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Sparkle (1)
Each year during my childhood, my mom's family would gather on or around Christmas at my grandparents' house. My uncle (a music director in a private school) would bring a large box of gifts he had received from dozens of students. He did this in hopes of pawning them off to my brother and me. We thought we had hit the jackpot; a second Christmas, of sorts, since the gifts ranged from homemade muffins to Godiva chocolates to musical ornaments. It never made sense why my uncle would voluntarily part with such treasures. Looking back with keen teacher eyes, I finally see my uncle's annual holiday dilemma: keep and eat all gifts received whilst combatting indigestion and having a little less closet space than last year, or use what can be used and part with the unnecessary.
Maybe it seems a little cruel that a teacher would give up a gift from a student, but there is only so much room for "World's Best Teacher" coffee mugs in our kitchen cabinets. Speaking from experience, they don't get used for coffee so much as pencil holders or a change jar. Needless to say, I get excited when a parent asks me what I would want as a gift at Christmas. It's an opportunity to reveal what teachers really desire.
"Oooh, Lysol wipes would be great! Maybe some markers and crayons. Really any classroom items would be awesome."
"But Mrs. Wynne, don't you want something more, well, special? It's Christmas, after all."
Well, truth be told (and maybe we're dorks for it), teachers find the replenishment of school supplies pretty darn special. When the economy tanked, so did our budgets for such supplies. Whether a gift shows up somewhere during the holidays or as one of those "just because" donations, teachers are tickled pink over shiny new boxes of Crayolas or handed-down chapter books from the local Goodwill.
So if you're a parent, guardian, or mentor of a student and you find yourself wondering what kind of gift your child's teacher would want, here are some suggestions and general guidelines to help ease that gift-giving stress.
General parameters:
- Never, EVER spend a ton of money on a gift! There is no reason why the dollars spent on a teacher gift should come before paying the bills or buying groceries. We would rather do without a gift if it would only cause a financial burden.
- If gift-giving just isn't your thing, but you really want to show your child's teacher you appreciate their hard work, volunteer in the classroom or offer to participate in your school's mentor program.
- If Christmas is a holiday your family doesn't celebrate, don't feel obligated to buy a gift simply because the teacher celebrates it.
- Check to see if your school displays teachers' "wish lists" in a common area or via newsletter. You can also check with the PTA/PTO. They might offer a few ideas.
