Teacher gifts.

[jennyleigh1975]

I like for my children to give their teachers some little something for Christmas, but that means I have nine teachers to buy for. So, I am looking for some suggestions of something nice to give, but not too expensive. Any suggestions?

[harmonygirl72]

Hmm, I am a teacher, and I usually say that gifts that are consumable or spendable are the best. How about having your kids bake cookies and give a few to each teacher? That's kind of cheap.

[jennyleigh1975]

I hate being cheap, and I dont want my gifts to come off that way, know what I mean. Teachers work hard and they deserve to be remembered, but when you have nice to buy for, well, I cant spend and arm and a leg, know what I mean. I had thought about baking cakes and giving to each one, but in some ways I think that would look to cheap.

[Girlygirl1980s]

Gee, cookies is what I was going to suggest. Who doesn't love Christmas cookies? How about a small, but quality box of candy?

[harmonygirl72]

Yep, you can't go wrong with food! :-)

[kasey]

Bath and Body Works...


Inexpensive little bag with trial size soaps and hand lotions...

[spilled_milk]

Yeah, all of my teachers, past and present, love food. If you don't want to bake cookies you could get them a small box of truffles each or something, the smallest box. They dont look cheap even when there are very few because they are a quality chocolate.


Good luck!


<3 Anya--

[kayron]

Well, I am teacher and I can say as an emet that I don't eat anything that the kids bring. If I knew it came from somebody like you I could, but then again I know that you are as anal as I am about food. I like to get things that I can use. One year for my students, I made them all a scarf. You wouldn't believe how cheap it was. You can get like a yard of fleece and cut it in 10 in pieces. You can get a bunch of scarves out of that. Then you just cut the ends to make fringe and tie off each piece of fringe at the top with a knot. They are very easy, cheap, and don't require any sewing. Just scissors. My kids used them all year. It's great if you know something that they like, like frogs or butterflies. Fleece comes in all different patterns. Also, I found some Christmas bath confetti at Peir One. It is in a plastic snowflake container. It was only $2.50. It smells fantastic and has little glitter pieces in it. I bought every female in my family one. I got myself two.

[surfjunkie]

I'm with Kayron on the food issue. I am a teacher and tend to only eat food from families that I know are "safe" like me! [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img] I always like a gift certificate to Bath and Body Works, a bookstore, or movie gift cards. You can do $5 and it is still a nice gift. As a mom giving teacher gifts, I love it when the head room mom collects $5-$10 from each family and puts it together into a nice lump sum gift certificate. This year, I am going to the dollar store for inexpensive baskets, buying a box of tea bags, hot choc. packs, mini-oranges, candies, and movie g.c. from Blockbuster or something. I will separate out the food items and have some nice baskets put together for not too much out of pocket.

Just a thought...

[suze]

I get my kids to write a small poem or piece of prose describing what's nice about each teacher - it only needs to be a few lines. When they were very young, I'd do the writing but I'd ask them questions like, what do you like about Mr so and so etc? They always came out really funny because kids say some great stuff and are very observant. I would then type them up on the computer, stick in a few festive images, and place the whole thing in a cheap photo frame! The gifts were very personal, made the teachers laugh, and I still notice them hanging in their classrooms!

When my son was 5 he wrote something like:

I hope you have a nice Christmas Mr Newbury
You are funny and you wear nice black shoes
I hope Santa brings you a new tie
Please don't tell me off too much next year!

You get the idea....!!

[harmonygirl72]

Great ideas, Julie! I was thinking when I posted about food that most emet-teachers wouldn't like that (except me!), but what are the chances that those teachers are emet, too? But, as I said, spendable or consumable....so, the gift certificates are a great idea, too! And, I love when the class goes in on something! In fact, at my old school, all the parents contributed money and we all got big fat checks at Christmas!!

[harmonygirl72]

Ooh, I love that idea, too, Suze!! I have framed some pictures my students have made for me over the years! They are priceless! My favorite one (not framed, of course!) was a note a kid wrote to me that said: "Dear Ms. Morman, I will not take my pants off in music class again. Luke" (You can imagine what provoked that one!!)

[surfjunkie]

Suze, Great idea! I would treasure that for years to come. Here is another idea that was my most favorite of all times that I received last year..... A little boy in my class shared one of his family traditions as eating off of the "red plate of honor". Here is an explanation that I found online about it....

