Teachers: what are your favorite gifts from students?

Sunflower777

This is my first year buying holiday gifts for DS's preschool teachers and I'd like to get them something nice. They've made DS's first school experience such a great one and they put so much effort and care into what they do.

 I'd imagine teachers get a lot of well-intentioned gifts, but not necessarily stuff they need/like. What are your favorite gifts from students? Thanks!

Mrs.Tony

Oh, this is a good post! I  was wondering this too

bostonbean

I was going to post this too.  Do gift cards work? 

Katesmama

I took a poll of all my teacher friends (6 of them all different age groups) all of them said the same thing.  Gift cards!  Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, Target, the local mall etc. 

Brewster

Honestly?  Gift cards.  No it is not "personal", but I promise that is a teacher's favorite gift.  You could do one to anywhere...Target, Borders, Starbucks, or just a Mastercard gc.  That's what we did last year and what I always enjoyed as a teacher.

mhwood

I work at a bookstore and we always get teachers in after the holidays and they are so excited about getting bookstore gc.

There was a teacher last year who got a Starbucks travel mug, and a homemade book mark from a kid in her class, and inside the mug was a gc to both Starbucks & Chapters.

happ17

My teacher friends love gift cards. Last year, PAC started daycare after the holidays, so his teachers had just watched him for a few months, but we wanted to thank them when he moved into the next age group. I wanted to do something personal, too, so I had PAC decorate coffee mugs, baked a bunch of cookies and stuck them in the mugs, with gift cards to Dunkin Donuts.

Sunflower777

Thanks, ladies! I want to get something they'll enjoy, so gift cards it is! 

cbidt*sgirl

i'm not a teacher but i come from a family of teachers and every year at holiday time my sister would have me laughing hysterically at her "show and tell" of well intentioned, but horrible gifts.  Things she hated:  baked goods (she's got nut allergies and who needs a gazillion batches of junk food), scented candles, preschooler made art projects, ornaments, magnets)  Things she loved:  gift certificates to her favorite spa, amex or mall gift cards, and handwritten notes from families.  I loved when she got gc to coffee shops cuz she's not a coffee drinker.

 it's easy enough to do a little simple spying to see if your teachers are coffee drinkers or get their nails done etc if you want to go a more personalized gc.

hopefulmom

I am not doing gift cards.  It would cost me much more than what I would normally spend.  I already have the gifts.  I pick up gifts after Christmas the year before.  Pier 1 is my favorite place to get these things.  I was able to get everything for 1/2 price and they are really nice. 

suzymarie

We gave DS's teachers cash.  I put a 100$ bill in a little gift bag with some candy for each of them.  I know 100$ seems like a lot, but they are paid crap, and I probably make 5 times what they make, so I felt like I should be generous since they take such amazing care of DS. 

suzymarie

hopefulmom:

I am not doing gift cards.  It would cost me much more than what I would normally spend.  I already have the gifts.  I pick up gifts after Christmas the year before.  Pier 1 is my favorite place to get these things.  I was able to get everything for 1/2 price and they are really nice. 

The problem with this, is that you think they are nice, but I hate knick knack crap.  Trust me, no matter waht you bougth at Pier One, I would hate it.  At least if you give a consumable item, they aren;t stuck with a knick knack in their house.  Or in my case, in my goodwill bin.

DandR

suzymarie:

hopefulmom:

I am not doing gift cards.  It would cost me much more than what I would normally spend.  I already have the gifts.  I pick up gifts after Christmas the year before.  Pier 1 is my favorite place to get these things.  I was able to get everything for 1/2 price and they are really nice. 

The problem with this, is that you think they are nice, but I hate knick knack crap.  Trust me, no matter waht you bougth at Pier One, I would hate it.  At least if you give a consumable item, they aren;t stuck with a knick knack in their house.  Or in my case, in my goodwill bin.

I'm with you on this suzymarie.  Not that I'm a teacher.  But it would be a dust collector....no matter what it is...and it would end up going to goodwill by January 1st.  If its something I really WANT for my house/decoration/whatever, I have bought it myself.  I hate dust collectors and wouldn't keep it.

Our nanny gets cash.  And school/preschool teachers get giftcards.