Excellent Ways to Thank a Teacher

And since I am a teacher, I should know.

We went the easy route with sweetE's preschool teacher. She has taken such good care of him as he struggled to survive the last few weeks of preschool and its resident bully. We gave her a book store gift card. Teachers love books. Teacher love books they get to pick out but don't have to pay for more. She loved it. We also included a card that listed the many ways that she was totally awesome.

I go all elaborate for sweetP's teachers. I came up with this brilliant idea last year (feel free to borrow it as you long as your child is not in my child's class). I choose a day to come to school with sweetP and I stay for the entire school day. It was easier last year with half day kindergarten. I take pictures of the entire day. It is a day in first grade (or whatever grade you are in). I'm not sure when he won't want me to come in and do this, but right now he loves it.

This year I filled my camera up to the brim and had to quick delete a few. But I got the entire day. We walked home and shared how great our day was with Ducky and sweetE. I uploaded the photos to iphoto and got to work making the book. Shameless plug! I love Mac and how easy they make all of this. Drag, drop, caption, next page, etc, done. I created a book that showed all the fun things that happen in one day in first grade. Yesterday, I hit "Buy Book." Now I am just waiting for it to arrive on my doorstep. Then we can take it to school with a lovely note listing all the reasons she is totally awesome (and she is). She can have all the kids sign and have a great keepsake from this year. And it makes a great keepsake for us too, I order two.

I hope he will let me do every grade until he goes to middle school, but you never know when having mom around will become embarrassing.

Other great ways to thank a teacher:
• A card talking about how they made that year special, we actually keep these.
• A gift card to a place you know they appreciate. (Not necessary, but always appreciated.)
• Plants
• Supplies for the classroom. We spend more than most people realize on supplies for kids to use in the classroom. The same supplies that we find at the end of the year buried in their desks all dried up because the cap was off.
• Things that our students make for us. Most of the time.

Contrary to popular belief, we do not need 5 pounds of chocolate. One of my colleagues got that much one year at Valentines day, two pounds from just one student. We also only need so many "World's Greatest Teacher" items. Just give us the card telling us why.

There you go. So much depends on how well you know your child's teacher. I shall step down from my soap box.