Today is all about teachers and what they consider - after a LONG, hard, year of work - to be ideal gifts/gestures of appreciation. Before I simply open the floor up to our loyal readers and visitors, let me add another dimension to our Free For All...
Before I got married, I always strived to be the most "creative" gift giver. That meant that I thought I was too creative to defer to the couple's registry. The registry, in my mind, was for lazy people who lacked any imagination. Then I got married. I came to appreciate - with every ounce of my being - the "experienced" people who in their infinite wisdom knew that a place setting of china would ultimately be more appreciated than his and her watches bearing each other's names. The truth is, neither of us has much occasion to wear our watches, but each time we set our dining room table we have cause to think about the thoughtful people who chipped in and helped purchase the place settings included in so many of our family celebrations.
My point... sometimes practical has its place. The handful of teachers and educators with whom I have spoken in the past three or four days have all suggested they appreciate receiving gift cards. Teachers, as we know, do not make a lot of money so the ability to shop for something they've eyed but couldn't afford, is actually a thoughtful gesture. So, gift cards should not be considered an impersonal, thoughtless, cop-out.
What is sure to transform a gift card from simply generous to... generous, thoughtful, and even sentimental is... PACKAGING. So, today our loyal readers and visiting teachers should feel free to comment on EITHER: (1) the gift you've most appreciated receiving, or (2) the best packaging of a gift card.
For those of you who love packaging... have no fear. This will not... I repeat will NOT, be the last time we visit this topic. It is one of my favorites and therefore will be revisited again (and again). To get us going, I am including a photograph our loyal reader Heather sent yesterday. It is a photograph of appreciation gifts she just presented to her daughter's teachers. I am happy to report it is a spin-off (much enhanced) of an idea shared via highlowaha.com. The stick of dynamite contains Hershey's Hugs and Kisses, along with Target gift cards for each teacher. The note on top reads, "Hugs and Kisses to a DYNAMITE group of teachers." Proof that creativity breeds creativity and, that on a good day, creativity can be found right here at this very blog site.
Have at it.
Signing off until tomorrow...
Posts
24 comments:
Claudia, this has absolutely nothing to do with packaging gift cards but I thought I would share....
I went on line and googled directions on making roses out of money.
I collected money from parents and then went to the bank for brand new crisp dollar bills. I made a dozen roses and purchased a beautiful vase and displayed them. I also bought greenery and baby's breathe.
The only problem was that the teacher didn't want to destroy the roses in order to use the money... I believe that she eventually did. There was at least 200 dollars. Roses are pretty but cash is KING!
Maureen,
When are you coming to Texas?
My sons girlfriend bought him a wallet for his graduation and put the gift card in it.
He has a wallet fetish ( this one is a Burberry)!
She's an extravagant gift giver. She attatched a note with a gift card saying "may your future always be RICH". He didn't get it yet but I thought it was a cool way of getting a gift card.
And a wallet for that matter.... Maybe she's a keeper (ha ha )
I never thought about coming to Texas!
Maybe I should :)
WOW never thought of it!
Don't you want to get a pair of purple boots?
Cassie
purple is my favorite color but I never associated it with boots. I could get shot in NY with purple boots LOL unless I went to the Village in NYC....
I think this summer when Allegra comes for her girls week would be a perfect time to come.
Cassie
Hi Claudia
I have been reading the blog since receiving your postcard! Thanks for thinking of me. I have passed it along to lots of friends! Keep up the good work, its great. Denise Yager
So much to comment on!!! First- yes, always buy a couple something off their registry... I hated trying to take back the 5,000 gift frames and trinkets we received.
I love getting gift cards. My family has defaulted to just sending me Starbucks gift cards. You can't go wrong there! And honestly, I purchase everything else I want or need. So, I am a fan of the gift card.
Packaging! I love it. I used to make sure all my presents were wrapped in pretty paper with the ribbons and bows. I was even criticized one time when I was wrapping the present with real ribbon. I wanted to bitch-slap the girl but I didn't. I just politely said, "Well, I think my best friend is worth it."
