It’s that time of year again! Time to show appreciation for all of the hard work your child’s teacher put in over the year. While we know we can certainly never be able to show how much we appreciate them with a gift, we can certainly try with some of these ideas!
- Gift Cards
At this point in the year, you may have a pretty good idea of where your child’s teacher likes to shop or some of the food/treats they enjoy. Chat with your child and see if they have an idea (they would probably know best!) Does the teacher come in with a Starbucks coffee in the morning? What about a Wawa sandwich at lunch? Do you see target bags or amazon boxes when you enter their classroom? A gift card is special because the teacher can use it how they see fit (and will most likely be used for some sort of classroom supply)!
- Personalized Stationary
If you are a teacher, you like to write! You have your favorite pens and paper, and take pride in your desk. Personalized stationary is a great way to show appreciation for your child’s teacher and give them a gift that keeps giving. They will also remember you for years to come every time they look at their desk and see a reminder of this creative and generous gift. There are TONS of reasonably priced websites where you can design stationary or note pads for your child’s teacher.
- An Experience Gift
Similar to the gift card suggestion from above, this is something that the teacher can use at their convenience. Do they have a favorite restaurant? Do they enjoy spa treatments or manicures/pedicures? Maybe they love concerts or a local museum. Find out their favorite local hot spot and get them an experience to enjoy over summer break!
- Local Book Store Treat
Teachers LOVE to read. Especially at the younger grades, read alouds occur multiple times a day and teachers often use their own money to build their classroom library. This gift actually benefits many people–the teacher, the students, and you’ll support a local bookstore too. When I was a teacher, I received this gift 1-2 times a year and it was so exciting for me to go and pick out a few books to continue growing my library!
- Handwritten Note
We certainly understand and respect that end of year gifts can get expensive especially with multiple children and multiple teachers. But a handwritten note is free and meaningful. Something from you and your child with specific reasons on how the teacher helped and made the year special will go a long way. I remember having a box in my desk with all of the “feel good” notes that I received over the years. When I was having “a day”, I would shuffle through the box and be reminded of how I was making a difference!
Thank you to all of the amazing teachers, staff, and educators out there. We appreciate you, we respect you, and we honor you every single day!
Have a gift you have either received or given? We’d LOVE to hear from you!
Live.Laugh.Learn,
Jenn