What are you getting the teachers this Christmas?

[Aliceacc]

Someone here on the Dis alerted me on Labor Day. These http://www.verabradley.com/product/...defaultColor/Suzani/p/154832.uts?fromSearch=1 were $11. So I bought 8 of them.

Then I realized I was still short 3 gifts, so I got these: http://www.verabradley.com/product/...Color/Lemon+Parfait/p/154875.uts?fromSearch=1

What are you getting for the teachers of your kids?

My older 2, like most of the middle schoolers in my own school, no longer bring in Christmas gifts for their teachers.

 

[luvmy3]

Someone here on the Dis alerted me on Labor Day. These http://www.verabradley.com/product/...defaultColor/Suzani/p/154832.uts?fromSearch=1 were $11. So I bought 8 of them.

Then I realized I was still short 3 gifts, so I got these: http://www.verabradley.com/product/...Color/Lemon+Parfait/p/154875.uts?fromSearch=1

What are you getting for the teachers of your kids?

My older 2, like most of the middle schoolers in my own school, no longer bring in Christmas gifts for their teachers.

You have 2 kids that don't bring in gifts and you still had to buy 11 gifts. How many kids do you have?

I am getting my ds's teachers (2 in the classroom) GCs. I have learned through the DIS not to buy any candles, soaps or lotions and absolutely nothing apple themed. I think GCs are as safe as you can get.

In the past I have purchased small totes from Land's End and filled them with classroom goodies.

 

[daisyduck123]

I am getting my ds's teachers (2 in the classroom) GCs. I have learned through the DIS not to buy any candles, soaps or lotions and absolutely nothing apple themed. I think GCs are as safe as you can get.

Your DS's teachers will greatly appreciate the gift cards. Btw, everything you listed (you forgot picture frames & ornaments) ends up in my annual spring yard sale. I can't even regift the stuff to my sister, MIL, or SIL....they've had enough of the stuff as well!

(First grade teacher for over 20 years now)

And to the OP....the wristlets are very pretty!

 

[MAD4EEYORE]

I got my DD's teacher this and it's still on sale.
http://www.verabradley.com/product/...English+Meadow/pc/639/c/0/sc/803/p/1001490.ut

I want to fill it but not sure with what. I was thinking BBW or maybe some Christmas goodies or snacks. Any Ideas? She REALLY likes this teacher. She has been great.

I love the all in one wristlet. It's the perfect gift for anyone. At those prices you could throw in a gift card and be done. To bad I missed it.

 

[richmond282]

I got my DD's teacher this and it's still on sale.
http://www.verabradley.com/product/...English+Meadow/pc/639/c/0/sc/803/p/1001490.ut

I want to fill it but not sure with what. I was thinking BBW or maybe some Christmas goodies or snacks. Any Ideas? She REALLY likes this teacher. She has been great.

I love the all in one wristlet. It's the perfect gift for anyone. At those prices you could throw in a gift card and be done. To bad I missed it.

That link doesn't work.

 

[4under4]

I do GCs, but try to be a bit creative in the delivery.

One year I got a package of the nice disposable coffee cups with lids. I made some homemade hot chocolate mix and put it in the cup. Added the lid, and tied on instructions, a candy cane, and a GC for the local bakery. These were handed out to all their teachers & other involved staff [principal, office secretary, music, art, recess aides, etc.] For their homeroom teachers, I gave an extra GC for a store (I think it was target).

 

[mjantz]

I'm probably giving my DDs teachers (DS is in Jr High & last year when I suggested teacher gifts he rolled his eyes) 'Looking at Christmas Lights' kits. Reusable bag, fleece throw, CD from Dollar Tree with Christmas music, box of hot chocolate & a pkg of microwave popcorn. I've done them for the past 2 years & they've been a big hit.
If not that it will probably be metal bookmarks I got from Mardel for 90% off or books for the classroom library. I'm hoping to volunteer at our Scholastic Warehouse Sale & earn some free books for Christmas gifts.

 

[MAD4EEYORE]

Lets try this again
http://www.verabradley.com/product/...nglish+Meadow/pc/639/c/0/sc/803/p/1001490.uts

 

[aprilfoolwed]

I am giving school supplies/classroom supplies to my kids' teachers. Reams of paper, dry erase markers, Lysol wipes etc. I stocked up during the BTS sales this fall.

 

[mbf]

I got in on the free teacher gift set from Penzey's last week so I am hoping that will actually come through and not get cancelled. I will give that to DS first grade teacher along with a Walmart GC I think.

Youngest DD (and middle child) is a senior in HS this year so no school teacher gifts but she has a new ballet teacher this year who is really going above and beyond to help DD get into a good college for dance. I don't know much about this woman or her personal likes so buying a gift is going to be tricky (even a GC). I don't think she divulges much about her personal life so aside from knowing she has young children I don't have many more clues.

