1. Teachers have more coffee mugs and candles than they know what to do with.
2. Don't give things that collect dust.
3. If it's appropriate (you're 100% positive that your child's teacher celebrates Christmas) an ornament is a really great gift. Every year the teacher will enjoy it and think of your child, which will hopefully offer constant, happy associations because your child is so angelic in school.
4. Gift certificates (GC) are greatly appreciated ($20 or whatever you can afford.)
• GC for places like Staples are really good because the teacher can get things for the classroom (which doesn't sound like much of a gift to me, but at least she/he doesn't have to pay for it)
• Restaurant certificates are also good, although they have less educational value to your child.
• Barnes and Nobles or Borders GC seem to be the best options based on rigorous data collection from the list serve (which means "kind of / seems like a good idea)
• If your child has a main teacher and teacher assistants like OS does, it seems to be more common to give the main teacher a larger gift certificate than the assistants. Some parents will give them the same amount. Do what you feel is right.
5. If you can make something homemade like a French Memo board (which I actually know how to do!) or something else crafty or that tastes good you are golden.
6. Make sure to include a homemade card.
7. The most important thing is a personal message expressing gratitude. This can be done either in person by taking a few minutes to express this or in writing through the above mentioned homemade card. Either way a gift isn't necessary.
8. If there is someone else that your child mentions frequently like a gym teacher etc, you should ask your child if they would like to make that person a card/get them a small gift.
9. Check out your child's school to see if there's a classroom/school wish list. Apparently if you donate to this you are "covered" and need not get a teacher gift.
10. Hope that the room parents organize a class gift/gift certificate. Highly important: if you are organizing this, you ask each parent to contribute what they feel comfortable with and not a specific amount like for example $5 per student.
11. If you are a homeroom parent and want to do a class gift, any letters or phone calls should be made well in advance, so not for example on December 14th, because many parents will have already bought a gift for the teacher (note: I am not one of these parents.)

Labels: Preschool