I admit it; I’m a sucker for these Amazon Kitchen and Home Sales. There’s always something that I could probably use or that would make an awesome gift. Like a canine DNA test! Or a solar rainbow maker!
Well, okay. Maybe not those things, specifically. (Though if they had a solar doggie DNA test, maybe…. Nah, probably not.)
But how about this set of three Lenox ornaments for just $7.49? It’s eligible for free shipping and the 4-for-3 promotion, which means it has Teacher Gift written aaaaaaaall over it. (Give entire sets, or buy a few and split them up as the perfect finishing touch to another gift, or to go with a nice card.)
Or how about a combo grill and waffle maker with high ratings? (Someone was asking me about waffle makers recently. I like that this one can do double-duty, frankly.) Or the ever-popular breakfast sandwich maker? Or a retro panini grill?
Hey, I’m starting to get hungry….
As a teacher can I just say, PLEASE don’t give Christmas ornaments.. as a Jew is is sorta, well not offensive, but useless. Teachers really appreciate cards, notes, small handmade items – or grown up items; like a bottle of wine, movie tickets, a nice smelling lotion. Each year teachers are over-run with teacher mugs, weird teacher do-hickies bought from the dollar store, or bad chocolate.
I am just speaking from experience, but a note of appreciation from you or your student is FAR more memorable and wanted then another mug that will end up crowding the staff room cabinet until June when the custodian throws them all away.
Don’t want to offend, thanks for listening.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts from the “trenches,” Jo. I have said before (though didn’t mention in this post, and perhaps it bears repeating) that you should never give an ornament to someone unless you’re sure they celebrate Christmas! Obviously an ornament is a poor gift otherwise. 😉
The Lenox ornaments are really very nice, and make fancy package decorations if you don’t want to use them as actual ornaments… hence my suggestion. But your points are well taken, too.
When I was a teacher, my favorite gifts from students and their parents were Starbucks gift certficates and those coffee gift assortments. Considering how little I was paid and how many OT hours I worked, coffee money was much appreciated!
I had my dog’s DNA tested last year. She’s such a mutt, though, that they could only come up with a trace amount of bulldog. But still, it was great fun waiting for the results!
To Jo, Iris or any other teachers:
What about cute, home-made by the students chocolate (nice chocolate, not the stupid disks you buy at a craft store) lollipops in a cutesy Christmas dish? Is that horrible?
No, I think handmade stuff is always great. But most teachers are already swimming in “cutesy” stuff. I say go with the homemade treats and a nice note from your student!
(or a bottle of wine… seriously, teachers need it!)
I will stop talking now 🙂
As a first grade teacher, I’ll go for the solar rainbow maker! (I am not suggesting people spend this much on teacher gifts, but if you are looking for a classroom gift, what k-2 teacher wouldn’t love a room full of rainbows?) Okay, I can’t even tell if I am being sarcastic or not…
Another teacher speaking — it really is the thought that counts. I have many gift ornaments on my tree; not all are apples or teacher-related. Students often give me Green Bay Packer ornaments. Yes, they know me well. 🙂