Christmas Gift Ideas - Jasper,GA

I have to disagree about the baked goods thing. I LOVE getting candy or cookies that I can use for my family and friends when they come over.

A small gift card is always nice.

A gift for the classroom is a great idea, too. A few puzzles, books, crayons, etc. would be very welcomed by me at this time of year since I but a ton of supplies on my own and by this time of year they are running low.

Nothing tops gift cards. If you can't afford a lot then do Starbucks. I always present them nicely...usually in a dollar store mug filled with candy or in a tin.

My husband is a high school teacher so it's rare for him to get gifts from parents, but homemade or thoughtful gifts are always a hit. A letter or photo he always keeps. A jar of homemade jam or salsa is wonderful. Gift cards are always appreciated, any store or restaurant, doesn't matter. Practical things are always fun, his students like to give him Mt Dew & animal crackers as a joke but he loves it.

I like to give the teacher something she can use for herself. I usually give a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble, since I figure most teachers probably like to read. If she doesn't, she can use it on books for the classroom.

If you do want to give something for the classroom, I sell dozens of educational toys and games through Discovery Toys. My son's preschool teacher recently bought Measure Up Shovels, the Stone Soup board game, and the book Nothing Like a Puffin. In the past, she has bought Giant Pegboard, Measure Up Cups, Marbleworks, Color Clowns, and Place & Trace. You can view these, and many more, at http://www.discoverytoys.com/karenchao If you order now, they are guaranteed to arrive before Christmas.

I agree that a gift card is nice for a teacher. Why does everyone say Starbucks? I think it's a horrible choice unless you know for a fact that they are coffee drinkers.

Some ideas...
supplies or books for the classroom
a handwritten note showing your appreciation
homemade baked goods - even if the teacher is on a restricted diet, she can share with family and friends, afterall teachers probably don't have a lot of time to bake

I agree about the stuff for the classroom. These days teachers are having to spend more and more of their own money due to budget cuts. Times have changed sooooo much since I was a kid, I remember every Christmas growing up my teachers (all female) were given something from my mom's Avon catalog. LOL.

I also like the idea of a larger gift from a group of parents, if there's a PTA at the school or something like that, maybe all the parents can chip in for one big gift.

My older daughters' school had an Alabama candle fundraiser this past fall so I purchased candles for my younger daughters' three preschool teachers at that time =)

we always go with the very impersonal Target gift card attached to a very personal card drawn by the kids....the teachers can always use $'s for the classroom and they love seeing the homemade cards.

A handwritten note to the teacher and the teacher's administrator explaining what is special about this teacher.

I've been buying one nice Wiltson cookie cutter for around $4.

My child's teachers will be getting a gift card to Barnes & Noble. They can buy stuff for the class, coffee/danish, toys for their kids, or just the latest bestseller for themselves...their choice...

Visa or Mastercard gift cards are great since they can be used anywhere for anything. I have no idea why everyone likes to give Starbucks and Bath and Body Works. I can't stand either of those.

$15 gift card to Starbucks.

A nice vanilla scented candle
A Starbucks gift card
I don't know about giving one to a teacher but any small very bright LED flashlight is one gift in our house that all of us just love - I have a tiny one I keep in my purse and I use it everywhere.
This little clip on light is amazing!

http://www.amazon.com/2220C-Pelican-Flashlight-Translucen...

See's candy, target gift card. Apple I tunes card

One of the teacher gifts I made was homemade peppermint sugar body scrub. Just did this last night--it took about 1 hour to make 5 jars. Here is the recipe: 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar, 2 1/2 cups mineral oil, 15-20 drops essential peppermint oil, 1-3 drops red food coloring. Mix together the sugar first, then slowly add the mineral oil. Then add the peppermint oil and food coloring. I got the jars at Hobby Lobby. Tried it out myself, and it worked pretty well! Smelled so good I wanted to eat it.

I give cash since I don't particularly care for gift cards myself.

If you read all the similar posts, you will see that teachers don't want individual gifts that say #1 Teacher or that they will feel obligated to display on their desks. 22 kids a year (maybe fewer in pre-K) x 2 gifts a year x 15 years of teaching = too many things that go into yard sales! Same for baked goods.

If you know the teacher well and know her tastes, you can go for nice coffee or wine or chocolates BUT be cautious because if they get 5 tons of this, it goes to waste. Same goes for things like mani/pedi or boutique gift certificates - you have to be sure the teacher likes that.

Many teachers use their own money to buy school supplies not covered by the budget, so office supply and teacher supply stores are good for gift certificates.

Our schools have done 2 things. One is, we organize the parents and collect money from any who wish to participate. People give what they can afford based on their circumstances and the number of kids they have (4 kids means a lot of teachers), and then a group gift is purchased. This can be one big gift card or a basket with a variety of things. The other thing we have is an Educational Foundation to which parents and grandparents and anyone in the community can contribute. The teacher gets a note from the foundation that a donation has been made in her honor by Johnny Smith and family. Then any teacher can apply for a grant from the foundation to implement a program or curriculum addition that is not covered by the budget. This does a lot of things - it puts the money back into the classroom, and it allows ANY teacher to apply. That means that phys ed and music and art teachers can apply for funding, and parents don't have to worry about trying to buy for every teacher who touches their child's life.

If you are in a private pre-K, that foundation idea won't work, but it will if it's a pre-K class in the public schools, as well as going forward.

So for private pre-K, you can also get a gift card for any place that has a variety of gift options. Could be a coffee place that has sandwiches etc., or it could be a department store. I try to support local businesses so I often give a gift card to a small place where she can either buy for herself or buy a gift for someone else that she would have to shell out her own money for. I would say NOT to give a restaurant gift card because the teacher will always have to top that off with her own money - $25 is a generous gift from you, but she and her husband or friend cannot get a full meal for $25, you know?

And put in a note from your child - have the child dictate it so it's REALLY from the kid, and it will make the teacher smile!