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Dear Readers, I have a bit of an urgent question for you. Tab is looking for something for a great teacher, and the last day of school is only 11 days away. If you have any ideas, Tab and I need you!
“My youngest son is finishing 3rd grade. He has a male teacher who is wonderful. My children have all been blessed by having this teacher. I have 3 boys. Seeing as this is the last of my children to have him, we were hoping to give him something over-the-top special to remember us by.”
“I want him to remember us, but I don’t want it to be knick knacks, because he’s a bit of a neat freak. He’s in his early 30s. Not married. A wonderful sense of humor. With no real deep interests that he has shared.”
“Money is always an object, but I’d even be willing to go up to $50 if it was something I thought was great. I’d love any help on this.” —Tab
have the local creamery name a custom creation after your favorite teacher
The great thing about honoring a teacher is that it’s easy to get others on board. Get an hour dedicated to him on the radio or get his name on the reader board on the way into town. Maybe have the local pizzeria create a pizza in his honor, and give him a gift card for a few pizzas while you’re there. (I called a male teacher friend last night, and he said that good local food is always appreciated.) Maybe give him a really great pizza cutter while you’re at it, and have it engraved, so it’s kind of like a trophy, but not really.
And if all of that seems to be stretching it, try bargain shopping for a super hip bag. Include a thank you note from each son tucked inside, and you might have just the thing.
What about you readers? Any ideas Tab can use for giving a teacher an memorable thank you? She and I would love to hear them.
[photo from here]
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m actually giving away a kind of “teacher appreciation” necklace on my blog this week but it’s way too feminine for a male teacher and it made me realize I completely ignored the male teachers out there – shame on me. I feel so bad that next year I’m going to design one just for the guys. A million years ago when I was doing a stint teaching 2nd grade, a family gave me a “best teacher” trophy, engraved and all. I loved it and I know you said he doesn’t like knick knacks but he might like it because it’s something he can keep in the classroom. That’s all I can come up with this morning, think the engraved pizza cutter idea is genius.
Every teacher I know is a reader, and they all love bookstore cards.
My son had a great male teacher a few years ago who was also a single dad so me and another mom who worked along side me at a dinner prep business bought him 2 weeks worth of pre made dinners, and brought it in a cheap Styrofoam cooler, he was sooo thankful and loved it..if you don’t live by a “Dinner my way” maybe go to Trader Joes or better yet make them yourself, and put in freezer bags, you can do a lot of chicken marinade, or steak and put in freezer bags to save space in freezer..if you need some recipes that freeze well email me and I would be happy to send some along..jermer12@sbcglobal.net
On a budget: I would give a “teachery” book and have all of Tab’s kids sign it for him. Or have all of them make a handmade card and give to him.
Not on a budget: all of the above with a box of wine (or something relaxing for non-drinkers).
These were suggestions from my husband who is a teacher.
Sorry one more, I have a few friends that are teachers and they always love gift cards and movie tickets, you could do a whole basket full of popcorn, movie tickets, you get the idea..good luck..
Before kids, I was a teacher. I always appreciated gifts that remembered I was a “person”, not just a teacher. I *ditto* Maureen’s ideas for {open-ended} gift-cards to general bookstores and/or movie tix. If you limit him to a Teacher Store, then he’s limited to what he can buy.
That said, I think the trophy-idea is adorable. Great to keep in the classroom!
These are good ideas!
I would add…gift cards! Perhaps to Starbucks, a local restaurant, or Amazon.com.
my husband is a teacher. why oh why do so many students give him scented candles? hmmn, you know, if he has a sense of humor how about a freezing some cash inside a big block of ice and give him some ‘cold hard cash’? is that too silly?
When my husband worked as a teacher he also receiving gift cards.
Do you know what he enjoys when not teaching? If you give him something connected to his hobby, he will remember and appreciate that a lot more than a mug or “teacher” item. For example, a grill set, tools, a book signed by an author he enjoys or admires, sports equipment, etc.
I like the engraved “trophy gift” idea – how about an engraved ice cream scooper? A friend’s friend used that as a wedding favor – it was quite a hit!
On the non-creative, more run-of-the-mill teacher gifts, I agree that bookstore or movie gift cards are always appreciated. I have two sisters and they are always used. If you want to take it up a notch – dinner and a movie gift card?
One last note: when getting movie gift cards, get the gift cards that contain a dollar amount to spend like cash, not the movie tickets that you have to redeem. Why? The redeemable movie tickets can sometimes have restrictions on new releases.
Another idea: use Williams Sonoma’s message cookie cutters to make sugar cookies with a sweet thank you message: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/1401132/
They now have Star Wars cutters, too: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/star-wars-cookie-cutter/
I’m big on gifts for the classroom. With budget cuts affecting most schools across the country, it is likely this teacher is dipping into his own earnings just to keep the classroom supplied with paper and supplies. The element of surprise is fun, but giving the perfect gift is even more satisfying and memorable! i say ask this teacher if he needs anything – books – supplies etc – for the classroom. A gift like this is bound to be timely, appreciated, and remembered for years to come.
