cocoa, and coffee mixes.

If my kids have a special teacher that they want to do something more for we have also done $5.00 gift certificates to the local coffee stand. A latte or hot chocolate or ??? will make anyone smile.

It is so nice of you to remember the middle school/high school teachers they so often are forgotten.

 

[lilstint]

Whatever you buy - don't buy a mug. My husband has been a teacher for 25 years and we have enough teacher mugs to go around our basment 2 times! We like gift certificates the best- even $5 for borders or barnes and noble is nice.
I made chocolate covered fruit for my kids teachers. Buy Cadbury or Hershey big bars - melt in microwave, dip fruit and refrigerate. For berries use muffin tins, put a few berries in the bottom, spoon chocolate on top and refrigerate. Arrange in shallow box with tissue paper and tie up. Sometimes I wrap just the top of the box- if you know what I mean.

 

[luvsgrumpy]

For DS's teachers last year (7th gr), we just bagged up 8-10 of the mini pretzels topped with slightly melted Hershey's kiss and an M&M on top. They seemed really nice for him to give to his bunch of teachers and a few others. DD also did this for the principal, secretary, etc. at her elementary school. It is just a nice little "thinking of you" and cost virtually nothing since we make them at Christmas all the time anyway. We do a big plate of cookies for each of their elem. homeroom teachers - most of them complain about not having time to bake for their own families so it helps out with that (we know the teachers really well so there's no worry about food from a stranger or anything like that)

 

[finz2left]

My sis (a 2nd grade teacher) hates mugs -- except one Starbucks travel mug she got with a 5 dollar g/c, LOL. She regifts or donates most candles -- everyone's fragrance choices are so different!

She loves homemade things from her kids - the ornaments are always in a special box and she tapes a pic of each kid to the back so she can remember them as she decorates her tree each year. For her, it is the effort and thought! She didn't go in to teaching for the $$$

She also loves her personal notes from kids and parents -- saves them all!

If you insist on gifts, like others, inexpensive gift certificates or consumables -- though she's wary of eating others homemade things -- she has a bit of a cleanliness obsession for food. And, If she knows the child has a cat -- she just can't eat it!!

Teaching supplies (she always drops a ton of her own money at her Catholic School ) and it's nice to get a replenished supply mid year!

Finally, her favorite gift EVER was a 6-pack of diet coke, a box of granola bars, some candy bars, chips etc.... it was in a basket of some sort and called a Teacher's breakfast. You'd have to know her -- but she adored it!!!!! This parent obviously paid attention as my sissy walked into school every morning.

This year, for my daughters K teacher (only second year teaching) I'm buying a nice scrapbook and filling with scrapbook supplies. She's young and creative -- and I think she'll love it! lots of the materials are Target dollar spot and clearance at Hobby Lobby.

 

[momm2four]

I think it's great that you're including the middle school teachers in your gift-giving. My SIL made the comment that she would be glad when her daughter got to middle school so that she wouldn't have to give gifts anymore. I told her that those were the teachers who deserved appreciation the most, IMO b/c these people teach children when not many teachers want to. I can't count the number of student teachers who come through our school that have no interest in middle school. To get a secondary ed. degree, they must do a middle school placement as one of their two, but they either want upper elem. or high school b/c middle schoolers are just "too difficult".

Anyway, if you're asking for gift ideas, I love to receive pretty new seasonal dish towels, flavored coffees, homemade food items (LOVED my Russian Tea mix I received last year), and anything for my classroom, especially AAA batteries for our calculators, an electric pencil sharpener and DRY ERASE MARKERS.

One of my favorite gifts EVER was a framed "picture" one student made me for my birthday. Inside the 8 X 10 frame was a piece of scrapbook paper that she had decorated with a blue ribbon (said #1 teacher) and scrapbook cutouts that had a math/school theme. It was so cute and still sits on my bookcase in my room. Cards are very nice, but they are usually put into a drawer, whereas her framed scrapbook page can be seen all the time.

Lori P.

 

[taramarie]

Anything that can get used up is great! I teach preschool and have a million pictures made from home (I mad a special large binder in my room for them to put a three hole punch in and put in my special book). I love to get softdrinks or even quarters for the coke machine! LOL THe school supplies are a great idea. I love getting stickers to give out to my kids, those really great decorative ones are a big hit with the kids.

So I guess to sum up....gift cards, consumables, snacks

Tara

 

[spalady]

I give gift certificates or money. Something they could alway use.

