What do YOU buy for the teacher??

[believe]

This year they are each getting light up homemade beaded Christmas trees. Last year I did Yankee Candles.

 

[goofy4tink]

Dd is now in 4th grade. I have always gotten her teachers, from preschool to present, thank-you note cards and some Christmas cookies. I've talked to several teacher friends and they say this is a terrific idea. After all, teacher's need them every year!!

 

[WendyZ]

This year DS has a male teacher. I find (for me) they are so much harder than female teachers. But, I did find out that his teachers loves Michigan State. So I bought a note pad and cup holder with state on them. Then I wrapped them in Michigan paper!!!!!! I know....I'm a mean person!!! Can't help it...if I HAD to buy something with state on it, you best bet it will be wrapped in michigan paper. Yes, I'm a michigan fan!

I try to keep it something small...usually 10-15 dollars. Most times I've been lucky and can find out something they like. Other years teachers have asked for no gifts and something for the classroom. Love those years!!

 

[keenercam]

My son goes to an all boys' catholic school and has many male teachers. Last year I bought them $10 blockbuster gift cards and gave them a card that wished them a relaxing movie evening with their favorite movie junk food (our blockbuster sells movie-type candy & popcorn & ice cream). I think they all loved the cards.

 

[geffric]

DS 10 has only 1 teacher so this year she gets Cub Scout Popcorn and a gc to Borders.
DS 12 has 7 teachers in Jr High.. home room teacher who he has for 3 classes, gets Boy Scout Popcorn and gc for Borders, rest of the teachers get homemade hot chocolate mix in glass jar.

 

[SpecialK]

DH and I are both teachers. Favorite gifts: Gift certificates (Blockbuster, movie theater,Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Borders),
socks, stretchy gloves, covered hangers, ornaments. Least favorite: Homemade food (sorry but I like to make my own cookies and if we get a lot the gifts invariably get stale) and candy.

Absolute favorite: a family made a donation in my name to a local charity - touched my heartstrings

 

[Kimnicki]

keenercam, that's exactly what I'll do!! Thanks everyone for such great ideas!! I'm going to print this thread out and use it each year for ideas.

Kim

 

[peg2001]

Last year, DD's kindergarten teacher loved coffee and frequently drank it while teaching. DD insisted on getting her a coffee cup for Christmas and apparently so did several other of her students. She had to drink from a different cup every day so that the kids could see her drinking from "their" cup. DD was thrilled and I was pleased that the teacher realized that it was the tought that counted and was sensitive enough to use the gifts in front of the kids.

This year, DD's teacher is DH so I'll have to think of something good.

Peggy

 

[skiwee1]

My DD's preschool teachers each get a nice size box of Godiva chocolates. They loved it last year so I'm sticking with it!

 

[WilliamsMom]

As a teacher and the daughter of a teacher it is very interesting what gifts are given. As a child I loved seeing all my moms "loot." She got a lot of homemade cookies and fudge and teacher stuff like apple themed gifts. Here is my advice based on what I'd like to receive. Gift certificates! To restaurants, a spa, even a grocery store. Let you child pick out a small gift but give the teacher a gift certificate!

Here's another strategy:
This year I sent a note to my son's teacher and aide and asked them to choose gifts from the fundraiser magazine for the school. The teacher chose a subscription to the Oprah magazine and the aide chose Thomas Kincaid items. They were thrilled that they could choose something and I knew it would be something they really wanted. (Plus it benefitted the school and now that its December I'm not wondering what to get them.)

 

[speedi-deedi]

I didn't see any other posts that referred to this idea....our room coordinator (PC for room mothers) usually send out a class-wide voicemail and coordinates one meaningful gift certificate. It is, of course, completely voluntary and some students instead do individual gifts. We contribute to the class gift with the thought that a ~$150 - $200 gift certificate allows them to really do something for themselves...spa, nice outfit etc. We usually get it for an upscale retail center/mall with nice restaurants, salons, movies, and of course retail stores.

