Looking for a gift idea for a teacher

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Jul 01 2024, 7:44 am

I'm looking for an idea for a gift to give a teacher. She's a preschool teacher in a special ed program who went above and beyond as a teacher and now is going above and beyond to help us find an appropriate first-grade placement for our son. Literally making phone calls on our behalf and she even came with us to visit one school.

I don't want to give cash/gift card because it seems stupid, I already participated in a group gift. For some of the other staff people I just wrote a note tied to a bar of chocolate (basically I wanted to verbalize my thanks individually in addition to the group gift, so I did it in that format), and I could do that for her too, but I feel like something one notch up would be nice...

Any ideas?

amother

cornflower

Mon, Jul 01 2024, 8:01 am

I’m a teacher, and while I love the cash/ gift card gifts, and I prefer them 90% of the time, there is something about a custom gift from a family you had a real relationship with . There are a lot of options on Pinterest if you have the time to make it. I’ve gotten pencil cups with meaningful quotes , a custom coffee cup (a good lidded one), once a student made me an embroidered pillow with all our class quotes on the back, a good metal water bottle.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jul 01 2024, 8:20 am

I should add… we’re in israel!!! and I don’t know if I she drinks coffee or water or anything.

I have someone visiting from america soon so possibly I could get her something from etsy, though. without having much of an idea of what she actually would use, though, what would be a good bet?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jul 01 2024, 9:15 am

I would like to get her a plant/flowers, but I will need it to give it to my son to give to someone else to give to her... it might take a day or two or even longer till it makes its way to her... and it isn't practical. but I would love to give something like that.

amother

Lemonlime

Mon, Jul 01 2024, 9:20 am

A beautiful handwritten card and cash.
Speaking as a teacher. I really dont get paid enough, and whatever I do get paid I use for bills, food, groceries. I love when I get tipped cash and I save it and can pamper myself with something. I just bought myself a necklace ive been eyeing with tips I received.
I love my students and care about them, but when I get gifted mugs or cups or plants its just a waste of money to me

amother

Cadetblue

Mon, Jul 01 2024, 10:36 am

amother Lemonlime wrote:

We are all different. I have a mug I got from a child years ago that is my favorite mug. It's a little bigger than average and is the perfect size. I think when you want to show appreciation, a personal touch is nicer than just some cash. SEN is different to teaching a regular class, you are putting your heart and soul into this one child, rather than across a class of many students.
Please don't though do something with your child's picture as I never know what to do with those. I can't really take it home.
Ideally you need to know the teacher. Some teachers would appreciate a pamper kind of gift, while others wouldn't.

amother

Milk

Mon, Jul 01 2024, 1:54 pm

Don’t know your budget or if this is your speed but I just made someone a gift from a few things at a nice stock store.
Pretty basket, small hand towels, clear acrylic netilas yadayim cup with a gold handle, wrapped up in a pretty way. Cost me about 70 shekel total.

amother

Turquoise

Mon, Jul 01 2024, 4:34 pm

amother OP wrote:

My second grade student brought me a plant in ceramic holder.
I love it. Such a great idea
Every time I water it, I think of him! It makes for great display piece too.

I would have never thought of that as a gift and I love it

BestMima

Fri, Jul 05 2024, 1:02 pm

Honestly one of the cutest, most memorable gifts I got was a little pack - it said "thank you for being a SOUP-er teacher" and it included a note about how I should save it for a day when their kid is driving me nuts LOL

It included a few pack soups, mandloch etc.

A gift card for a nice store like Target or something (assuming you're in the US) wouldn't go astray. I've had parents give me up to £100, but for a spectacular teacher £50 is amazing.
We're sadly super underpaid!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 3:07 am

thanks everyone. I'm not in the US, or I would have given a target or amazon gift card a long time ago... yes I know there are gift cards here, but I don't know enough about the chareidi friendly ones to figure out how to deal with them. (this teacher is chareidi and does not do texting let alone internet shopping.)

and re putting together something at a stock store, negel vasser cup or whatever--I don't know if it's a personality thing or maybe I just don't have the headspace right now, but to me it sounds stressful, I need quick and easy.

so I'm thinking to go to a pitzuchim/chocolate store and put together a nice thing of chocolate. what do you all think?

I gave all the other teachers (there are many, many assistants, therapists etc.) each a bar of chocolate with a card. does it sound normal to basically give chocolate to everyone, they'll all get a bar and the main teacher something slightly nicer/bigger? (like could it be I would inadvertently hurt feelings that way?)

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 3:09 am

BestMima wrote:

It included a few pack soups, mandloch etc.

that is quite cute!!

I feel like if we lived in the US I would probably mess around looking around on Etsy or something, but since we're here... I need to focus on getting it done.

amother

Cinnamon

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 3:48 am

amother OP wrote:

What about a gift store? If you live in RBS or Bet Shemesh area, Magical Moments makes arrangements and can customize items for you. Their prices are great, and they have unique and beautiful gifts.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jul 07 2024, 8:15 am

thank you all for brainstorming with me!
and thank you amother cinnamon for putting an idea into my head that turned out incredibly helpful! I don't live in beit shemesh, but I went to a gift store near where I live... and while they didn't have any genius items that jumped out at me as suited for this teacher in particular, they had really nice little heart shaped chocolate packages... much nicer than I could have packaged for myself in a pitzuchim store, which would have been my next stop... when I checked out, the saleslady offered to package it for me so she put the already pretty nice package into a cellophane bag with flower petals, and included a ribbon too, so then it looked really like a very nice gift. I actually liked it so much that after I was already back in my car, I turned myself around to get more heart-shaped packages (in smaller sizes) for the assistant teachers, to give them instead of the chocolate bars...
so: real life gift store for the win.
thank you everyone! somehow this is a big load of my shoulders.

amother

↑ OP

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 6:17 am

ImmaBubby wrote:

I’m so glad that you found the perfect gift- but the card is what’s going to last…

Thank you!! BH writing cards is where I feel confident. Actually the whole reason for the present is because I really have so much to say but I feel like I need a "carrier" for the card and that's where I get regularly stumped...!

Thank you all!

zebra111 ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 7:00 am

Fox have a great sale on summer stuff atm, so if teacher is married u could do cute ice lolly molds with maybe a nice water jug and cups. They wrap it nicely in tzlofan and also give a petek hachlafa