Hey, Teachers!

**mtomm**[$] · #1 11-11-2004, 11:10 AM

So tell me, what Christmas gifts do you really like to get from your students and what do you really hate?

Time to sound off here:

**Prepoia**[$] · #2 11-11-2004, 12:41 PM

I love gift certificates to anywhere. But, not to sound corny, I really appreciate any gift that the student and/or parent have decided to give me. I get all mushy around Christmas

ms_n · #3 11-11-2004, 02:21 PM

I actually prefer not to receive gifts while appreciating the gesture. What a weirdo, eh? Anyway, gift certificates sound perfect. I did get a teacher bag with my name embroidered on it one year and used that till it fell apart. But, it's true as Sandy said, whatever you get doesn't matter. At Christmas we're just mushballs.

frazzledspice · #4 11-11-2004, 02:32 PM

I like gift certificates.

I also like to give gift certificates to my children's teachers.

When my sons were in elementary school, the class mothers took up a collection to get one big gift certificate, and that's probably even better. When I taught music in nursery school, I'd get big gift certificates from individual classes as well as some individual gifts.

Of course, if you have several children and a number of teachers, coaches, etc. to give presents, too, it will be difficult to buy a GC in anything other than a small denomination. I have sometimes given $5 "bucks" to the nicest coffee house in town or $10 GC's to bookstores.

About two years ago, I went to Books a Million to get gift certificates for 7 classroom teachers and assorted activity directors. They had changed their minimum GC denomination to $25, which was over my budget.

It's good for stores to offer smaller value GC's, too.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #5 11-11-2004, 03:25 PM

I can say that we can go two weeks in my house without doing any dishes and still drink coffee out of ceramic mugs in the morning. Both of us. 14 days. Probably 16 if we had to.

mj
wife of male teacher

**mtomm**[$] · #6 11-11-2004, 04:07 PM

Heh. I've never given mugs!

I am taking the GC idea very seriously.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #7 11-11-2004, 05:16 PM

Hubby sez for a guy teacher, a nice tie (if he's a shirt-and-tie guy) or a belt, but gift certificates are "perfect," preferably for a large department store or a bookstore. He wouldn't want a gift certificate for a classroom supply store ("Great. For Christmas, I get to go get more stuff for the classroom. Yuck.").

**mtomm**[$] · #8 11-11-2004, 06:04 PM

Yuck, I wouldn't want a GC to a school supply store either! We do have to purchase for a guy.

**jgibson2**[$] · #9 11-11-2004, 09:09 PM

I used to make Christmas ornaments for teachers - not that we have many any more. The teachers always seemed glad not to get another mug and I've done some pretty creative things. I always painted the year in tiny gold numbers somewhere on the ornament.

For Matthew's religious ed teacher, we give a small gift -- like an ornament -- Christmas, but at the end of the year, we always get a gift certificate she (always been she, so far) can use to go out for a meal with her family. We get it from the place we go out to breakfast every Sunday morning while he's in class. We all go to Mass together, then he goes to class and we go out to eat. Seems fair.

jenninca · #10 11-12-2004, 07:51 AM

Half of my Christmas tree will be decorated in ornaments from former students.

I have gotten rid of all but maybe two of the dozens of mugs I've received.

I have half a cabinet at school of the seasonal stuffed animals I've gotten over the years.

Most of the candles I get, I end up donating, re-gifting(!), or burning for no reason just to get rid of them.

Please, please, please, no boxes of candy!

I am definitely partial to gift certificates. I don't mind the school supply store ones. I always have to buy stuff, so it is great to spend money other than my own. Any restaurant is great as well. I also enjoy bath products.

Cindy
teacher of seven years (has it really been that long?)

**Prepoia**[$] · #11 11-12-2004, 07:55 AM

Yeah....bath products are great. One student got me a foot care set from Body& Bath and it was great. I think my least favorite gifts are stuffed animals too (although many times it's the kids that choose this one so I try not to think about it.) I too, buy lots of supplies out of pocket (probably about 5 or 6 hundred dollars so I appreciate those certificates as well.

**lynnzop**[$] · #12 11-12-2004, 09:29 AM

Jeremy's asked me to make bracelets for his female teachers, but I've also included a GC to Target after hearing from the teachers on EA that they like GCs.

It's hard when you are a parent and your child sees something knick-knacky, or a mug, or a Christmas ornament and said child really, really wants to get it for the teacher, to say "no" to said child. I'm sure teachers woudn't dream of dissing an "unwanted" gift in front of a kid, but they should keep in mind that a lot of times, it's not necessarily the parent who's picking out Mug#623, but the child, who sees it as a unique expression of their love and respect for the teacher.

But even if Jeremy picks out a mug

, I'll stick an ever-useful GC in it, because you guys said it was a great gift!!

Lynn

**thinkerlady**[$] · #13 11-12-2004, 09:42 PM

Here Here. Let me drink to that. Skip the mugs. I have a variety of plants growing from them. GC's are great. I have gotten movie tickets, restaurant GC's, Book store gc's mall gc's all are great. I too appreciate school store gc's since I always am buying stickers etc.

I have gotten scarves, and gloves, plenty of tote bags. No ornaments. My whole tree is done in ornaments from students, and I have boxes of them that I don't even put out anymore. Last year I got a cute holiday watch. Holiday CD's were popular one year, but again, I have so many, I should set up an E-Bay account. I have had my fill of candles--but picture frames are nice. So are photo albums with nice covers. One family used always give a small gift and a lottery ticket!

I have gotten jewelry pins (I love novelty pins), earrings, bath and body works stuff, nice pens, nail care sets, center pieces, and funny socks.

Stay away from candles, mugs, candy, and candy dishes.

I understand about the kids spotting something for the teacher. And I do believe that if the child really believes that that santa mug is perfect for the teacher, then the child has to get it for him/her. Right now I have one of those gaudy santa mugs sitting on my computer stand, holding quarters. I find use for them, somehow, some way. This summer many are becoming plant holders on the deck. I have a really unique idea, but that is for another forum.

Oh, and thanks for remembering us teachers!!

jenninca · #14 11-13-2004, 09:25 AM

I agree with Angie - if the kid really thinks it's the right gift, go for it. One of my favorite gifts was received one of the years when I was teaching at the well-to-do Catholic school. I had received handfuls of gift certificates, half a dozen boxes of candy, mountains of knick-knacks, a dozen ornaments, etc. It took three trips to get it all to the car. Stuck in among all this was a small, blue, very-preloved teddy bear with a beanie on his head. No card. I later found out it was from a boy whose mom didn't like me (because I took her job...long story), but he liked me and wanted to give me a gift. :awww:

The kids at this school give dollar store gifts, if they give anything at all. With a couple of exceptions, they are gone.

My worst gift ever was a moded ceramic timer with a chicken on top. It still had the dollar store tag on the bottom. It didn't work. It was from another teacher - who honestly thought she was doing well.

Cindy