P.S.
By the way, the room coordinator title is working. My DS's kindergarten class has a stay-at-home dad room coordinator!!

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by WilliamsMom
As a teacher and the daughter of a teacher it is very interesting what gifts are given. As a child I loved seeing all my moms "loot." She got a lot of homemade cookies and fudge and teacher stuff like apple themed gifts. Here is my advice based on what I'd like to receive. Gift certificates! To restaurants, a spa, even a grocery store. Let you child pick out a small gift but give the teacher a gift certificate!

Here's another strategy:
This year I sent a note to my son's teacher and aide and asked them to choose gifts from the fundraiser magazine for the school. The teacher chose a subscription to the Oprah magazine and the aide chose Thomas Kincaid items. They were thrilled that they could choose something and I knew it would be something they really wanted. (Plus it benefitted the school and now that its December I'm not wondering what to get them.)

Gift certificates are a great gift. I gave $50 GC from Macy's to each of DD's preschool teachers last year as an end of the year gift. I gave them Godiva chocolates for Christmas though which they loved. Now I'm torn on whether to stick with chocolates again or GCs! I was just going to the mall this evening to finish up and now this!

 

[eeyoreforever]

Originally posted by speedi-deedi
I didn't see any other posts that referred to this idea....our room coordinator (PC for room mothers) usually send out a class-wide voicemail and coordinates one meaningful gift certificate. It is, of course, completely voluntary and some students instead do individual gifts. We contribute to the class gift with the thought that a ~$150 - $200 gift certificate allows them to really do something for themselves...spa, nice outfit etc. We usually get it for an upscale retail center/mall with nice restaurants, salons, movies, and of course retail stores.

P.S.
By the way, the room coordinator title is working. My DS's kindergarten class has a stay-at-home dad room coordinator!!

I have been a room mom for either one or both of my girls for the last five years. Our school has a policy that we are not allowed to ask other parents to chip in on a gift for the teacher. Some people choose not to give gifts or just can't afford to pitch in and to ask everybody to do so would make these parents feel bad, or make them feel obligated to to something that they would rather not do.

Personally, this year, I was going to get gift cards for the bookstore in the mall, but then I decided to just get gift cert's for the mall itself. I found a cute card to put them in that on the front it says, "To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall! Now dash away, dash away" Open card and it says "Off to the mall" I figured this way they had a lot more options to choose from on how to spend their certificate.

 

[isyne4u]

Either I'm the worst teacher or the parents of my students all think I have plenty of #1 teacher things, but I don't have any. Actually, I do have one...my mom gave it to me when I graduated from college.

I usually get Christmas themed items to put around the house, or note cards, or something with Mickey on it. Thank goodness they all know my obession with Mickey!!

My favorite gifts are the ones the kids have chosen themselves or the ones they have made for me. I also love it when a parent drops by and says they were just out at Target, Walmart etc and they have picked up a few things for the classroom. Hey, kleenex are a much needed commodity around here!!

I give my son's preschool teachers scented hand lotion usually in a fragrance that is calming. I also during the year will show up with donuts for the teachers or drop of cookies for them. I figure if they have to put up with MY son they could use some extra sugar!!! hahaha

tara

 

[mom2boys]

I ordered lined notepaper with the teacher's names and the school name on them. I did this last year for the end of the year and it was a big hit. One teacher actually asked me where I had gotten them because she wanted to do the same for her children's teachers.
Wouldn't you know, DS2 has the same teacher DS1 had last year & DS1 has the same speech path. They will be getting boy scout popcorn. Thinking of making peppermint bark for the specials teachers and the bus driver.

 

[LauraC]

We are doing the Blockbuster thing this year for my kid's teachers. We got the microwave buckets of popcorn and put inside each one a Blockbuster gift card, a few of the boxes of "Movie-Theatre" candy, and a couple of plastic bottles of Coke.

In the past we have also given a Domino's Pizza gift certificate along with a Blockbuster gift certificate so that they could have "dinner and a movie".

They seemed to really appreciate them!