What's the best and most appropriate Christmas present for teachers and teachers aid?
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Parent Answers to "What's the best and most appropriate Christmas present for teachers and teachers aid?"
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First, I'd like to caution parents that you may not want to send Christmas cards or gifts unless you're sure the teacher is Christian...You can call it a "holiday gift" instead.
I realize that this may not be possible for everyone to find out, but I was a regular volunteer at my child's school, and often got to learn a little bit about teachers as individuals...I also kept my "eyes open" when we had teacher conferences, and as my child got older, I asked him what sorts of "personal items" he saw around his teacher's classrooms, and did they drink coffee, etc....
For example, one teacher had a picture of a puppy as her computer screen saver, and photos of some dogs on her desk. It turns out she volunteered as a "foster pet parent" outside of school, and so I got her some dog toys and supplies as a gift. Another teacher was dressed "all in pink" for teacher conferences, and when I commented on it, she said pink was her favorite color...I gave her a pair of pink earrings as a Christmas gift. Yet another teacher had recently had a baby, and I gave an "I love mommy" picture frame.
When I didn't know much about particular teachers, I often tried to go with a theme of whatever subject they taught...ie, the gym teacher got some notepaper with sports motif border, and I found a box of chocolates that was wrapped like different balls...(soccerballs, basketballs, baseballs, volleyballs, etc.)
I've gotten quite a few thank you notes from teachers for the types of gifts I've given over the years, and so I think they sincerely appreciate them. Other than avoiding more ornaments and mugs, which all but brand new teachers probably have enough of, my advice is to try to consider them as individuals, just as we'd like them to consider our kids individual learning styles.
I realize that this may not be possible for everyone to find out, but I was a regular volunteer at my child's school, and often got to learn a little bit about teachers as individuals...I also kept my "eyes open" when we had teacher conferences, and as my child got older, I asked him what sorts of "personal items" he saw around his teacher's classrooms, and did they drink coffee, etc....
For example, one teacher had a picture of a puppy as her computer screen saver, and photos of some dogs on her desk. It turns out she volunteered as a "foster pet parent" outside of school, and so I got her some dog toys and supplies as a gift. Another teacher was dressed "all in pink" for teacher conferences, and when I commented on it, she said pink was her favorite color...I gave her a pair of pink earrings as a Christmas gift. Yet another teacher had recently had a baby, and I gave an "I love mommy" picture frame.
When I didn't know much about particular teachers, I often tried to go with a theme of whatever subject they taught...ie, the gym teacher got some notepaper with sports motif border, and I found a box of chocolates that was wrapped like different balls...(soccerballs, basketballs, baseballs, volleyballs, etc.)
I've gotten quite a few thank you notes from teachers for the types of gifts I've given over the years, and so I think they sincerely appreciate them. Other than avoiding more ornaments and mugs, which all but brand new teachers probably have enough of, my advice is to try to consider them as individuals, just as we'd like them to consider our kids individual learning styles.
I agree with you, healthy11. We tend to bake for gifts, but by spending time with the teachers in the classroom, you can easily pick up a lot of cues. Last year my daughter had a teacher who was as into Disneyland as we are (she went often, and her key lanyard was covered in Disney pins). So on one of our excursions we got free Mickey ears in a promotion, so we gave her a pair. Over the summer when we won again, we made sure to bring them to her on the first day of school (she uses them in class as her "listening ears."). They weren't the holiday gifts, but just midyear thank yous that I know were as appreciated as the lemon cake on the last day of school.
Sometimes the very best gift you can give your teachers and aides are helping them w/classroom projects such as decorating, cleaning up the classroom, reading the children a story or doing things to keep them busy for an hours or so to give the teacher a break to grade tests, work on teaching plan, or simply relax in his/her own enviournment so he/she can observe the students listening and interacting with a guest. Remember involve the students with activities that they will be personally involved with such as hands on projects(crafts), open discussions, etc... Use your imagination, hold the children's interest and attention and give your teacher an hour break!
Good luck
Good luck
Ask the teacher. A great teacher will let you and other parents know at the beginning of the school year or the first week of December.
I do not give a personal gift to the teacher of my children. I do give to the teacher's classroom or charity. This gift is always based on need or requested by the teacher.
Good luck!
I do not give a personal gift to the teacher of my children. I do give to the teacher's classroom or charity. This gift is always based on need or requested by the teacher.
Good luck!
my girls usually get little coffee mugs with candy in them are stuffed teddy bears in them,to give their teachers.they really enjoy them.one year they got their teacher a coffee set with the mugs and packs of coffee in them.this year my daughters teachers are into snow men so we got them a snow globe with snow men in them.
If you really feel you must get a gift, a gift certificate is nice and if you give it to a book store, the teacher can use it to buy books for the classroom if she chooses. If you give it for amazon.com, the teacher could buy books or any number of things for amazon these days sells more than books.
If you don't want the teacher to see the amount, and you really want to buy a gift, buy a pen. Over my many years of teaching I never had enough pens.
But I was as happy to have a parent send a card without a gift or send in something special for my students or make a donation to their favorite charity - I'd encourage every parent these days to know that teachers know we're all living in trying times and no one should feel obligated to buy gifts for teachers in these times.
If you don't want the teacher to see the amount, and you really want to buy a gift, buy a pen. Over my many years of teaching I never had enough pens.
But I was as happy to have a parent send a card without a gift or send in something special for my students or make a donation to their favorite charity - I'd encourage every parent these days to know that teachers know we're all living in trying times and no one should feel obligated to buy gifts for teachers in these times.
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