Help with teacher appreciation ideas

[missbeth]

This year I'm in charge of Teacher Appreciation week at our school and I'm supposed to send fliers home with the kids the week before with a list of possible gifts for each day.

I've got 4 out of 5 days done, but need something for Thursday. I'm trying to go as clutter free as possible for our teachers, since they get so many of each thing. Every year they've done "bring a fruit" or "bring a bath product" so I'm trying to stay away from that as I've been told it would really be better to leave those out.

So far I have:


MONDAY: Help your teacher get a healthy start for a great week and bring a healthy snack for them!
TUESDAY: Show your teacher how much they mean to you with a handmade card or a flower!
WEDNESDAY: Appreciate all your teacher does by helping stock their supplies, bring an office supply!
THURSDAY:
FRIDAY: May 4th: Kick off a great weekend by bringing your teacher something sweet to munch on!

I have to keep in mind that part of our school's area is lower middle income to lower income so I'm trying to keep things as simple/inexpensive as people want to make them.

Also, I'm struggling with what to have them do for their specials teachers as optional gifts. PE, Art and Music are the specials.

I figured I'd come here and look for ideas first... have you got any?

Thanks in advance!

[surrolena]

Those are pretty much the same things our school does for teacher appreciation week and the other day is to wear your teacher's favorite color. The school supplies day is by far the most appreciated day!

[missbeth]

so far, my ideas are too cluttery... a garden item or plant/seeds to be grateful to them for helping you grow; a summer surprise item to help them have a great summer.... etc

[coco626]

Those are pretty much the same things our school does for teacher appreciation week and the other day is to wear your teacher's favorite color. The school supplies day is by far the most appreciated day!

That's a cute idea!

[meredith]

Thirsty Thursday! Teachers favorite liquor.

[Ladybug6762]

Thirsty Thursday! Teachers favorite liquor.

My husband is a teacher, I think he would love this idea

[Babybug]

Thirsty Thursday! Teachers favorite liquor.

Yep... I was going to suggest wine... it is by far the most appreciated gift of teachers I know. I guess that might be too expensive though... maybe they could pitch in and you could get the wine?

[Mom2Boys]

Thirsty Thursday! Teachers favorite liquor.

I have a lot of teacher friends that would LOVE that one!

[DKmamato3]

Those are pretty much the same things our school does for teacher appreciation week and the other day is to wear your teacher's favorite color. The school supplies day is by far the most appreciated day!

That is a totally cute idea

Thirsty Thursday! Teachers favorite liquor.

[Erinaya]

Or a giftcard to a local coffee shop. We have one less than a block away from the school and I ALWAYS see teachers carrying around cups from there. If everyone brings in like 50 cents or a dollar, could get a decent amount gift card for each teacher.

[surrolena]

Or a giftcard to a local coffee shop. We have one less than a block away from the school and I ALWAYS see teachers carrying around cups from there. If everyone brings in like 50 cents or a dollar, could get a decent amount gift card for each teacher.

I found trying to organize a gift to be impossible last year. Most parents will not spend money on anything for the week except the school supplies because they plan on giving their own gift at the end of the week instead. I found this out the hard way and I was only asking for a ridiculously small amount like you suggested. Also not everyone drinks coffee.

[babymakes2]

As a parent, I appreciated what my son's school did last year. They send reminders home with the kids for each class, and in the newsletters leading up to it, and to the online group, that it was teacher appreciation week. They gave some suggestions, but most of them were simple (a homemade card or picture, etc), and throughout the week, not necessarily on every day. Also, each class was able to cater to their own teacher which was nice.

This made it easy... parents and kids could choose for themselves. I love to cook and bake so I brought in muffins for breakfast a couple of days, some trail mix one day, and a dessert one day. My son did an art project for each of his 3 teachers and gave it to them on Friday. I made a coffee run for them one morning and came back with coffee and gift cards. It was nice choosing for ourselves, but I am sure some parents would appreciate having specific instructions, too.

That said, I love the idea of wearing your teachers favorite color. And, all teachers I know love getting needed supplies or gift cards to teacher supply stores, so if there was a way to make that happen on more than one day, I am sure it would be appreciated.

For the specials... maybe each class could make a "group" card where each child can sign it so they don't get thousands of things?

[missbeth]

I like the wear your teacher's favorite color day.

Maybe I could go with a healthy snack for PE teacher, an art supply for the art teacher, and I'm not sure what for the music teacher... a treat or snack that goes with a song you like? (Hot cross buns- sticky buns, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star- star shaped cookies, etc)

ETA I just realized this means the specials teachers could potentially get 460 snacks... ummm maybe not. handmade cards might do best. lol

[sillymommy]

We have only been to one school that did this, I wish it was done more often. I don't remember what all the themes were but I remember all the kids bringing the teachers candles. My son's teacher was soo funny, she lit everyone one of them and turned out the lights. That was my son's first year of school and he still remembers it.

[missbeth]

We have only been to one school that did this, I wish it was done more often. I don't remember what all the themes were but I remember all the kids bringing the teachers candles. My son's teacher was soo funny, she lit everyone one of them and turned out the lights. That was my son's first year of school and he still remembers it.

There are so many teachers who do NOT want candles or bath products at ALL so I decided to nix the smelly stuff haha... but they did it the last two years.

[Mom2Boys]

There are so many teachers who do NOT want candles or bath products at ALL so I decided to nix the smelly stuff haha... but they did it the last two years.

My husband's ex-wife was a teacher (I say "was" because she passed away a couple of years ago). When my kids started school, I called her for gift ideas for the teachers.

Her response: "For the love of GOD, Susan - no apples, coffee mugs, candles or bath products PLEASE! Gift cards, school supplies or homemade cards are what I love to get."

[2boys1princess]

My husband's ex-wife was a teacher (I say "was" because she passed away a couple of years ago). When my kids started school, I called her for gift ideas for the teachers.

Her response: "For the love of GOD, Susan - no apples, coffee mugs, candles or bath products PLEASE! Gift cards, school supplies or homemade cards are what I love to get."

I think almost all teachers, would agree! My MIL, brother, SIL and a handfull of very close friends are teachers and I have heard them all say the very same thing!

[SweetMama]

Those are pretty much the same things our school does for teacher appreciation week and the other day is to wear your teacher's favorite color. The school supplies day is by far the most appreciated day!

The color idea is cute. I'd love to see all my students in purple!

School supplies would definitely rock.

I remember one year when my big girl was in 2nd or 3rd and we were particularly broke at the time, one day was to bring in a single flower of any kind. We picked a pretty one on the way to school (not from someone's garden). The room mom had one large and one small vase all ready and set up for the flowers. It was very cute to see all the random flowers.

Personally, as a high school teacher, it would be nice if I were even acknowledged by a parent at any time other than when their child is having issues.

[sillymommy]

Well, crap ya'll thanks for telling me about the candles now. I give yankee candles every year as gifts to say thank you for putting up with my heathens all year. It gives me an excuss to eat at the cracker barrell.

[sillymommy]

oh I forgot, my teacher friends are always saying they are too scared to eat goodies children bring them that are home made. (I can't really say that I blame them lol)