(Yes, that's me. Yes, I'm rolling my eyes.)
Teacher Appreciation Week for 2014 will be (May 5th through the 9th) and National Teacher Appreciation Day is Tuesday, May 6th! As a former teacher, I cannot tell you how much this week means to educators! The work of a teacher is never-ending, riddled with complaints, stressful, worrisome, tiresome, not very financially rewarding, and often times just plain thankless! We are "babysitters", disciplinarians, counselors, mentors, coaches, chaperones, nurses, advocates, friends, confidantes, and stand-in parents. But we see the importance of the job we are doing, the lives we are touching, the futures we are impacting, and we take our work home and keep coming back every morning because we LOVE it and we LOVE the children! No other career in the world is as rewarding or as important (except for parenthood!) as that of a teacher!
With that being said, I really don't believe you need to spend a fortune, or even one penny, to show your appreciation for a teacher during any time of the year. When I was teaching, I honestly dreaded the onslaught of random store bought gifts......more dollar store coffee mugs with those foil wrapped cheap candies?! Ugh. How many mugs does one teacher need?! LOL I much preferred tokens of thanks made from my students themselves!
So, if you're stuck on what to get or do for your child's teacher (and yes, I think some small sentiment is a must!) I have a few suggestions of the things I LOVED receiving throughout the year! Hint: I have BOXES FULL of these first items stored away in my garage, and not one single coffee mug! UPDATE: Just going through some old teaching boxes in the garage and came across this:
For. The. Love. Please no more coffee mug teacher gifts!! ;)
So here's what I LOVED receiving from my kiddos throughout the year (NO COST!):
- a handmade item from the child (a picture, card, painting, etc.)
- a photo of the child from sometime during the school year (could be framed simply with construction paper or in a homemade card)
- a letter or story written by the child
- any homemade art or craft project (Holiday ornaments are always nice!)
- hand prints
- a letter or short note of thanks from the parent
- a flower from the garden maybe in a kid-painted cheap flower pot
- a hug
- a high five
- a parent or other family member willing to volunteer their time or skills in the classroom (even taking home papers to grade for a night is wonderful!)
If you absolutely feel like you have to purchase something, here are a few practical and much-needed gift ideas:
- $5 gift card (Target, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, or to a local book or craft store)
- school supplies (glue, scissors, crayons, markers, pencils, pencil boxes, binder paper, etc.)
- art/craft supplies (paint, brushes, art paper, glitter, craft sticks, sidewalk chalk, etc.)
- office supplies (copy paper, paper clips, white out, white board markers, etc.)
- outdoor equipment (jump ropes, balls, cones for field games, etc.)
- items for incentives (stickers, small dollar store/kid's meal toys for prizes, pencils, etc.)
- housecleaning supplies (facial tissue, hand sanitizer, paper towels, Lysol wipes or spray, sponges/towels, hand soap)
- books (new or gently loved for the classroom library)
- rainy day activities (new or gently used - puzzles, board games, or other age-appropriate activities)
- lanyards or a key ring
- small picture frames
- a nice box of hot cocoa or a bag of coffee (NO MUGS! lol)
- small collectibles (take a look around the teacher's desk and see if they collect something: trolls, cats, crosses, etc.)
Again, do not feel as though you have to spend a ton of money. Many of these things can be found around the house, at dollar stores, in clearance sections, or even yard sales! If you are feeling really ambitious, you can check out all of the crafty ideas I have gathered on Pinterest!
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