Gifts for Teachers?

My advice - get a gift card! They get bunch of small gifts from others, and really would prefer to get cash or gift card. They don't make much money, so a little Christmas Bonus is what they really want. I have 2 kids under 3 in daycare, and that is what I'm getting them.

Does the daycare have a list of the teachers likes and dislikes? This is something the preschool I used to work at did. They gave the teachers a sheet to fill out with information on their favorite things.
I like the gift cards. Yes, they are impersonal, but with the economy the way it is, it could be a blessing to someone having trouble. The restaurant one is a great idea. They can have a meal with their significant other and go somewhere they may not have before.
Sorry I couldn't be more specific. I have 3 kids in school and I just do the gift card. I send one to Target.
I also pack the teacher a little goodie bag with candy for them.

Hope this helps!
Roz

Hi B.,

As a former teacher on never ending maternity leave, I can tell you that I always appreciated the gift cards. If the gift was unique and thoughtful, I treasured them. My most memorable gifts, a student made me a build a bear dressed in baby clothes when I was expecting, another student made a plaque with my sons name on it (wood from michaels) and on the back wrote a lovely letter about what I meant to her (I have it in his room, and i will always keep it). They really put thought into those gifts. I was always surprised and delighted w/the gift cards though :P

A gift card with a nice card stating what the teacher meant to the child would be treasured.

P.

We went to Micheals and got a ornament making kit (wood ornaments that come with markers and glitter) for him to make them as gifts. I don't think teachers are expecting anything more than that!

I was at Michaels and they had a gift card that said Teachers Have Class. I thought that was a cute gift idea. Target gift cards are always appreciated, too. There is nothing more personal that someone letting you shop for yourself...you know exactly what you want and need! That's my favorite gift.

Personally, I like giving (and receiving) Visa or American Express gift cards. Not limited to one store, and the person can use it to help pay for literally anything -- apparel, cosmetics, haircut, spa, earrings, a nice dinner, a bottle of wine, CD or DVD, a concert ticket, a movie, baseball game, flowers, getaway to a hotel, Busch Gardens, you name it. It is so easy to purchase, and you know the person will use it on something they really value. If you want to make it more personal, add a plate of home made brownies or Christmas cookies.

I have always had a great response to giving Tastefully Simple products as a gift. The Nana's Apple Cake paired with 2 apples, or the Oh My Chai with a coffee mug and a couple of candy canes have been my favorite gifts to give. They also have gift packs as well. I believe I have a cute little poem to go with the previous mentioned gifts...I would have to look for it though. You can check out all they have at www.tastefullysimple.com/web/cwilson4.

I'm a teacher and the majority of the teachers I know appreciate gift cards more than anything. There's even the cute stuffed animals you can put them in. Most teachers tend to spend money on their classrooms. So a gift card to Walmart always makes me happy. I've also been given gift cards to restaurants and the movies. I love them too. restaurant.com always has really good deals on gift certificates.

Of course any gift is appreciated because it is the thought behind it. One of my students came to school a few weeks ago with 3 questions written down to ask me: 1. What's my favorite smell? 2. What's my favorite restaurant? 3. What's my favorite candy? I thought it was so sweet and it made me laugh when he asked me the questions.

I heard of a great restaurant, Dasesto in Pinellas Park. Try a local, family-owned restaurant like that, instead of a chain. It's on 66th Street just south of Park Boulevard. I haven't been there but I've heard great things. They're running a special on gift certificates also.

I have a lot of friends who are teachers and they have "suggested" I do a gift card for the my daughters teachers. It's not impersonal if you get them a gift card to somewhere you know they like. This is what I did for my daughters teachers. I bought a kitchen whisk at Target and then I stuffed the inside of the whisk with Hershey kisses. Then I tied a starbucks gift card to it (I've noticed the teacher with starbucks in the morning) and I tied a tag to it that read "I WHISK you a Merry Christmas"....
It turned out cute and added a personal touch to the g.c.

Do you have a Tuesday Morning store near by? They have excellent gifts, books for example, that are geared toward brides, sisters, mothers, teachers, etc..Check it out. Reasonably priced too.

We used to feel that way about gift cards, but we've come to realize they are welcome any time from the teachers. There are so many wonderful choices so you can personalize them (any restaurant, mall shops, book store, Michael's for arts/crafts), or just give something very practical & therefore quite welcome (Publix or Fresh Market, gas, CVS). Everybody could use a practical gift these days.

One of my favorite gifts for teachers are suncatchers. The teachers always love them and you can find some beautiful ones that can be enjoyed year round. My favorite place to get them is Hallmark and they are relatively inexpensive, usually starting around $10. Good Luck!