Okay, I know I said my previous #TeacherLife post was my last one since I’m no longer in a classroom. However, #EducatorLife sounded totally lame, and I still hold a valid single-subject teaching credential until 2021, so the hashtag stays.
The Christmas/Holiday/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/White Anglo Saxon Winter Privilege Night is upon us, and it’s that time of year to thank the teacher in your child’s life for planting the seed of learning, nurturing it’s growth, and hopefully not killing the plant by mid October.
Source
Now, there is no set rule that you have to buy your child’s teacher a gift this Christmas. In fact, if the teacher is the absolute worst and you have no idea who they paid off to get a teaching credential, the only gift they deserve is a pink slip. However, if that teacher went above and beyond for any child, dedicated their time, their energy, and maybe even their finances to create a successful learning environment – that person deserves to be thanked this holiday season.
Source
So, what do teachers want this holiday season? What will put a smile on Ms. or Mr. So and So’s face?
Do: Bring On The Gift Cards
Source
Sure, gift cards can be slightly impersonal for some people, but teachers aren’t just some people.
The average tenured teacher salary is $56,383…BEFORE TAXES. If you don’t think that’s bad, wait for it: teachers annually spend anywhere between $500 to $1000 of their own money on classroom supplies.
A gift card isn’t impersonal for teachers. In fact, it speaks volumes. It’s your way of saying, “Hey, sorry our district and government doesn’t monetarily recognize the significance and impact of your profession, and you’re forced to buy Expo markers for your whiteboard because you may be allocated only one pack per trimester but have a venti peppermint mocha or maybe three on me.”
Don’t: “Gift” Your MLM Business
Source
This is the season of giving, not getting new clients or people to join your “team.”
Before you wrap that sample of the anti-aging serum that promises to smooth fine lines and wrinkles but really causes rashes and ingrown hairs, and add your business card with a personalized note (“Contact me today to finally make your dreams come true!”), let’s put the MLM game on hold this time.
First, many teachers are living their dreams because teaching is their dream, so they’re already #blessed.
Source
Second, don’t give a teacher anti-aging anything. It’s rude and your child is most likely the reason why the worry line is there.
Finally, teachers don’t have time to join your team. They’re too busy making kick-ass curriculum plans, counseling/consoling/caring for anywhere between 35 to 180 students, grading assignments and assessments, going to parent-teacher/faculty/professional development meetings, and being 360 degrees of amazing.
Do: Give Something Personalized
Throughout my years as a teacher, I’ve received my fair share of teacher gifts: gift cards, mugs, homemade cookies that were not laced with chemical substances. But one of my most memorable gifts? In 2007, a student wrapped this copy of People Magazine and attached a note that read, “Merry Christmas, Love Matt Damon.”
Now before you question my age and how I could be Matt Damon’s teacher, let me just put this into context: I love Matt Damon. In my PowerPoints, I would reference Matt Damon any chance I had – he was an example in my grammar lessons (“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Marrying Matt Damon is in fact the gerund phrase in the sentence!”) and his film clips helped me demonstrate storytelling devices.
When she – no, it wasn’t really Matt Damon…dammit – gave me this gift, it warmed my heart because it showed she knew me, and I kept it and the note in my classroom until I moved this past year.
Source
So the next time in your child’s classroom, take a look around to get some gift giving clues – perhaps there’s a sports pendant thumbtacked to the wall, a Harry Potter wand on the desk, or even a black and white copy of shirtless Ryan Reynolds not-so discreetly taped to the inside of a media cabinet.
Don’t: Give Something Awkward
A copy of E.L. James Darker, a gift certificate for laser hair removal, and the Shake Weight may be great white elephant gifts but make terrible teacher gifts. You want your child to be able to look the teacher in the eye the next day. Don’t ruin it.
Source
Do: Remember to Thank a Teacher This Holiday Season
Source
Being a teacher is not an easy profession: they are dealing with constant changing curriculum, students who bring unique challenges that many times go beyond just academics, bureaucratic obstacles that affect their classroom, and a paycheck that does not accurately reflect their time and effort.
So these next few weeks, take some time to thank a teacher. Whether it’s something small like a handwritten note or a gift card to their favorite establishment – whatever your gift may be, let it come from the heart and speak your gratitude for the job well done.
Source
What are your teacher gifts this year? We promise not to tell. For all you teachers, you deserve those gift cards and so much more!