For Mother's Day this year, I went to the shops on Main Street in Grapevine and picked up funny napkins, post it notes, cups, magnets and just cute little trinkets for my mom. The woman has everything! I wrapped each of the individually with their own ribbons, arranged them in a box and JB and I colored all over the box. He covered the bottom with XOXOXOXOX. It was cute and she had fun opening it all.
Love the TNT, Heather! Very cute!
Oooohhh Cheryl, I love that you know the beauty (and value) of REAL ribbon on packages.
I knew I liked you for a reason.
Since Claudia said that college administrators counted here are my favorite "appreciation" gifts:
-A simple thank you note...nothing lets you know that your work matters more than receiving a hand written thank you note from an 18 year old.
-My family weekend kids (Cassie P included) plotted an awesome gift card idea for me this past year. They noted that we took a ton of pictures of Lily but never professinally and never a family shot. So...they got us a two year photo club membership and a $100 gift card to JC Penny to help with this.
All in all, I think a gift card is the perfect gift if...it is a gift card that is purchased with forethought. My brother always gets my Mom gift cards to places she would never shop...in that situation it makes her feel less appreciated than a just receiving a simple card.
heather, the TNT is cute! :-D
for my brothers' teachers this year, my mom had my brothers paint a ceramic pot with whatever they wanted, and then plant a flower in the pot! it was cute!
I'm a big fan of potted plants as a gift, because it is practical. It is personalized by the pot and the teacher knows exactly what to do with it.
Other notes...
Denise... thanks for tuning in! For everyone who doesn't know Denise, we have a gem in our presence. Not only is she an inspiration to all who want to transform their figures through yoga, but she is also a great cook and forever keeping her boys busy with fun activity. We look forward to any contributions you are willing to make.
Like Susan, I am a big fan of Barnes and Noble gift cards. A few years ago we gave his and her Barnes and Noble gift cards to my in-laws (they are both retired and love to read). At any rate.. Michael's Art Supply store sells cardboard boxes in the shape of a box. I purchased one and had the boys help me decoupage the box. We gave it a fun title (The Adventures of...), put fun text on the binding, and then placed the wrapped gift cards on the inside. Again, it is an attempt to take what might be perceived as impersonal (gift card) and make it more sentimental by personalizing the packaging. In the end, the box is as much of a treat as the gift cards.
I guess I buck the trend here... I always felt that giftcards were like giving cash, only they limit where you can use it. My wife always tells me I'm nuts, so I guess she's right (as usual!) I agree that thank you notes are always nice to receive. I also have a lot of framed photos in my office of groups I have advised, taught, etc. I really enjoy receiving those because they serve as daily reminders of students who otherwise move on.
Cassie,
I was planning on going away for a week just me and my girls . Maybe I will come to Texas. I will let you know and if I do visit all of you in Texas I'm sure we would have a "blast". It just may be a plan....
Mike,
I always said a "real" man knows his wife is "usually" right. My husband gave up thinking he was right just after the honeymoon. We will be married for 19 years in June.... IT WORKS FOR US!!!!
Maureen,
Sounds like you married a very smart man!
As a college administrator, some of the best gifts I've received are hand-written (well thought out) thank you's, because I keep them for my portfolio.
I agree with Mike K. Those photos of me and my student groups always have a special place in my heart.
Nonetheless, when I recently got a $20 gift card to a local bowling alley that I frequent, I was super excited!!
I love wrapping presents!!! Cool paper and nice ribbons are very important. I worked at a Gift wrapping store every Christmas during college and loved it! Imagine all the fun holiday paper in the world and ribbons to help create beautiful packages to put a smile on someone's face.
Claudia introduced me to the tubes from the Container Store and I've used them for different packaging. One time I bought a friend a cute top and rolled it up and put it in a green color tube. I used construction paper to cut out tulips and leaves and made a life size three-dimensional tulip.
One of my colleagues is also very creative with her packaging...she doesn't like to waste paper or ribbon so she always puts the gift in other stuff that can be used. For example, she got me a gift card and put it in a cute hello kitty coin purse. One time we had a baby shower in the office and she bought a couple of cute outfits and got a cute little fun hamper at Target to put all the clothes in.
