Christmas gifts for teachers

[lilles]

I know it is super early but I am trying to plan my holiday budget. DD is in kindergarten  and she has a teacher and two teacher aides. Then she has a PE teacher, a music teacher, a Spanish teacher and an Art teacher. So that would be seven gifts. Do people usually give gifts to all the teachers or the main teacher and the aides? How much would you spend per teacher and what would you get?

[mbcdefg]

My mom is a PE teacher and gets quite a few gifts from her students each Christmas and at the end of the year.

The ones she seems to enjoy most are scratch-off lottery tickets, B&BW Hand soaps in a subtle scent, and gift cards (Target, Dunkin Donuts, Wendy's, gas stations). Also candy, depending on what kind it is.

She gives away a lot of the keepsake-type items, like Christmas ornaments, figurines, and coffee mugs. She gave me a Starbucks card once because she doesn't drink it. And she doesn't buy a ton of school supplies, but if she gets a gift card to a place like Michael's or Staples she'll eventually use it for something, or she'll give it to a colleague who needs supplies for their classroom.

[saywhatnow]

I always do gift cards...that's because I come from a family of teachers and know those are personally their favorite gifts to get.

That's tough with all those teachers though. Our kids both only have two but I hadn't thought about when they have more than that.

[arch01]

Ours are getting Harris Teeter gift cards-they shop there on their way home for wine. I decided bringing in bottles of wine may not be appropriate

In your situation, I'd do the teacher, the aides, and maybe your child's favorite specials teacher. 

[definitelyO]

we only give to the teacher and the teacher aides. We do not give to the PE, music, art, etc.... maybe most people do - but honestly I never have given it a thought - even though they are teachers and don't have a set "class" - DS sees them 1 maybe 2x/week for 45 minutes.    I give GC to Barnes and Noble for his teachers.

DS goes to an after school program - so I will provide something for the Director and others that work there. last year I did a small package with nail polish, $5 starbucks GC and fuzzy socks.

[lilles]

What amount for the gift cards?

[cgpm]

DH is an elementary music teacher and gets a few (way more than me! Lol. I teach high school). Anyway, he gets a lot of food, which we really don't need. Usually lots of gcs to Dunkin Donuts. I think gcs are the way to go but try to get them to places you know they'll like. We don't drink coffee so we end up re-gifting a lot of the ones we get.

[sjh722]

Oct 23, 2013 14:38:51 GMT -5 arch01 said:

Ours are getting Harris Teeter gift cards-they shop there on their way home for wine. I decided bringing in bottles of wine may not be appropriate

My BIL is a teacher and has had more than one student's parents send in a bottle of wine for Christmas. We all thought it was funny that it wouldn't even cross their mind that sending alcohol with a 10-year old and then keeping at school all day might not be the best idea? LOL!

[casarosada]

I would vote small gift cards ($5 for starbucks, etc.) for the Spanish, art, music, etc. teachers or some hot cocoa mix, chocolates or something else small and inexpensive. Sometimes it can be tough being one of those teachers and seeing all the stuff that regular classroom teachers get and not really getting much if anything at all. I'm sure the other teachers would all enjoy something small and would really appreciate it.

[Deleted]

DS has a regular teacher and two other teachers (art and music) that he only sees twice a month each for an hour each time. I will definitely get his regular teacher a gift. We got cute apple shaped sticky notes and I will attach a gift card to either Target or a local sandwich shop that is very popular. I don't think we will get the other teachers anything, though I may change my mind (maybe $5 gift cards or something). They only see DS for 2 hours a month so I don't really feel a huge obligation like I do to his regular teacher.

[dragonfly08]

I just do gifts for the main teacher, and I used to send them for the aide(s) as well when the girls were in preschool and K. Some of my friends do very small gifts for the specials teachers, or maybe just their kids' one or two favorites. Often that's just a mini loaf of quick bread, a baggie of cookies, a hand lotion...nothing major. In my case that's seven specials teachers and we haven't even gotten to the clinic aide and four front office staff (and they do a lot more for *me* than the specials teachers do!).

