Ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week

As a former Kindergarten teacher, my favorite appreciation gifts included personal letters from parents and students and potted flowers with a note that said, "Thank you for helping {name} bloom!" The flowers & sentiment brightened my day and I planted the flowers later at my house and they come back every year. I always remember that student when the flowers begin to bloom!

Hello. I am a parent and teacher so I get both sides of this question. A really neat gift that I received this Christmas was a jar of homemade pear jam and a bread starter mix with instructions on how to make it. Here are some ideas that I can think of: a cute mug with flavored tea, those $1 face or foot packs from walmart, scented antibacterial hand stuff with pretty ribbons tied on it, books....I hope this helped. good luck!

As a former teacher, my favorite gifts were usually gift cards or books that I could share in the classroom. The books were signed on the inside by parents and students, so I could always remember them when I read it. One year, parents gave me a questionnaire to fill out to give them ideas for gifts. The questions asked about my favorites (such as colors, places to shop or eat, food, music, what I collected, hobbies, etc.) This gave the parents more information about me, so that it was easier to find a gift that suited me. I ended up with lots of goodies that I could actually use and enjoy. It meant so much that they took the extra time to find out what I liked or needed.

As a former teacher who received a lot of candles, perfumes, etc. that typically just collect dust, I heard a good idea that I thought I'd share. I am not sure if they have books in a library or in the class at the preschool, but a good option is to donate a book in the teacher's honor and put a little book plaque in the front of the book stating who it came from. Books NEVER get old!

Hi M., I'm a grandmother, and have been through this many years ago. This is just my suggestion, so please ,if I'm out of date with today's teachers, forgive me, and know I meant well.
I think anyone can go purchase a gift for someone, or sign a card, but if you Truely appreciate their efforts and your child is learning ,from them. Ask your child what THEY like most about each teacher, and write or type up a Special Teacher's Appreciation certificate for that person, and attach a school picture of your child. The teacher will know its special and will most likely keep and remember it longer than a doo-dad or knick- knack.
You could even do it in a Scrap book look, with embelishments, or get a copy of an award online and tell her SHE has made a difference in someones life.
I think that's probably why she became a teacher to begin with, and surely not for the low pay they receive.
Thanks for listening,

When is Teacher Appreciations week? I am with Taste of Home Entertaining by Readers Diegest. We offer wonderful high quality, products that are great for entertaining or every day for inside and out. I would suggest doing a home or catalog party and earn the teacher gifts for FREE. My teachers love there gifts. Check out my website at www.EverydayElegance.TOHE.com.

Let me know if I can help. I also have some products here at home if you would like to pick from them. My email address is ____@____.com Luckand enjoy this beautiful day!
S.

Thank you cards, Note Cards.

I am sure that many responses will say gift cards but at this age, I found a basket made up of little cards from each student with school supply items makes for a great gift. You could have it based on a theme...Cookie jar and fill the jar with cookie shaped notes...Apple shaped envelope with worms of advice...This way it comes from the heart of the children and does not cost much...

Books for the classroom are always nice:
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20% off books to Mamasource members.

Or take a look at a Candy Wand, or Candy Bouquet.
http://www.candybouquetsandgifts.com

45% off this month for Beauticontrol spa products until 4/20/2008: We can fix up a spa basket so the Teacher can come home and relax.
http://www.beautipage.com/myspa911

Best of luck!

I found some WONDERFUL teacher appreciation ideas. Alot of them are super cheap, easy to do, and SO CUTE! I've added them to my blog, so please take a look at the post entitled "Teacher Appreciation" at www.theshoppinggirls.com

I always like to give books to our kids' teachers. It's not necessarily an inexpensive thing to do, but a new storybook for a classroom is always a plus and very appreciated.

As a teacher, I love gift cards, especially for fast food. $5.00 will buy a lunch. You can always tell teachers when you go to Walmart, Target or Office Depot, they are the ones in the school supply aisle. I love new and different office supplies: pens, pencils, different colors and shapes of post its, hole punches, etc. Can't go wrong with stuff like that.

I used to teach preschool (now I teach 5th grade) and the best gift I ever got was when the moms got together and combined any funds they would have spent on a small gift and collectively gave me a gift certificate for a really nice restaurant that I never would have gone to otherwise. The same thing for a spa treatment would be great too. I got a card saying that they thought that gift would be nicer than a bunch of coffee mugs etc. They were right!

