How Much Are You Spending on Teacher Appreciation Gifts?

I'm not spending a penny. My GD is going to make something for her teacher. I think that's much more personal.

Perfect! I'm so glad you're doing something--so many parents don't give anything teachers:) It will be very appreciated!!

Thanks for the reminder! I tend to forget since no one (at least around here) does anything at all for high school teachers. Do I sound bitter? ;)

We will do something for our sons' teachers this week, even/especially our oldest son's high school teachers. :)

I found super cute personalized metal water bottles on Etsy for about $11 each and had them personalized with the teacher's names on them along with polka dots. I knew one of the teachers was a Chicago Bears fan, so I had her water bottle have orange and navy blue polka dots along with her name. Cost for both was $30 total and this was including shipping and each water bottle came with a bow. Both teachers loved them and they were relatively inexpensive, but turned out very well.

Our PTA has organized things to honor the teachers. I have volunteered to help with the PTA activities and by the end of the week, I will have spent about $10.

I don't do gifts for this - our school's PTAs coordinate activities for the week and I sign up for those. I am bringing two quiches to a teacher breakfast tomorrow and sent in some supplies for a project that the PTA is doing (they're re-planting all of the classroom plants into self-watering containers).

I do participate in the class gifts at the holidays, usually $10-$20, and get something at the end of the year.

I always make it a point to take a picture of the teacher earlier in the year. Then we get a 4x6 frame and put the picture in it (just a snapshot), We wrap it up with a card. It's a nice personalized gift for very little money.

Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

I am a teacher. My paycheck is my 'appreciation gift', as well, are the other teachers. I hate this week. It is nothing but forced giving that many of the students have no desire to do. Plus, more items than not, are re-gifted, sent to Helping Hands or trashed (such as food I don't like).

A supportive note from a parent would be the best appreciation gift EVER!!!!!!

If you do give - DO NOT GIVE CANDLES, LOTION, BODY SOAP, BODY SCRUBBIES, NAIL KITS, ANYTHING TRAVEL SIZED ETC... Most teachers HATE that stuff, but they will tell you they LOVE IT - just as I do!

And, no pictures please! We do not have the luxury of space to put all of the pictures. Then we feel bad when the students come back to see us and we don't have their picture out.

Our PTA organizes what to bring everyday fortunately and I'm spending about $10 each plus a cake for all the teachers one day which I guess will be ~$25. We also are giving "time" so I'm doing recess duty 2 days. They get lunches all week as well. Since we also give a class bday present, class holiday gift, I buy things for the classroom and we give a very nice gift to each teacher at the holidays, seems like plenty!! I think your plan is fine.

So far my sons 2 teachers have got a flower, and a 10$ gift card. I also got each a coffee mug, and I'm making one of those candy bar cards. All in all I've spent about 30$ each

Thanks for the reminder. I'll be getting two bars of Godiva or something comparable at CVS for each of his 3 toddler daycare teachers.

f. B.

I'm "just a sub", but I'm subbing in one classroom (kindergarten) all this week. Yesterday was "give your teacher a nice note" day. I was expecting nothing. But one little girl wrote me a note saying she really liked me, and she put a nickel in it! Totally made my day. Today was "bring your teacher her favorite fruit" day. I had several little kids bring me fruit. One handed me a brown paper bag with a drawing on it, and inside was a single red apple. It melted my heart.

I'm not their real teacher, so I know this is a bit different. But these things didn't cost much money. And they made me so happy!! Maybe I am just happy to be included in this weeks activities. Maybe I feel appreciated. Whatever it is, it's a good feeling.

As far as my own spending this week (I have 2 kids at this school)? My kids wrote their own notes for yesterday. We flaked out on the fruit day. I'm planning on getting them small ($10?) gift cards for their favorite places to eat, as well as a few classroom supplies (dry erase markers, etc.) I'll be spending about $20/teacher.

My daughter has one teacher and son has three - 1 speech and 2 prek. So I will be spending $10 on each of them and will be giving them either McDonalds or Subway gift cards. I also spent $25 on food that I sent in to their schools for the teacher appreciation lunches. So all in all, about $65.

We did coffee and a bagel (along with a hand written note) for my son's teacher and teaching assistant. No need to spend much (if any)... we get paid, so this is really just a "thank you" opportunity.

The PTA did a nice luncheon for us today and we each got a s'more kit to take home and share with our families. They made the and they are ADORABLE. Plastic bag with jumbo marshmallows, graham crackers and snack sized Hershey bars with a note saying "We need s'more educators like you!"