[gwynnetx]

As a specials teacher, I always appreciate a gift card as a Christmas gift.  I might not have students continuously all year, but I do have them all 6 years they are at the school (assuming they start in kinder and leave after 5th).  And I don't teach 20 kids, I teach 800, and I know all their names.  I promise I'm not complaining, but we are often overlooked in the praise and recognition department, so anytime I get a gift from a kid (and his or her family), it actually does make me feel like someone values what we do.  So to all those parents who send baked goods, gift cards (my personal fav), and other presents to the specials teachers, a heartfelt thank you!  (Especially to that mom who makes the banana nut bread every year.  Good grief, that stuff is amazing!)

[gwynnetx]

Oct 23, 2013 14:38:51 GMT -5 arch01 said:

Ours are getting Harris Teeter gift cards-they shop there on their way home for wine. I decided bringing in bottles of wine may not be appropriate

In your situation, I'd do the teacher, the aides, and maybe your child's favorite specials teacher. 

lol  Don't think we don't notice when you give a gift to one specials teacher and not the others!  

[shell403b]

I vote GCs, however small, for the specials teachers. How about $5 Target/Walmart/Amazon/drugstores/gas/restaurant? And I LOVE getting sticky notes! (Teacher checking in)

[lilles]

Oct 23, 2013 19:23:02 GMT -5 gwynnetx said:

As a specials teacher, I always appreciate a gift card as a Christmas gift.  I might not have students continuously all year, but I do have them all 6 years they are at the school (assuming they start in kinder and leave after 5th).  And I don't teach 20 kids, I teach 800, and I know all their names.  I promise I'm not complaining, but we are often overlooked in the praise and recognition department, so anytime I get a gift from a kid (and his or her family), it actually does make me feel like someone values what we do.  So to all those parents who send baked goods, gift cards (my personal fav), and other presents to the specials teachers, a heartfelt thank you!  (Especially to that mom who makes the banana nut bread every year.  Good grief, that stuff is amazing!)

Do you think a $5 gift card is too little? I am just trying to decide on a decent amount but the fact that there is seven people to give to makes it add up quickly. Do you think the same amount for the aides and the specials teacher and then give the main teacher more and then how much more would be appropriate?

[momabear]

Now I now feel like a bad parent! I have never even thought of gifts for specials teachers. The worst part of that is BIL and SIL are specials teachers. I have 3 kids in the same school with the same specials teachers. Can I do one gift for each teacher? Or do I need to send one in with each kid for every teacher? Ahh... there goes my xmas budget.

[DirtySouth]

I do gift cards.  Before my mom retired she worked as a school nurse and would come home at Christmas with a million candles, B&BW stuff, cookies and candy, etc.  She was always really happy to get a gift card, and always had so much of the other stuff that she gave a bunch of it away.

Last year I did a $50 Macys gift card to DS' main teacher (we LOVE her) and then I think $15 restaurant gift certificates to the 5 other teachers who work with DS.

[casarosada]

Oct 24, 2013 10:14:35 GMT -5 lilles said:

Oct 23, 2013 19:23:02 GMT -5 gwynnetx said:

As a specials teacher, I always appreciate a gift card as a Christmas gift.  I might not have students continuously all year, but I do have them all 6 years they are at the school (assuming they start in kinder and leave after 5th).  And I don't teach 20 kids, I teach 800, and I know all their names.  I promise I'm not complaining, but we are often overlooked in the praise and recognition department, so anytime I get a gift from a kid (and his or her family), it actually does make me feel like someone values what we do.  So to all those parents who send baked goods, gift cards (my personal fav), and other presents to the specials teachers, a heartfelt thank you!  (Especially to that mom who makes the banana nut bread every year.  Good grief, that stuff is amazing!)

Do you think a $5 gift card is too little? I am just trying to decide on a decent amount but the fact that there is seven people to give to makes it add up quickly. Do you think the same amount for the aides and the specials teacher and then give the main teacher more and then how much more would be appropriate?

I think a 5$ gift card is just fine. Really, anything is appreciated. Last year I got two $5 gift cards and two cards with a candy bars and it really meant a lot to me.

[lizrd7579]

Oct 24, 2013 10:27:07 GMT -5 momabear said:

Now I now feel like a bad parent! I have never even thought of gifts for specials teachers. The worst part of that is BIL and SIL are specials teachers. I have 3 kids in the same school with the same specials teachers. Can I do one gift for each teacher? Or do I need to send one in with each kid for every teacher? Ahh... there goes my xmas budget.