I thinks stationary and notecards make nice gifts. If you want to spend a little extra, you can even have them personalized.

I have a friend who is a former teacher and now subs in her kids schools. We were just talking about that yesterday. She tells me that one of the schools she subs at gets all the parents to pitch in a few dollars and they get a bouquet of flowers each kid takes her one flower as they come in that morning until she has the whole bunch one day, then one day everyone pitched in two dollars each and they bought a special charm for a charm bracelet they already knew she had. For another teacher she was telling me each parent chipped in $10 and they bought her a pretty hefty Visa gift certificate. She had some other ideas that I'll post if I can remember them. As a former teacher my friend tells me that although she loves and appreciates them she has more mugs and candles than she'll ever use :-) which shot down any of my brilliant ideas.

Well I am a kinder teacher and my class got me a Swedish Massage for Valentine's day!! Awesome and so very needed :) Kind of can be expensive but if you could get a couple of other parents to go in with you totally worth it :) Just an idea :)

I'm a teacher myself. I received some candles....silk flowers....and odds and ends one year that I really appreciated. The parent went out of her way to make it personal and find out all about me. Everything she bought me was Purple....I'm a purple freak! I thought is was really thoughtful of her to learn about me and my love of purple instead of just buying me a gift basket. Just my 2 cents.

L.

As a Pre-K teacher I do not need anymore bath supplies or chocolate! I would appreciate gift cards to the local teacher store (Teacher's Tools in Lewisville & Hurst or Mardel's), Target, or Wal-Mart. I spend alot of money there on school supplies. Games for the classroom wuld also be nice - Candy Land, Chutes & Ladders, Hi HO Cherry-O, Cariboo.

I would check out the Swoozie's website. They have some great gift ideas for teachers. I also think that gift cards are always a GREAT idea. Here is the website for Swoozie's : http://swoozies.com/. Good luck and have fun!

Hello. I am a preschool teacher currently. The very best presents I ever received is, a miniature tree packed full of gift cards from all the parents. I think there must have been $300 dolloars worth of gifts. I felt truly blessed. Also, my class parents had a plate made with all the students names on it. I felt truly blessed by all.

L.

You can personalize at 3x4 acrylic magnet for $8. There are many other gift ideas too. http://J..yoursmh.com

I was a pre school teacher and one of the best gifts I ever got, was a mom who brought us a menu from Jason's deli-- we picked out what we wanted and she came and brought me a yummy lunch!! It was so nice... trust me it so nice to yet lunch out!! Don't think it cost her a lot, but was really nice~

I have given teachers gift cards to the movies and restraunts. And have been told that they never get to go to the movies or out to eat much and they seem to like the gift cards. Good Luck! I am on the PTA board and am doing the same thing except for 70 teachers!

At our school each day we do something special for the teachers. We start with replenishing school supplies which most teachers end up purchasing themselves towards the end of the school year. We then give them a gift card/visa card. The next day they get lunch taken to them at the school. On the last day they get a cake saying thank you for all that you do for our kids. We also paint the break room where they eat their lunch and make it more like a living room setting so they have a place to go and relax.

I read on a mom site something. It was that most teachers would rather receive something that the child helped make than anything else. I would say do something with your child's picture or hand prints, something really cool, that she'll put into a scrapbook or something. Or you could even make a small paper scrapbook if you have pics from the year. You may find some good ideas at www.familyfun.com just a thought.

A mom once told me of her making a bunny rabbit, and putting her child's face (pic) where the bunny's face would be. Then she had her child put their thumb in paint and put thumb prints around the bunny's body. Then she wrote on it "Thumb-bunny loves you" I thought this was so cute for an Easter thing. But it could work for anytime I think.

Good luck,
~S.

My husband is a teacher and for Christmas a bunch of the parents got together and made a gift card tree. He also likes lindt chocolate so they bought the kind that comes in balls and hung them on the little tree with the gift cards. The same mom had gave another teacher there the year before a wallet at the end of the year that was filled with gift cards. The gift cards were from all different types of places. Stonebriar, starbucks, cinemark, restaruants, bookstores. It was such a treat for the whole family to enjoy the gift cards.

