TEACHERS: What do/don't you want for Christmas?

Folks, it's not too early to start planning a special gift for the deserving teachers in your lives. I'd like to hear from the teachers we have here about the things they appreciate the most -- and the least -- as gifts from their students. I can't imagine any teacher needing yet another "World's Best Teacher" coffee mug or Christmas ornament. What's really dismal is seeing all that schlock at the thrift stores, seeing folks buying it up to give to their children's teachers, who donate it back to the thrift store to begin the cycle all over again. Also, if you have a gift you've given or plan to give that's sure to be appreciated, please share the idea here too.

I encourage everyone to keep in mind that not every family has the money to spend on a teacher and it IS the thought that counts. I can imagine teachers everywhere that have a special tree decorated in Worlds Best Teacher stuff!

I always tell my kids that I don't expect a gift from them. First off there is over twenty of them and one of me, I can't afford to buy gifts for everyone. I have had parents contact me and ask what they or their children could do for me for Christmas and I always tell them that the one thing I could really use is a volunteer for a couple of hours to help me out with the small things that take up so much time. Putting words on my word wall, or cutting out laminated stuff, helping me with my copies, stuff like that. I have saved every single Christmas card I have ever gotten, I've never ever ever given away any gift a student has given me and I have a collection of 17 World's Best Teacher coffee cups that I absolutely value over and above my fine china.

I have a food and clothing drive going on my class from Sept. 1 until Christmas vacation, I suggest that instead of giving me something, make a donation to the drive in our classroom's name.

Althought Debi is right in that not every family can afford something, in this area it is pretty much expected by the families, not the teachers, that their children will give the teacher a gift. When there are many kids in the family that really runs into a large expense for them if they buy gifts, but most of them here make them. My favorite gift last year? A dozen tamales!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL The kids know I love them and they made them with their mom.

PS: Donations of books for class are always welcome too! I have one family that has had 3 children in my class over the last 5 years and during the school book fair they pick up a bunch of $2 books for the class.

My point was that the Worlds Best Teacher gifts, no matter where they came from, are always appreciated. Same with Worlds Best Mom stuff.

And what, may I ask, is wrong with thrift store items?

Is everyone supposed to go out and spend cash on a spendy item when something at a thrift store is often just as nice or nicer? I personally prefer thrift store items over new store bought items because it is 'recycled' in a way and being reused instead of ending up in a landfill.

But then I'm not a teacher.


Anyway, many years ago (about six) I gave a teacher a Fuchsia plant in a hanging pot that I had made. another holiday I gave her a poinsettia. As far as I last knew she still has both alive and well. But giving presents doesn't seem all the common up here I guess.

i make gifts for my kids teacher. my kids go to a charter school and will stay with the same teacher for 8 years. so the kids get to be more like family (with the other kid they are like siblings) and they really build a relationship with the teacher. I really feel like my kids teacher is their "other" mom or teacher mom. she really cares about their education and i TRUST her judgement with disiplineing my child to the point that something happened with my son at home that i didnt know how to handle and i asked her for advice... last year i made a knited smoke ring for the teacher and a knitted cowl for the teachers aide(there is an aide and a teacher for every class and there are NEVER more than 25 kids per class...) i know that my kids teacher aide uses that knitted cowl i made her EVERY day. she told me its keeps her so warm on the play ground when she is watching the kids play. it makes me happy to know i was able toprovied her soemthing that she uses...

BTW my kids teacher is a ex-nun.. she is so flippin cool to me... i just adore her.. her class is so quiet. she has kid that range from grade 2 to 8 in her room and there is NEVER a moment those kids are not getting educated.... i love it!!!

Some people buy "all that schlock at thrift stores" because it's all they can afford. With the economy the way it is right now, I bet just about any teacher anywhere would be more than happy to get another "teacher of the year" mug. Simply knowing the student had the foresight to give a gift would be good enough for me.

I'm sure the OP meant nothing by the post, but the wording may be a touch offensive to some folks.

Quote:
This is exactly what I meant.