I think it would be perfectly acceptable to do one gift for each special teacher and put all three kids names on it.  In that case, I might go for a $10 gift card instead of $5, though.

Last year when DD#1 was in preschool, I did a $25 Starbucks gc and mug for her main teacher.  The helpers that were there just at drop off or pickup and the director got cinnamon and sugar pretzels I had made.

[gwynnetx]

Oct 24, 2013 10:14:35 GMT -5 lilles said:

Oct 23, 2013 19:23:02 GMT -5 gwynnetx said:

As a specials teacher, I always appreciate a gift card as a Christmas gift.  I might not have students continuously all year, but I do have them all 6 years they are at the school (assuming they start in kinder and leave after 5th).  And I don't teach 20 kids, I teach 800, and I know all their names.  I promise I'm not complaining, but we are often overlooked in the praise and recognition department, so anytime I get a gift from a kid (and his or her family), it actually does make me feel like someone values what we do.  So to all those parents who send baked goods, gift cards (my personal fav), and other presents to the specials teachers, a heartfelt thank you!  (Especially to that mom who makes the banana nut bread every year.  Good grief, that stuff is amazing!)

Do you think a $5 gift card is too little? I am just trying to decide on a decent amount but the fact that there is seven people to give to makes it add up quickly. Do you think the same amount for the aides and the specials teacher and then give the main teacher more and then how much more would be appropriate?

I think $5 is fine; that's usually what I get.  I don't know about for the main teacher.  That seems to vary.  But really, whatever you give will be appreciated!

[gwynnetx]

Oct 24, 2013 10:27:07 GMT -5 momabear said:

Now I now feel like a bad parent! I have never even thought of gifts for specials teachers. The worst part of that is BIL and SIL are specials teachers. I have 3 kids in the same school with the same specials teachers. Can I do one gift for each teacher? Or do I need to send one in with each kid for every teacher? Ahh... there goes my xmas budget.

When we get gifts from a family that has several children in our school, the family usually just puts all the kids names on the gift.  

[sarahsas]

Oct 23, 2013 19:23:02 GMT -5 gwynnetx said:

As a specials teacher, I always appreciate a gift card as a Christmas gift.  I might not have students continuously all year, but I do have them all 6 years they are at the school (assuming they start in kinder and leave after 5th).  And I don't teach 20 kids, I teach 800, and I know all their names.  I promise I'm not complaining, but we are often overlooked in the praise and recognition department, so anytime I get a gift from a kid (and his or her family), it actually does make me feel like someone values what we do.  So to all those parents who send baked goods, gift cards (my personal fav), and other presents to the specials teachers, a heartfelt thank you!  (Especially to that mom who makes the banana nut bread every year.  Good grief, that stuff is amazing!)

Completely agree with this. Specials teachers have a LOT of kids usually but it just means we have to try harder to get to know them. Every gift is greatly appreciated! I always just get 1 gift from all kids in a family, not different ones from each kid. Even a $5 gift card from 3 kids is appreciated. Nothing is too small.

[mbcdefg]

Oct 24, 2013 10:14:35 GMT -5 lilles said:

Oct 23, 2013 19:23:02 GMT -5 gwynnetx said:

As a specials teacher, I always appreciate a gift card as a Christmas gift.  I might not have students continuously all year, but I do have them all 6 years they are at the school (assuming they start in kinder and leave after 5th).  And I don't teach 20 kids, I teach 800, and I know all their names.  I promise I'm not complaining, but we are often overlooked in the praise and recognition department, so anytime I get a gift from a kid (and his or her family), it actually does make me feel like someone values what we do.  So to all those parents who send baked goods, gift cards (my personal fav), and other presents to the specials teachers, a heartfelt thank you!  (Especially to that mom who makes the banana nut bread every year.  Good grief, that stuff is amazing!)

Do you think a $5 gift card is too little? I am just trying to decide on a decent amount but the fact that there is seven people to give to makes it add up quickly. Do you think the same amount for the aides and the specials teacher and then give the main teacher more and then how much more would be appropriate?

I think $5 is good, especially if it's to something like Dunkin Donuts where that equals a couple cups of coffee.

[DarcyLongfellow]

I'm glad this was posted! I really want to do something for the specials teachers this year. DD loves them, and I didn't even think of this issue last year!