Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!

“Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me.” Fred Rogers

Here in the midst of Teacher Appreciation Week, I am looking for ideas for our blog and also looking for ideas for my 1st Grade son’s teacher. Of course, I first turned to Pinterest. I found hundreds of cute ideas for gifts. HUNDREDS. I wondered how many other parents are turning to Pinterest for gift ideas. I didn’t want to follow the crowd or give the teacher something she didn’t really want.

So, then I turned to Facebook. I polled my teacher friends about what kind of gifts they like to receive. Here are a few of their answers:

A hug or a high five is more than enough. (although one small Hershey’s kiss goes a long way, too!)

A hand-written note means the world to teachers. I have a drawerful dating back to when I first started teaching.

A card with a nice hand written message.

Something from a student’s heart… Not because it is teacher appreciation week but because they appreciate what I’ve done for them. Whatever the gift, sincerity should shine through. Chocolate and gift cards for ice cream are always ways to my heart though!

So, it seems that teachers most like teacher appreciation gifts that make them feel, well, appreciated. What can go further to brighten a teacher’s day than the affirmation that they have really impacted a child?

I asked my son what his teacher might like for a gift, since he sees her every day and should know by now what she likes.  He said, “You could get a big box and put me in it, because she likes me!” He might be on to something there, but I think we will work on a nice card instead. And maybe some chocolate.

If you have a teacher in your life, show them how much they mean to you!