You could paint a clay pot for her and put a flower of some sort in it. One thing I'm doing for our soccer coach is a garden stepping stone. You can do one pretty inexpensive yourself or buy a kit and do it. They are on sale at Joann's right now for 13.99 for the most expensive one or you could use a coupon and save a little more. Good luck!

Hi M.! I sell Finders Key Purse key finders. These products are great for teacher gifts, Mothers Day, graduation and any other special occasion. To see the complete line of products, visit my website - www.findkeyswithease.com
Thanks! J. M

If you would like the perfect gift that more than likely no one else will give I have the answer. Tastefully Simple offers gourmet foods that are simple to make, requiring only ONE or TWO ingredients to prepare. I have given gifts in a couple ways. A beer bread mix with a loaf pan, also I have done a basket with the Nana's Apple cake mix along with a jar of our scumptious Creamy Caramel Sauce (to drizzle over the apple cake). Teachers really appreciate the 'SIMPLE' part of serving something that is gourmet. There are too many ideas to mention here. You can check out my website at www.tastefullysimple.com/web/cbywater. And there is a discount if you tell me you read this on mamasource.
Best of luck finding your gifts.

After having been a teacher, I'd say to stay away from coffee mugs. I have enough mugs to use a different one every day of the month, yet I don't even drink coffee. I also wasn't very thrilled with home baked stuff as I'm a very picky eaterk, even with desserts. My husband loved these those. Personally, I loved the bath stuff and candles as I can never have too many of those, but I knew teachers that didn't like those much. I got one once that was so cute and I give it to my sons' teachers sometime in the year. You can make it as cheap or fancy as you'd like. I'd get a tub of popcorn at Blockbuster and fill it with some candy, soda bottles and then top it off with a Blockbuster gift card. I always loved that gift. I also loved gift cards to restaurants / stores / manicures.

Hi M.,
Something that we did (although it was Christmas time) that teachers really seemed to enjoy was this. There were 4 of us moms that got together for a day at one of the homes and each of us brought ingredients for 2 types of cookies. At the end of the day we had a total of 8 cookie types and we made baskets for several teachers/bus drivers/friends. The baskets were very well received by everyone that received them.
C.

M.,
Speaking as a former teacher, the little gifts are great.....but probably the most practical is the gift certicicate in a special card....we often keep scrapbooks of our cards from our children with their little signatures and notes.
KST, laughing all the way

One of my most rewarding memory was when I presented two of my Kinder teachers with a denim apron designed with hand prints. Every hand has the name of the child. It took some sneaking, but every student participated and were excited to show it to their teachers.
In Kinder my kids has two teachers, one that taught in Spanish and another one that taught in English, one day I went with one telling her that I wanted to surprise the other, so even they were discreet. It was a nice feeling!
All I needed was two aprons and acrylic paint, and a paint marker tow rite the name, and oh, the day off.

Gift cards to restaurants, movies, bookestores, etc. OR classroom supplies. Money tree.

Teachers have tons of candles, Bath soaps and lotions. Many teachers spend their personal money to supply the classroom. Gift cards are appreciated.

Good luck!

I always do gift cards to Half Priced books and Starbucks in a cute little card that my daughter signs... I figure that way they can get a fun book and a drink on me!

stationery to write all those thank you notes to kind families

Hi M.,

Scentsy warmers and Scentsy bars are wonderful gifts for teachers. The teachers can actually use them in their classroom for years to come. We even have a warmer designed specifically for teachers - with an apple on it. Being so appreciative of teachers myself, I would be willing to throw in one free Scentsy bar of your choice for each warmer purchased! You could go in on a Scentsy warmer with another parent as well. Anyway, I know you and your children's teachers will love Scentsy. Go to www.scentsy.com/awesomearomas and check them out. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. :-)

We are planning a luncheon for the teachers in our entire grade level. We will have a volunteer parent in each class so that the teachers may enjoy a nice lunch together. We will have parents bring in dishes and set a nice table with fresh flowers in the teacher's lounge. For my specific class I am sending a letter home to parents with a theme for each day of TAW so that the teacher will receive small little somethings each day of the week. On the last day I hope to have a small class party with her favorite snack foods and present her with a nice basket filled with goodies that we have collected from the parents. It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. One day can be flower day so kids can make her a flower from construction paper or bring a fresh flower from their garden. Chocolate can be another one and so on and so forth.

