A Teachers View- The gifts that teachers really want!

I am blessed to live next to a elementary school teacher who loves my kids and we love her!! She has multiple education degrees and is the first person I run to when I am worried about speech, development or anything learning related!! She has agreed to write a weekly post for me on some common concerns involving little ones. If you have a topic that you would like to see addressed, please e-mail me at everythingmom@live.com



School’s Out for Summer!

A couple of weeks ago, Summer and I were out garage-saleing when we happened upon a house that was selling a collection of what I like to call “Teacher Gifts”, a retired teacher was selling her apple-themed dynasty. Summer asked me what teachers really would like as gifts. Here are some ideas if you are considering giving your child’s teacher a gift.

Just a note: teachers never expect gifts and it is not anything you have to do.

* Skip the apple-themed gifts. Yes they’re cute, but most teachers have enough.

* Teacher store gift cards are great as are book store gift cards. You wouldn’t believe the amount of their own money teachers spend.

* Most anything homemade, especially if it can be frozen. I like a small loaf of banana bread as much as the next gal. One of my students presented me with a whole Strawberry Pie from Bob Evans because she remembered on the first day I had told the class my favorite food was strawberries. Awesome gift because I got to share it with my family.

* Restaurant gift certificates are a welcome excuse to not cook in the summertime.

* Books, kids’ books for the classroom or something I might like to read.

* Paper or fun post-it notes. I go through a lot in a school year! Cool paper like card stock or colored copier paper are fantastic ideas.

* Something from the whole class – a planter with the kids’ fingerprints, a photo frame with all their names on it or a collection of stories from the year usually are enough to bring tears to my eyes.

* The most treasured gifts I’ve ever gotten are hand written letters from students. I’ve kept them year after year and look at them when I need a pick-me-up.