We meet teachers every day in our retail stores and around this time of year, the conversation of teacher gifts seems to always come up. In the spirit of the last month of school, we want to share some of what we have learned from our teacher customers with you.
First, and foremost, teachers love gifts and the thought behind them. They cherish what they are given by their students and are genuinely grateful that parents would take the time to think of them and appreciate their hard work.
But consider the following - teachers have lots of students, each and every year, and they have a limited capacity to store trinkets and knick-knacks from their students! As such, teachers don't really want mugs, or teacher-themed knick-knacks or anything with apples adorned on them.
So what do they want from their students as gifts? Would you believe us if we said that the number one most desired teacher gift was a hand-written note from students or parents about what the teacher had meant to the student. Nearly every teacher we spoke to mentioned that notes/letters were something they kept, looked at constantly over the years, and truly treasured.
Next to a handwritten note, gift cards are the second most requested gift. Teachers buy almost everything for their classrooms using their own money, so gift cards help stretch their budgets. At Scholar's Choice, we see special teachers spending their own money each day to decorate the classroom to ensure it is engaging and educational or pick out special manipulatives or games with the needs of their students in mind. Scholar's Choice gift cards are a great option.
If you don't like the idea of giving a monetary gift, another great way to show appreciation is to give something to the teacher for his/her classroom. Often times, parent council has wish-lists from teachers for things they would like to add to their classroom. Teachers are always looking for new decoratives to brighten up the classroom and have fun with learning around the room. They might also be looking to add new math or language manipulatives to the classroom for centre activities or to help their students better grasp concepts. They might also be looking for games! The weather is not always cooperative, so games are great for indoor recess, or as a fun class treat!
Another great idea is to purchase a few story books or novels and donate them to the library in the teacher's name. If the student and teacher shared a love for the same book or read a book together throughout the year, perhaps choose this particular title. If this was a year for learning to read, or if your teacher instilled a love of reading in your child, pass on that love to other students through the library! It is also a great way to enrich the library for your child the following year!
Don't forget about daycare providers, childcare workers, Special Ed. teachers, and Resource teachers! They all work tirelessly and deserve recognition at the school year's end. Sometimes the end of the year is muddled because there is no summer vacation for everyone but think about writing a little note or giving a gift card to the centre or provider personally as a token of appreciation.
Also, Scholar's Choice wraps your teacher gifts for free! Come into any retail store, purchase a gift with the help of our learning experts, and get the gift wrapped for free!