Comments on: Holiday Gift Ideas for Teachers and Caregivers

By: Chris Clark

Chris Clark — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:05:58 +0000

As a former high school teacher, I didn’t normally receive much in the way of holiday gifts from my students but, I know some kindergarten teachers that have boxes and boxes of stuff.
Gift cards to bookstores or teacher stores or even a fast food place near school are good. I think a bookmark or picture made by the students would be very nice. A letter from student to teacher saying thank you or stating something they have learned (some of my high school kids did this and it was great). A nice box of chocolates or an ornament would be good.

Some things to avoid… unless you know your child’s teacher well, resist the urge to give homemade food items as gifts. As a high school teacher I had pretty limited contact with my student’s parents. Not knowing what the state of the kitchen at home was, I always felt uncomfortable with homemade food gifts unfortunately.

As a child my Mom always bought a nice box of gourmet candy and a christmas ornament for my teachers. In the 7th grade, my teacher was forever breaking chalk and upset when she got too much chalk on her hands and therefore on her clothes. I suggested to my Mom that we buy her a chalk holder to keep her hands clean and it was a big hit.

And an elementary teacher might also appreciate a nice hardcover story book as most teachers have a large classroom library because they bought a lot of book themselves.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:08:30 +0000

If the teacher is doing a good job, a letter to him/her copied to HR.

I recommend avoiding food and scented things. Honestly they are often thrown away before teachers leave for the holidays.

By: Jamie Ervin

Jamie Ervin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:02:21 +0000

@Elle- Very nicely said. One year when we were especially tight on funds the kids made their Teachers bookmarks with art and their photograph on it.

By: Elle

Elle — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:44:46 +0000

As a teacher, I like hugs! Presents are not necessary, as I know how many families quietly suffer in poverty. A handdrawn card or pictures is always nice, too

By: Marsha

Marsha — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:11:58 +0000

Charity donations are a great idea IF you know what charities and causes the recipient supports. Donating based on your own preferences makes assumptions about what the recipient believes in.
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If you make a donation in someone’s name to an organization that person doesn’t like, you may end up offending him or her. A donation to an organization with a religious affiliation (not matter how worthwhile the work it does), for example, may not be appreciated by someone who holds different religious beliefs. Similarly some animal-rights supports may not want money donated in their name to the United Way, which gives money to organizations the engage in animal testing.
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Ultimately, a gift is intended to please the recipient (not the giver). For that reason, I think that charitable donation gifts–no matter how great the cause–are not good gifts unless you know for sure that it’s something the recipient would want.

By: Tara

Tara — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:26:46 +0000

I like the charity donation idea. My dad volunteers for The Arms of Jesus in Guatemala. I’m sure my daughter’s teacher would appreciate a donation in her name to the school there. I’ll have to look into that. Thanks for the early reminder.

By: Marsha

Marsha — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:34:11 +0000

Other ideas:
–Handknit washcloth (paired with handmade/local soap). This takes a lot less time to knit than a scarf, and because washcloths are made out of (inexpensive) cotton yarn, you don’t have to worry about fiber allergies.
–Bulb forcing “kit.” This is what we’re doing for my daughter’s five teachers this year (she’s in a Montessori program). Each one will get a paperwhite bulb and a collection of river rocks, along with drawn/written instructions for how to force the bulb in their own jar/glass/vase at home. I like this gift idea because it doesn’t contribute to the glut of candy/cookies/food people get at gifts during this time of year, and it’s pretty minimalist and doesn’t create clutter in the recipient’s home. Plus when it’s freezing outside in February or so when the bulb flowers, it’s nice to get a little touch of spring!