What the Teacher REALLY Wants…
Coffee drinking, label making, pen obsessed, child loving, big-hearted, multi-tasking, organizational wizards… Many of you call them teachers, but those are MY PEOPLE!
School is quickly coming to a close as parents scramble to figure out what to do with their kiddos all summer. Some parents are already counting down the days until school will start again. In these moments of end of year chaos, I encourage everyone to take a moment and think about the amazing people who have loved on your children for 10 months out of the year. And they don’t just love on one at a time! They’re typically loving on over 20 at a time while feeding a child breakfast who didn’t have time to eat at home, putting a band-aid on another, grading papers, collecting money for a field trip, and, oh yeah, teaching that constantly changing curriculum. All while trying to save time for their own families.
There’s no question it is a HARD job, but they all continue to show up each and every day. And we all know it’s not for the fame, glory, or money. As cheesy as it may sound, it really is about the kids: your kids.
I can’t even begin to express how much small tokens of appreciation mean to teachers. A little pick-me-up goes a LONG way! I encourage you to get to know the teachers of your children. Find out their favorite things and surprise them every once in awhile. After polling my teacher friends, I’ve put together a little teacher appreciation cheat sheet just in time for those end of the year gifts!
Coffee: Teachers are fueled by coffee!!! Find out what they drink and pick them one up on the way to school. They also really enjoy gift cards to their favorite coffee spot. However, as much as they love coffee, they probably don’t need another mug.
Buff City: Local soap company, Buff City, ranks pretty high with all the teachers I know. Their soaps, bath bombs, shower oils, and body butters are all amazing. If you aren’t sure what scent to get, Narcissist is their number one selling scent. Don’t let the name scare you off! It’s just a really clean smelling soap. They also have lots of seasonal smells, and every teacher I know loves a good theme.
Dinner: Like most of us, teachers are constantly on the go. A gift card to a restaurant is always an amazing gesture. To them, it means one less thing to worry about. You can find these cute takeout boxes at Michael’s to hide your gift card.
Pedicure: Anything that encourages them to take time for themselves is a win! Pick them up a gift card for a pedicure. I know not all teachers will get manicures, but I know most will take time out for a pedicure.
Box of Sunshine- Perfect for the end of the school year and start of summer! You can use a yellow sand pail from the dollar spot to put together a box of sunshine. You simply fill it with all things yellow. Pinterest is full of free printable tags to cutesy it up. Here are a few ideas: yellow nail polish, EOS makes a yellow chap-stick with sunblock, various candies and snacks with yellow packaging, a yellow candle, and yellow soap. You get the idea!
Summer Survival Kit- End the school year with a kit of all things summer!! You can include everything they need to relax for summer break: a beach towel, magazines, sunblock, chap-stick, snacks, a beach bag, sunglasses, a water-bottle, and flip-flops. Hint: The Target Dollar Spot has a bunch of great summer stuff right now!
[easy-image-collage id=19959]
Knowledge Tree- The start of the school year is the perfect time to pick up a gift certificate to their favorite teacher store. For Memphis teachers, Knowledge Tree is their go-to. Most people don’t realize that teachers pay for their own supplies.
Books- Lots of teachers are huge readers, so a gift card to a bookstore is a nice treat!
Movies- Pick up a gift certificate to Malco and attach it to their favorite box of candy. You can also do gift cards for Redbox as well. Pinterest is full of cute printable tags you can use to write out the codes. The Dollar Store and the Dollar Spot at Target usually have these cute popcorn containers.
Gift Cards- Who doesn’t love being able to treat yourself?!?! Target and Amazon are perfect options. They offer a nice variety with something for everyone.
Words of Affirmation- Every single teacher I know loves to receive handwritten notes from their students and parents. You can’t put a price tag on words from the heart!!