I am a preschool teacher and always appreciate gift cards -- particularly ones like Amex or to a shopping mall (as opposed to a particular store). Restaurant gift cards are great too but can be tricky, because you don't always know what the teacher likes. Having said this, though, the best gift ever is a personal note from a parent that says how much they appreciate the teacher, and how much their child enjoys it. I think teachers just really want to know that they've made a difference in a child's day and that the parent has noticed! Fresh flowers with this note is a nice touch. :) I'm sure whatever you get for your son's teachers will be great!

M.,
When my kids were little I painted stools and director's chairs for the teachers. You can have the kids do thumb prints on the stool and make little mice or whatever out of them, or you can paint their hands and press the hand onto the material of the director's chair to make a hand print...then put each child's name under their print. It is a personal touch and not too hard. Just get a mom or two to help you, have the teacher send one or two kids just outside the class into the hall so you can keep it a secret. The kids love this. If you don't have much money at all, do the same thing with a T shirt or a beach towel...Something permanent that the teacher can remember that class by for years to come.

M.,

The one gift that I have given for Teacher Appreciation that was most valued and she continues to comment about was a small Creative Memories album that the parents and I put together for her. Each parent brought a picture of the child, and provided a short story or comment that their child has about the teacher. I then placed them all in a 7X7 album and it was presented to her on Teacher Appreciation day. It didn't take too much time, and it was really appreciated by her.

If you need any help, please let me know, as I am a Creative Memories Consultant and would enjoy helping you. Hope this helps a lot. Deb Fadler

a small gift card to starbucks, sonic, or walmart is much appreciated by teachers . . . take it from a teacher.

Hi M.,

I am a preschool teacher and you've gotten some great ideas so far. Personally, I love getting gift cards to places where I can supplement my room with books, stickers, and other supplies. I also love personal ones to meals, bath and body stores, movie theaters and even grocery stores.

I also agree with one of your replies that a note detailing your appreciation and/or what you've noticed your child has learned due to this teacher is really invaluable.

One year I got a stack of notes with my name on them. I use them often for communications to the parents and coworkers. I know that can be pricey, though.

Before I was a teacher, I gave my kids' preschool teachers a small starter plant of the herb Thyme in a pot. You can have the kids decorate the pot and my card said, "Thank you for your "time"!" A small flowering plant to add to a garden is nice, too .. makes he/she think of the student when it grows.

Chocolate always is a hit with me, too. A handful of Hershey Hugs or Kisses is quite a treat.

Just knowing that you've been thought of and appreciated is so nice.

Lots of random thoughts and suggestions, I hope we've all helped.

Try etsy.com it is a site that has alot of wonderful handmade gifts. It is an awsome site.

M.: What our school did for Teacher Appreciation week was each homeroom mom brought in a basket and left it in the classroom for the week. Parents were encouraged to fill the basket with items that teachers need in the classroom. By the end of the week, they had post-its, sharpies, pens, pencils, hand soaps, etc. Some even put in candy bars, small giftcards to Starbucks, coffee, etc. The homeorom mom gave our teacher the gift of time by coming in and reading to the class for an hour so she could get some work done/take a break.

As a teacher of almost 20 years, I really appreciate gift cards the most. Restaurants are wonderful, places like Hobby Lobby, as well as book stores and teacher supply stores.
K.

I think personalized note cards, or stationary is a great idea. www.vistaprint.com has some really cute ones. Also, gift cards. We gave my son's teacher a Starbucks Gift Card.

here is one idea we did for someone and she LOVED it.
We had all the kids make something...if they couldnt
write they drew something anything.. and you can sign
thier name to their work....and we put all the pages
in a handmade notebook.. we took two pieces of that
foam paper we call it..ha you use for many crafts
and we punched holes in it to put the papers in and
fastened the front and back foam to it with ribbon
through the holes. she has something special from
each child made just for her. Or we did this one
once.. took a photo of each child and put it on a
page and did the same thing as above made a special
photo album with the kids photos. very personal.