My son's 5th grade teacher is getting married this spring. Does anyone have ideas for a cute/funny gift the kids could give to her? I'm looking for something they can make and/or a fun writing prompt, so they could each contribute in a non-monetary way.
We'll probably also get her a gift card or something from her registry, but I am specifically looking for ideas for something the kids can make, draw, write, etc. The class has 19 boys and only 7 girls, if that makes any difference!
ETA: B - thanks for the input regarding the registry gift! It never occurred to me that it wouldn't be appropriate, so we will plan to stick with a gift card in addition to whatever the kids make.
Aw that’s so sweet! How about having each kid complete a page, with a prompt like “how to be married” or something similar and put it together in a book from the class? I bet she’ll love it and some of the advice is bound to be precious and hilarious and a real keepsake. Include drawings and/or photos and of course well wishes from the parents
Unless you are a close personal friend outside of her teaching, getting her a gift off her registry I think would be too personal for a parent of one of her students.
My mom taught 6th grade for 30 years - she doesn’t think that would be appropriate.
I think your idea is coming from a very thoughtful place, but, I do not think any of this is appropriate unless it is commonly done in your school system.
The relationship between student/teacher is more similar to a business/boss relationship than a personal/peer friendship.
Getting a teacher a holiday gift or an end of the year gift, is somewhat connected to the school setting and is more similar to gifts commonly done in business settings.
The fact that a teacher - in out-of-school life, having absolutely nothing to do with your child - may be getting married, or entering into a civil union, or having a baby, or adopting a child…I think those sorts of out-of-school private life activities are best addressed with nothing more than maybe a “Congratulations” card signed by the class.
I think that it really depends on your school culture and atmosphere whether or not a registry gift is appropriate. I teach high school and received several baby gifts when I was pregnant. My cheerleaders even threw me a little baby shower. Can you talk to another teacher in the school and run the idea by them. They will know whether or not your teacher would be comfortable. I think it is a nice gesture.
You could a platter, have each child sign it then it gets baked at the pottery store you bought it from. It’s a good keepsake she can use for years to come.
Also, you could have each child write a letter congratulating her on her wedding then have it bound at a local copy store (or just put each letter in a plastic cover then place them in a binder).
This was years and years ago - and so may be completely outdated at this point (if so just disregard) but what if the kids did a cute little video montage set to music - where they each said some nice words of congratulations or a nice little thing they like about the teacher or class or something, and someone can put it together and play it at the wedding reception - can be lighthearted and funny?
I’ve been to receptions where things like this were done from work places (colleagues) etc.
Just a thought. Fifth grade kids might find that fun - and it would be free.
It depends. Teachers tend to get overwhelmed with endless keepsakes that they just can’t keep. Christmas gifts (even for teachers who don’t celebrate Christmas) and end-of-year gifts, all the “world’s best teacher” mugs, and so on…it gets old, and overwhelming, and guilt-inducing when teachers have to put stuff in yard sales or thrift shops (where they just get bought up for the next found of teachers!). And teaching is a profession, so there’s a professional relationship with kids and parents.
If the teacher has been very open with the kids about getting married, and if she will be taking a week or so off from school, then it might be fun to have the kids write a little blurb along the lines of “Rules of Married Life” or “How to have a good marriage.” 5th graders are on the line, though, between being little kids and being fairly worldly about things like sex and shared bed, so you have to be very, very careful. Sure, it’s fun if they write up funny things (even if they don’t realize how funny they are), and it might be the sort of thing the teacher would keep. A writing assignment has some educational value and it may be enlightening in terms of where each kid is in terms of maturation and insight. But if it verges into the inappropriate or a lot of giggling between kids, it’s far better not to have brought it up at all.
The final thing is logistics: How will you get everyone involved? Who will supervise this “assignment” or project? Trying to get it done before the wedding means being in the classroom and involving the teacher. Doing it while she’s gone is possible, but you need to get involved with the principal and the substitute (and the rest of the team if your 5th graders have teams like ours do), and there may be enough disruption anyway.
I would absolutely not cross the line to buy something from her registry or start collecting donations from other parents to make it a class gift. That’s a burden on parents, and it involves yet another financial contribution by parents who already feel that pressure twice a year. At least on those other occasions, you are thanking her for her professional contribution. This is verging on the personal and you must tread carefully. Again, a lot depends on how much she has shared with the kids and the school community in general.
Can I ask why you would consider this? Not being snarky or anything, I am honestly curious? We’ve had teachers get married, have babies, etc. and generally we don’t do anything as a class. I’ve done something personally if I have had alot of dealings with a certain teacher over a number of years - with 6 kids, sometimes you would end up with a teacher teaching 4 or 5 of them so you got to know them quite well.
I just don’t feel like it would be appropriate for a 5th grade class to take this step . . . other than the sub might have them do something as a class for her (like a card or something) while she is gone.
I really wouldn’t have the kids do anything like “rules for marriage” or similar things in book form or any other form. At 5th grade, their teacher’s marriage, and guidelines for a happy relationship should really be kept separate and private from the teacher’s classroom life.
Now, if this is a small private school and a school where all the families know each other and the faculty well,or a church school, it might be different. But if it’s a public school, where families may not necessarily share beliefs, where some kids will come from homes where marriage is difficult or turbulent, it might be a subject too sensitive for some kids.
Instead, I’d concentrate on helping the kids make her a “welcome back MRS JONES” banner for her first day back after her honeymoon or wedding. It will be a fun way for the kids to get used to not calling her Ms. Smith anymore. (Assuming, of course, that she will be using a married name; if not, just a “welcome back to class, we missed you” kind of banner). Let all the kids take part in decorating it, or hanging streamers, or similar celebratory things.
I really think it depends on how close the kids are to the teacher. Some teachers just seem to become family so quickly. When my oldest were in pre-k and kinder, I was out of work so I helped out at school. I helped them a bit in the classroom if an aide was out and in the computer lab and library times just to give a hand. When they were in kinder, I was close with several kids and in both pre-k and kinder and I went back to work. Both classes made me booklets with construction paper and each child wrote a “note” and drew a picture with their names. I thought it was very thoughtful and until last year still had them. Unfortunately they got wet and I had to throw them away. I think a book you can put together with notes from the kids would be a nice idea, or maybe even a little video with well wishes from the kids. It is not another thing to hold onto and can be a nice memory.
How about having the kids all create their own “congratulations on your wedding” card? It would be cute, personalized, and original, since each kid will draw and color their card differently. You could bring in some supplies for the class, like glitter, heart stickers, colored pencils, ribbons, etc., and let their creativity run wild.
A little late replying here, but how sweet of you to want the kids to make something! When my daughter’s teacher was getting married, we put together a cute little book with what you are suggesting- a writing prompt. It was tricky to get it done, but the class mom usually has everyone’s emails so we just sent it out that way and asked them to have their kiddo write something up. Each parent that wanted to be included in the book figured out how to get their page to me (most dropped off because they were hand written, drawn on, etc., but some just e-mailed their response). Then the couple of us putting together the book got together to make it like a nice scrapbook (small, didn’t want it to be too much).
The teacher LOVED it, it made her cry and laugh. I will say, my daughter was 2nd grade, so the answers were sillier and more innocent. You may have to be more clever in your prompts. At 5th grade, I wouldn’t ask what the best part of being married is, could be some dicey answers! Think more specific, like “if the Raiders (or teachers favorite sports team) game is on tv, who cheers louder, the husband or the wife?” or “how do you decide what to make for dinner?” Things like that (I’m not super clever, but just to give an idea).
Nice of you to give something special for the teacher. Hope it works out!