Target always has cute stuff in their dollar bin that you can use for your packaging.
Since some of my friends are starting to get married...I like to give diaper cakes...practical and fun and the presentation is awesome. I will incorporate toys and outfits in it as well.
I must admit that I love hand-written letters/notes from students, because I don't often get notes with multiple sentences. (The usual pictures with 1-liners are nice as well!)
However, I can mention a few great gifts that teachers enjoy receiving! One of my mentors received her home address with a picture (the 1st letter of their last name) on a stamp for mailing all those personal and professional letters, Christmas cards, Birthday Cards, bills, 1st Day of School Postcards, etc. She loves it and still uses it to this day!
Another gift, as I'm setting up my classroom, I know this would be very useful right now, is another stamp idea- "This Book Belongs To..." with the Teacher's Name. With all these giftcards everyone is buying, you could be sure that the teacher holds onto the books/resources they buy for their classrooms with your gift cards!
I'm with you on loving to give creative gifts but recognize the value behind a registry. I still try to find a theme within the registry and put it together with some creativity. Once I bought wine glass set, a blanket, a wicker basket, a candle set--all from the registry--and added chocolates, wine, and a romantic cd and built a beautiful date night basket. It was a hit!
As for gift cards...I LOVE getting them but hate giving them. Wierd, I know! I feel so impersonal giving them (probably has something to do with my creativity need) but I never feel that way when someone gives one to me.
Now, on the theme...teacher's gifts. As a teacher (1st grade), I have received many great gifts. As many others have said a nice note from parents and/or teachers are always the most heartwarming.
Beyond that, the families I have worked with in most recent years have mostly been pitching in $ and giving me certificates to various places. The great thing is that they always seem to find out something about me and get a cert. to help in that area. I love to scrapbook so one year it was a cert. to a scrapbook store. Last year, my husband and I bought our first house so the cert. was for a home decor store. The idea that it wasn't just any old gift card but one that they knew I could get a lot of use out of was really thoughtful.
I have to say last year I received the most precious gift ever. A young boy filled an empty tissue box with 100s of little notes and pictures to "get me through the summer without them."
Sorry so long!! Hope this helped :)
Claudia, just got home from my GS meeting and they brainstormed 10 things to incorporate into a "writing" patch program. Too long to list but I will email them to you this weekend. They had a lot of fun....
Oh yeah I also made them write the 10 choices on looseleaf paper in script.... This part wasn't their favorite.....
A final thought about thoughtful gifts I have received. There have been many through the years. Notes do rank among the best, especially when presented in a thoughtful way. One student I worked with took it upon herself to gather notes from many students with whom I worked over the years. She presented it to me in a fun box covered with quotes and other meaningful sayings. I loved it.
To elaborate on Mike's photo idea, which I also love... how about decoupaging the frame with words, pictures, and quotes that remind you of the teacher. I have been the lucky recipient of such a frame and it is a prized possession in my office.
Finally, one year a group of students got together and gave me a silver charm bracelet with a single charm on it. Each year after that, and still to this day, students will present me with a meaningful charm to add on.
All fun ideas that I have loved. Signing off. Teachers and educators... thanks for contributing today. Hopefully there's a fun idea or two you can steal or... confirmation that something you've been doing is right on target.
sorry for the late post. i have been MIA on the blog this week as my internet connection has been out. my favorite gift ever (which has been for about a year...since I don't have an actual classroom yet...simply student teaching) has been a book that my class made me. I taught 5th grade reading/writing and my students presented me with some amazing writing pieces bound together about our first semester of school together. It is a nice reminder of how I have touched their lives that will touch mine forever as well.
I know that I am late....but I'm here. I would have to agree with many of you. I don't think teacher appreciation should be about receiving real gifts but more about feeling special from your students. I know that I can get pretty stressed out around testing times and teacher appreciation comes at the right time for my students to remind me with cards or little letters of why they love me as there teacher. Helps me finish the year!! I have asked several teachers at my school and they feel the same way :)
Post a Comment