Guess this: We trust our teachers with the education and well-being of our children for most of their day, every day. We know that educators have a great influence on the growth and development of our children. We know that teachers are undercompensated and overworked. We know that education is a labor of love, and that a truly amazing teacher can positively change our children’s lives… In short, teachers are totally amazing, so why do we think a $5 Christmas tchotchke Tree Shop is an appropriate gift? way to show our appreciation?
I don’t actually have kids, but I do have several friends who are teachers, and I’ve seen some staggeringly awful things duly taken home in brightly colored gift bags. Seriously people, FACE IT WITH THE APPLE STUFF! (or anything that says teacher #1 or has a school bus).
1. The best gifts are personal, they don’t even have to cost money. Masters don’t expect fancy swag, but they do like knowing they are recognized and appreciated. A homemade card and sincere sentiment from you and/or your child (preferably both) is sure to win a sno balloon in a bargain bin any day. However, if you can wrap your sentiment around a nice gift… well then, all the better.
2. Gift cards/certificates! Chances are you don’t know where your teacher likes to shop or what he does in his spare time, so generic gift cards from banks, Target, Starbucks, or mall gift cards are pretty safe. A gift certificate to a local day spa or a good local restaurant is also appropriate. *NOTE* this does not mean APPLEBEES! It means locally owned, a bit on the upscale side, and with amazing food. Also, the amount should be enough for a full meal. For gift cards in general, if you can’t afford to give a reasonable amount, then don’t go down this route. Just stick with the nice card option as detailed above.
3 things! So if you want to give a concrete “something small”, that’s fine. Just stay away from the Apple/professor-oriented crap (because that’s where you’ll inevitably end up), and try to get something that’s attractive, useful, and of good quality. Some ideas that won’t decimate your budget:
– A really nice (and possibly eco-friendly) travel mug.
– A cute and novel flash drive.
– A set of beautiful stationery or blank cards (I’m talking about typography here, not a golden crown).
– A nice and sturdy reusable bag (teachers always have a lot to carry!).
– Or build a collection with the other parents and purchase a major item, like tickets to a professional sports game, a high-value gift card, or something designed specifically to fit your favorite teacher.
Not wildly innovative, but definitely less likely to end up at Goodwill.
4. Traps! Besides not buying junk, there are a couple of other things to avoid in the world of classy teacher gifts:
– A gift to the classroom is not a gift to the teacher. If you want to treat the classroom with something nice, do it separately. Give the teacher something for him/her. You wouldn’t give your housekeeper Windex as a holiday gift (would you?).
– Food is a slippery slope. Anything low fat, low calorie, or diet seems insulting. Anything high in fat or decadent is unhealthy (and is likely compounded by the saturated fat-laden food giveaways from at least 10 other parents). Aim for something in the middle. I think they’re tacky, but those edible arrangements seem popular, or maybe just some beautiful foil-wrapped fruit from Harry & David? Or, if you must give candy, let it be the best candy available. Unless they are diabetic or allergic to chocolate, Godiva is usually a no-fail situation.
At the end of the day, teacher gifts are optional, not required. If you can’t muster anything genuinely nice or thoughtful to say or give to your child’s teacher (let’s face it, they’re not all gems), then skip it altogether. Most likely they don’t even notice.