 

[Adi12982]

My DH is a High school teacher, and while it is true that they don't get lots of gifts (maybe 3-5 out of 150-200 kids he actually teaches) he really enjoys cards written by the kids saying thanks the MOST. He has gotten some really neat handmade Asian ornaments (his school is about 35% Asian) and we enjoy the gift cards - best buy and Starbucks (we don't drink coffee/tea, but their vanilla steamed milk is great). Anyhow, no matter what you get, the most touching piece will be the card with the child's message.

 

[BrerMom]

Thanks for remembering middle & high school teachers!
The "teacher's breakfast basket" is awesome! I know lots of teachers that would enjoy that one!

As others have said, it's not the gift, it's being remembered. When parents say, "I just don't know what I'm going to do with him/her. He/She's been such a challenge to raise since he/she started middle school," I think, "Now you can appreciate what it's like to have 150 of them per day!"

Students that know my weakness for chocolate will give me chocolate bars, those cool chocolate oranges, or some variation on the theme. I got a coupon and a gift certificate for hot chocolate once.

I'll second the idea of dry erase markers and throw in overhead markers. They are so expensive and I have to buy my own after the ones I ordered with my $50 per year budget is gone. I can get black, blue, green, & red through the school's catalog, but I love the purple ones!!!

The gifts I like the best are the ones that come with a card that has a message in it explaining why I was chosen to receive a gift. I keep ALL of these in my "warm fuzzies" folder. If I'm having a particularly bad day, I'll read some of these to refill my emotional bank. If the recipient is a new teacher, you could make a folder with a three-ring binder and a set of page protectors.

 

[luvtogo12]

I always go with the consumables. I like to get the boxed cookies from Costco, the $7.99 ones that are already packaged for presentation. I believe they have mint chocolate cookies in them. I figure if the teacher does not like them (s)he could put them out for guests, share them with co-workers, bring them to someone's house, etc. I do not send in home baked goods because personally, I would not eat something baked by someone who I dont really know.

In 7th grade, my DS gave one of his teachers a note that he had taken upon himself to write. It was for no special reason, DS just wanted to write this note. I had no idea he did this until weeks after when the teacher mentioned it to me. You can just tell, this teacher was touched. The note was an apology for giving the teacher a run for his money most of year, he apologized and told the teacher how much respect he really had for him. The teacher told me he never received a note like that and he was going to keep it. At the end of the year, he wrote in my DS's year book how much that letter meant to him and how he will always remember not only the note but my DS as well. I have since encouraged my younger DS to write a note to give to his teachers.

 

[tl_swift]

For those that have children that ride the school bus- don't forget the bus driver.

 

[disneyjunkie]

When dd was in daycare we did restaurant gift cards but last year when she was in K we started having her make a gift for her teacher. Dd painted a plain wooden birdhouse (picked it up at Michaels or AC Moore) and her teacher LOVED it!

I have to figure out what she will make this year!

I agree, gift cards are always a hit.

I'd stay away from homemade items.(cookies,pies, cakes...)

 

[crusoe2]

I am teaching in my own classroom for the first time this year (had been doing collaborative teaching) and I can't tell you how wonderful it would be to receive some basic school supplies. You've probably heard this before but it's so true - I'm constantly buying pencils, erasers, notebook paper, etc for kids who don't have their own. And kids who change classes usually walk out of the classroom with the "borrowed" pencil and next day they need another one. A pretty Christmas bag with some basic supplies would make a nice gift and could be done fairly inexpensively. For those who have lots of teachers to buy for, how about some of those cellophane Christmas bags filled with pencils, pens, erasers, etc.?

 

[Adi12982]

I agree, gift cards are always a hit.

I'd stay away from homemade items.(cookies,pies, cakes...)

I agree about to homemade foods - we throw most of that away - it is just DH and I (our family is over 1000 miles away) so we don't have anyone to share with AND a lot of times we don't seem to have a similar taste, so we end up not liking a lot that he is given (different taste buds - plus we're Cuban and sugar cookies and other Christmas treat's are NOTHING like the one's we are used to having). BUT we are thankful, nonetheless, like I said before he appreciates a card with a note of thanks above anything else

 

[MKCP5]

school supplies school supplies school supplies

Never have enough, someone is always missing something!

antibacterial wipes or gel, or kleenex

and if you truly want to gift my DH the teacher a coffee gift card. Even $5 is a special treat and then he doesn't have to argue with me about spending money for coffee on the go!!!!

 

[mamalle]

good idea about the costco items I didnt think about that.I was thinking of a gift card to starbucks might be nice..