Gifts for: Teachers and Other School Employees

Whether you're a student or the parent of one, you will probably find it appropriate to give teachers and school employees gifts once in a while. Right off the bat, the first thing you should do is check your school's policy: some may not allow gifts above a certain monetary amount, or ban homemade food, or not allow gifts at all. 

With that in mind...

HOMEMADE

A caution here: the teacher or other school employee likely has many students. If every student gives the bus driver a knitted scarf, it's going to be difficult for the driver to use the few dozen scarves. Before you craft something, consider whether your recipient will be able to appreciate your effort. Smaller, consumable gifts are safest. If policy allows, food, especially food that can be frozen and enjoyed when the recipient feels it's best, is a great choice. Cookies, bread, homegrown vegetables or flowers; just consider allergies.

That said, I have made non-consumable gifts that were well-received. My oldest child's kindergarten teacher had a classroom mascot, a bee called Super Bee. When it was our turn to have it for an evening, I took some measurements and sewed a superhero cape, which we gave the teacher for Christmas. Later in the year, the teacher had to have surgery and take some time off, and another parent crocheted her a blanket to help keep her comfortable during the recovery (we gave her a gift card to a pizza place that time). I'm not trying to say that you're not allowed to make a present, just that you should be aware that other students are likely to give presents as well. You don't want to overwhelm your recipient.

Common homemade gifts include Christmas ornaments (do check that your recipient celebrates Christmas), accessories like hats and gloves, picture frames, household goods like pillows, hot pads, and throws, and, more often in the case of young students, drawings and notes. Smaller objects that might wear out faster, like dishcloths, are a better bet than big ones unless you know the recipient well. On the other hand, if you're giving a gift to someone who interacts with fewer students like a paraeducator or someone less likely to receive gifts like the school librarian, you don't need to be as concerned.

I mentioned notes in the previous paragraph. I have family members who are teachers, and one thing they cherish is notes from students about the positive impacts they've made. And having been a coach and gotten a few of those myself, they are priceless. I still have them almost a decade later, with the framed pictures of the teams--the athletes signed the frames, too.

STOREBOUGHT

Again, be sure you don't overwhelm your recipient. One can only use so many "BEST TEACHER" coffee mugs. A first year teacher, maybe. A twenty-year veteran? Probably less likely.

Teachers I know love gifts they can use in their classrooms. When we moved to a different state in the middle of a school year, I made sure to grab pens and pads of stationery from the souvenir section of a drug store. We gave them to the teacher in the new state just before the holiday break. She used them for sending notes home to parents. We gave one speech therapist stickers, which were used to mark students' progress, and another a ten dollar gift card to Michaels, because she used craft supplies so often.

Speaking of gift cards--they are wonderful for school employees. It's unlikely you know the bus driver well enough to pick up on his favorite colors or the principal well enough to find out her shoe size for knitted socks. But everyone needs to eat, and most employees who do classroom work with students can use funds for stores that sell art and school supplies.

Include a note, even a short one. Most people working in education are doing so because they want to help students, and knowing they've made a positive impact is a great gift.