My husband has really appreciated special hardcover books received as gifts from students, particularly when the students have written a personal note inside. If the teacher is passionate about any organization, a donation in his honor would also be nice.
my 2nd grader has a male teacher (also single early 30′s) for xmas the class gave him a J.Crew gift card and for end of the year we are giving him a pair of MLB tickets to his favorite team (cost $50) and you can find at many places online for below face value
As a teacher I can tell you gift cards are the best. I teach art history and I can’t tell you how many Impressionist and Pre-Raphaelite calendars and datebooks I’ve been given. Ugh.
By the by, since Tab gave a spending limit of about $50, why did you provide a link to a Swiss bookbag that sells for over $450? Or Jack Spade bag? It seems a little cruel to hold these up as examples of possible gifts (even when “bargain shopping”) when they are exponentially out of their price range.
Thanks, every one! I’m totally blown away by all your thoughtful ideas and for the insight. This is so great.
@ Acacia, I apologize for the less-than-realistic links. I like to browse designer goodies, even if they’re out of reach, for inspiration. I thought I’d kept everything just a little over, as in $90 and under. But you’re right, the entire reason I write here is to be helpful, and those links weren’t helpful. I appreciate the feedback! Sometimes blogging feels like I’m spending way too much time in my own head, and it’s nice to get the input and reactions.
Whatever the object or gift is that you get, make sure to include a note from your sons telling the teacher about the impact he has had on their lives. This makes such a difference, and is so much more meaningful than a ‘token’ gift!
This would require you to maybe get a some other student’s in on it, but teacher’s LOVE gift cards (I am one so I know). Gift card wreaths are amazing. $20 to gas station, restaurants, sports store, Target, groceries, Starbucks, etc. a variety of different places so he can have some fun money over the break and not have to spend his own. It may sounds kind of boring, but as teachers we don’t make a lot so it is so nice to be able to hand over a gift card rather than your own money!
While I agree that gift cards are always nice for teachers (who seem to constantly be on a budget), they’re not going to “stick with him” in the long run. Gift cards just don’t “touch” the way other presents do.
I was married to a teacher for some time, and I would say that finding out what his interests are and then tailoring the gift that way is probably the best way to go. But, above all else, the gifts my ex enjoyed the most (and he was a “neat” 30-something at the time, too) were the ones with heart-felt notes either in them (as books) or with them that tied the gifts together. He is a band director, and at one point a student gave him an old record of one of the groups he liked, along with a note telling him just how much he’d influenced the student’s love of music (to include said record). I swear my ex cried for days after that.
I make some handstamped metal jewelry, and I can customize. I’ve been selling keychains like crazy as the school year comes to an end!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/48044524/the-campy-necklace
If something like this in a key ring would work (your own message of course), please let me know!
maryann(at)averymarydesign(dot)com
I asked this question (what do I get a teacher?) on a teacher’s forum last year, because I wanted to know exactly what teachers wanted and didn’t want. All were just happy to get a thank you, and a note directly from a child. As far as gifts – gift certificates. Movie theatre, bookstores, some restaurants if you know what kind of food yor teacher likes.
Last year for my son’s kindergarten teacher I got her a gift certificate to a nice outdoor mall close to where she lives. This way she could spend it on everything from a dinner out, to an outfit to Whole Foods!
Both my parents are teachers in different school systems. Just by pure chance, they both received almost the same gift from their students one year, and those presents are definitely my parents’ favorites! They were each given little boxes (Mom’s is a paper mache box, Dad’s is wooden) filled with notes and handmade cards from their students. Dad’s box has a small engraved plate on the top that says something like “To our favorite teacher, Mr. XXXX, class of ’02.” Mom’s box has a piece of decoupaged paper on the inside top with a similar message. Both parents proudly display their note-filled gift boxes on the mantle piece and love to show them off whenever guests ask about them.
GIFT CARDS!! I come from a long line of teachers, both male and female, and it’s the one thing they can always agree on. You (or your kid) can make a thank you card. It’s always a crowd pleaser.
Hi
As a teacher, receiving something personal is thoughtful, but getting a gift card or gift certificate to a teacher store, in 3-D or online, is useful as well since school districts are cutting spending, I often have to spend my own money there as well.
As a teacher I make my wishes known to my students. Maybe tacky but then I avoid the scented candles, mugs and soap. I let them know I have many blessings in my life- including them and then I ask that they make a donation to a charity of their choice or to one on my list like the local food bank, Christmas angels etc in my name… I tell them I have enough “stuff” and that others need the help more. I also tell them I LOVE handmade cards from them. Their words as others have pointed out truly are more meaningful!
Mary, I love these tips. It is so great hearing the real truth from a teacher. Thank you!!
As a consultant for Tastefully Simple I have learned that there are some wonderful food gifts you can give someone. One I love to give at the end of the year are Drink Buckets with a little note saying it’s time to kick back and put their feet up and enjoy the summer. We also have a male teacher this year so I think I may go more with an assortment of grill ready products for him with the little recipe book that Tastefully Simple has this year with Best Dressed Burger idea’s as the card. I think he will love it, and I know the other teachers we have this year will love the drink buckets too. :)
As a teacher I love to recieve homemade things from my students such as cards and clay creations.