Now, a teacher gift is a sign of your appreciation to what a teacher does for your child. "Teachers often don't get paid a lot for the tremendous effort they do each day"... so a teacher's gift is sort of a tip, gratuity or bonus.
Think you're a teacher. You love your job, you love the kids, you love teaching... you're the best teacher there is. Every year there's a load of gifts waiting for you. Some fancy, some expensive, most of it school supplies, apples or owls, because that's what people think are "great teacher gifts!" You are sort of waiting for something good... something one of these kids made him/herself, thinking of you... Perhaps you realized early on that people are going to give you owls, and you like owls, so you collect them.
Now, you come to the class room and see this...
It's extremely flashy, not the least personal and you will find it hard to give the things on it to the kids, because there is "21 boxes of crayons, 14 glue sticks, 12 notebooks, 4 composition books and 10 packs of index cards". You can't use the composition books, because they have been glued to a cardboard piece to be the base. You can't really use the crayons either, because they too have been glued on a tin, so if you try to take them off, they'll rip. Also - the instructions tell you to empty the boxes for weight... so - that's just decoration. You can't use the tins or toilet paper, because those have been hotglued together. There are not enough notebooks for the whole glass, and... frankly, the only thing you can do with this crap is to use it as school supply themed decoration, and who would want this in their home? Or even in the class room or teachers' lounge? To take space and collect dust? Great teacher's gift? Oh dear!
Also... how are you going to deliver this monstrosity? The first one was created for a teachers' meeting of some sort and given to one of the teachers as door prize. She/he then divided the items to his class. I hope there were not more than 12 kids in the class. But - if you are going to let your child give it to the teacher in class...er... talk about show-off. Do you really want your child to be bullied, and for something that is 100% impersonal, and practically useless, and will be remembered as one of the worst things the teacher ever got? And believe me... THAT is how the teacher will see this.
And how do you think the poor kids will feel? Or the kids with parents who don't care?
Oh, this must be the WORST teacher gift ever!
But - I fear a lot of teachers are going to get one... 82 pins and 195 repins... Oh dear.
Go here and read a bit about what really is a great teacher's gift.
I would knit my teacher a pair of socks and add a card my child made him/herself. Or then I'd give a box of cookies, again with a child-made card. Or any of the "canned gifts", naturally with a child-made card.
What would be a truly great idea is Christmas tree ornaments - if the teacher celebrates Christmas. If not, find out what she/he celebrates and let the child create an ornament fit for that holiday. If the teacher celebrates no holidays, make an ornament of his/her initial. Those are always nice.
I really like these woven hearts - if you want, you can fill it with candy, or even school supplies :-D
I like these "pretend stained glass" thingies :-) If you let the child draw the teacher, to be used as the image in the middle, your teacher will love it.
1 comments:
Oh I quite agree. That atrocity might be fine as a centerpiece for a school fundraiser but even them what a waste of supplies!
As far as teacher gifts, that old standby, a handwritten note, or a cookie or even just a thankyou are among the best!
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