 

[MomToOne]

$100 on teacher gifts - and that's just one child?

Our room parent coordinates a group giftcard. I usually just contribute $20 towards that. And that is just for her main teacher, we do not do anything for the other side teachers (P.E., Performing Arts, Spanish and now Music).

 

[EMom]

DD missed the Christmas party last year, so I didn't see the gift opening first hand, but we did get thank you notes. She had multiple teachers. Anyway, the school made a rule a few years ago that you couldn't give more than a $50 to a teacher (or a $50 gift) for Christmas. Of course, you can gift them again on their birthday and the end of school......

Anyway, it seems most people just sent in money for a group gift. Some years that winds up being a paltry sum and some years it's pretty hefty. Last year must have been a good year for teachers. When I was reading the thank you note, DH asked me, "So what did we get the teachers?" And I answered, "Among other things, it appears they got jewelry from Tiffany's." He thought I was joking, but I wasn't. The most they could have "legally" collected was about $1400 per teacher and I doubt they got that much, but who knows. I have no idea what that will buy at Tiffany's...can't be much. Maybe someone got a discount?

This year, we're probably going to join the "give money for a group gift" set and it will be interesting to see what happens. There are three groups of teachers. One group is very well liked and has a reputation for being the better group of educators. Thank heavens DD got that group. The two other groups......Well, parents aren't happy. Kids being withdrawn from school, etc. If DD had gotten in one of those groups, I'd have homeschooled her this year. Something tells me that the one teacher group is going to haul in massive gifts and the two others......not so much. We'll see.

Let me just say I usually got mugs and homemade fudge when I was a teacher. But that was just fine.

 

[Aliceacc]

You have 2 kids that don't bring in gifts and you still had to buy 11 gifts. How many kids do you have?

I am getting my ds's teachers (2 in the classroom) GCs. I have learned through the DIS not to buy any candles, soaps or lotions and absolutely nothing apple themed. I think GCs are as safe as you can get.

In the past I have purchased small totes from Land's End and filled them with classroom goodies.

My younger daughter has:
3rd grade teacher
morning aide, afternoon aide
pull out speech
pull out reading
the audiologist. (She has Auditory Processing Deficity, hence all the pull outs)

Then all 3 kids have religion teachers-- for some reason my younger daughter has 2 teachers working together.

Of course, after I ordered all those gifts, I was assigned to teach my older daughter's religion class. So we end up with (I think) 2 spare "just in case we need them" gifts. If we don't use them, each of the grandmothers get a wristlet in their stockings.

I teach high school, where Christmas gifts are pretty rare. But my 2 most favorite gifts (other than the home made goodies and the wonderful notes) have been a Vera Bradley portfolio (last year) and one of their keychain/wallets.

 

[torinsmom]

My son is a senior, but yes, he rolls his eyes if I ask him to give his teachers a card. I just take them up to the school and leave them with the secretary. I figure that middle/high school teachers deal with a lot and can use a gift card as much as me(I teach PreK/K).

 

[pklein09]

I've got 4 kids, and I'm grateful that only 1 is still in grade school. I buy for his teacher and the art and music teachers. I usually buy notecards for Christmas and hand soap (from BBW) and a tea towel for the end of the year. I buy the soaps when they're on sale and I buy a bundle pack of tea towels to keep the price per towel reasonable. I try to keep it under $5 per teacher, and I try to make the gift "usable."

 

[Pigeon]

Our school system discourages gifts for teachers. There is a local charity that aids children who are burn victims and another that aids the families of kids who have cancer. Both were set up as the result of children in the district who suffered from these situations. The school suggests that families who wish to give gifts to the teachers consider these charities (or any other charity instead). Every teacher I've encountered loves this idea.

We usually make a donation to the charities in the teachers' names and give the teacher a token gift card to Target.

 

[Swimalie]

My son's main teacher is Jewish so I will be giving her a Chanukah gift. I bake some breakfast bread and will give it to her on a decorative plate. I give her supplies throughout the year so I don't save them for Dec.

As the room mom, I will also collect money for a gift card. Maybe I'll buy a menorah and hang 8 gift cards on there How does that sound? I'm going by the idea of a gift card Christmas tree that others have done.

 

[sukhakuli]

I usually make soap in the fall, and then give them some handmade soap. The kids help, and so they are really proud to say that they made it, and I think the teachers like it.

 

[tlh0726]

Last year, I made up gift bags filled with pumpkin roll, choc fudge, peanut butter fudge, a several different type of cookies, and attached a door knob bell hanger to the handle.
I only did my kids immediate teachers.
I knew them from way back, so no issues about eating something made by someone.

I made dough up ahead of time and froze it in balls so all I needed to do was bake it.
Froze the pumpkin rolls when I made them up for us at Thanksgiving.
And fudge freezes well too!

 

[JennyKS]

I noticed on a field trip that my daughters teacher had an iphone so I am giving her a itunes gift card.