It was a time honored tradition among early American families that when someone deserved special praise or attention they were served dinner on the red plate. Today this custom, so dear to early American families, returns to remind us that a simple reward can mean so much. The Red Plate is the perfect way to acknowledge a family member's special triumphs...celebrate a birthday...praise a job well done...reward a goal achieved...or simply say "You Are Special Today." When the Red Plate is used, any meal becomes a celebration honoring that special person, event or deed. It is a visible reminder of love and esteem. A way of showing someone dear to you that they are appreciated and remembered. The Red Plate is designed and crafted to become a family heirloom as it is cherished and passed from one generation to the next marking life's important milestones. The Red Plate...Make it a tradition in your family, symbolizing the good and happy times. It will speak volumes of love, when words just aren't enough.

</span>He then gave me my own "red plate of honor" for my family. Depending on the teachers and whether or not they have kids, it is a great gift. I was able to find a set of 4 red plates at Target for $16...I plan on printing out the explanation on a nice piece of paper and giving it to families that are special to us. My kids absolutely love the tradition and we end up taking turns eating off of it every night. We take turns telling the person of "honor" why they are special to us. Then, the person tells about something great that happened to them that day. It can totally be catered to personal families...I think I also remember seeing it in Family Fun magazine.

Sorry to be long winded but it was so special to me.
</span>

[tcsarah]

What about buying your children a pack of polymer clay and getting them to make their teachers a little keyring, modelor something. You can buy the accesories to make jewellery, keyrings,fridge magnetsetc. You model the clay (which comes in different colours - even glow in the dark ones!) and bake it in the oven to harden it.It's so versatile and the gifts would be really personal. I use polymer clay quite a lot and make my own toppers for greetings cards or little gifts for people. It's great stuff! Here's afew Christmas cards I made the other yearmodelling with the clay, as an example.


http://entertainment.webshots.com/ph...6933048461874o qTsoV


http://entertainment.webshots.com/ph...6034048461874c lwmMH


http://entertainment.webshots.com/ph...6690048461874U bhyHo


http://entertainment.webshots.com/ph...6432048461874L wGFTJ


If your children are young just get them to roll a ball of different colours of the clay together to forma lovely marble effect and stick the ball on the end of a keyring - and there you have a unique, beautifully patterned gift!

[shiva]

what about plants? little christmas cactus, poinsettia, or amaryllis...


i love plants. but i am not a teacher

[surfjunkie]

Shiva,



Funny you should mention plants...I just bought a bunch of amarylis and
paper white plants to have on hand for gifts. I love them!

[jennyleigh1975]

I had not thought about plants. That sounds like a cool idea. I wish I had plenty of money to buy whatever I wanted for their teachers. My children go to a private school, and there are people there with alot more money to spend than I have. I dont want to come off cheap, but when you have got nine teachers to buy for, well, it could really get expensive.

You all have really given me some great ideas. Thank you so very much!

I wanted to add to that I love it when the room mother sends out a note saying please send X amount of money to just buy one big gift from the class. Of course though, at the school my children go to you will always have those parents that send something just from their child.







Edited by: jennyleigh1975

[spilled_milk]

Oooh plants!! I forgot about plants! My mom would often buy me little plants to take to my teachers, things that were pretty and easy to take care of.


&lt;3 Anya--

[metallikat87]

oh my goodness...tcsarah your paintings are beautiful! i would love to be able to paint that well!!!!!

[worrygirl]

You could also get jars from the dollar store and fill them (layer) the dryingredients for cookies or brownies and attach a card with the recipe.

[cardinalgirl]

You could also get jars from the dollar store and fill them (layer) the dryingredients for cookies or brownies and attach a card with the recipe.

I did something simlar to the above for a few people i work for except i made bath salts. for example, i bought some cheap canning jars and got some red food coloring, epsom salts, sea salt and glyceral oil. mix all the ingrediants ( except put red in some and leave and white in the other) and i put in some peppermint oil. then i layered the salts in the jars and it looks AND SMELLS like a candy cane... and you have some left over for yourself which is very calming during an emet attack!

[tcsarah]

oh my goodness...tcsarah your paintings are beautiful! i would love to be able to paint that well!!!!!

Awww, thank you so much!