My boys are both going to make their own cards to their teacher to tell them how much they appreciate them (in 1st and 4th grade language lol) and I will send in a $5 Starbucks card to each teacher.
My mom works for the school district and loves the handwritten children's notes. She keeps them for a L O N G time.
I may seem cheap. I am okay with that. It's all I can afford.
L.

I'm going to end up spending about $5. We are doing a themed week.

Monday: Wear purple and bring something to show how popping your teacher is. Ex. bag of popcorn, can of pop, etc. I ended up sending a pack of Pop Rocks candy
Tuesday: Wear neon colors and bring a highlighter
Wednesday: Wear shades and write a note on how cool your teacher is.
Thursday: Dress up like your favorite animal and draw your teacher a picture.
Friday: Wear your teacher's favorite color.

They are doing a luncheon Thursday, so I'm bringing a side for that. I really like their ideas this year. Most families have the "pop" gift and a highlighter at home and the rest is free.

TOTALLY FAIR pricing. We are going to bring my son's teacher Coffee tomorrow morning - she loves her coffee! I also do a nice gift at the end of the year for the teacher. Last year my son had two so the funds were split, they each got a $25 gift card to Target and emailed me with pictures of their new classroom treasures! This year my son's teacher will be moving on to a district job and will not be in a classroom - I plan to get her a $25 card for her fav coffee place and a $25 card for a fav store. I KNOW that it is extravogant and that many people can not affoard $50 for a thanks to the teacher and I do not think less of anyone who can not by any means. I also know the value of a good teacher for my son - I also know what it takes to be my son's teacher and I also know the struggles she has faced, the wars she help fight to get my son where he is and to make Kindergarden WONDERFUL for him. I also know that as a parent who is involved in the school, an advocate for her son and an overall strong personality that this does not even feel like thanks enough.

Oh, and PTO is giving each teacher a $50 gift cert. of Scholastic Dollars from the book fairs to spend at our fair next week. This can be spent on themselves, their kids or to beef up their class library. I have done this at my son's previous school & they LOVED it, this will be the first time at this school and I think the teachers will be excited as well.

One of our Moms did a Muffin Monday for the Teachers - baked herself.
Tiny Tuesday, she made sandwiches and cut them up tiny as well as veggies/fruits for a platter and she made brownies and cut them tiny too! I got a text from one teacher saying it was so fun to eat the tiny foods with toothpicks in the lounge
I know she has something planned for each day - The gift cert is Thurs. The point is if you can not bring something like a gift card something else like time or a snack is just as loved.

I spent $1 each on a cute little note pad (think cute post its) with a homemade card. In the card my kids write a personalized note. Oh and then there were 2 tickets to disneyland as well. We didnt pay for them. Hubby works for the company and we get free tickets occasionally and pass them on to the teachers. I know many people dont have this option but I can so I do. Its not like I went out and spent $500 on tickets for my kids teachers. Without that I probably would not be able to do much. Maybe some roses from my mom's garden. And maybe a gift card if it was in the budget. but it would probably be $10. My daughter's K teacher often comes to class with a McDonalds cup from lunch so I thought that would be nice because I know she likes it.

My son has five teachers. I only bought gifts for his home room teacher. I spent approx. $30. I did donate food for the teacher's breakfast yesterday.

I don't know how much we will end up spending. Our PTV has sent us home a list of stuff to send each day of the week. Well my son has three teachers and is doing his principal too cause she's retiring this year and we LOVE her.

I usually make then something sweet and they are happy. I have gone to the store and bought a cute mug and filled it with candy's to make it pretty, but really keep it simple and cheap.

I tend to over-spend, but I'm sure that is due to me being a teacher.

My daughter's teachers at daycare will each get $20 gift cards to Target (2).

My son's teachers at Pre-K, who are AMAZING, and this will be his last year with them, so I want to do a little more, will each get 3 $10 gift cards to different places, so $30 each. The PTA is also doing soemthing for them, which we contributed $10 toward (as did the rest of the class).

Have fun with it!

Our school has set things to bring each day - a flower from the garden, a healthy snack, a homemade card and a school supply. The flower and card cost nothing. For the snack, I'm giving apples. So the only real expense is the school supply, which I spent about $20 on. Had I bought a gift card, I'd have given $20 to the teacher and $10 each to the aide and student teacher.