Today at Keeping Her Cool, Colleen is talking about Teacher Gifts (’tis the season, you know). Here are some great ideas for gifts if you are looking for something that goes a little beyond that “apple for teacher” approach.

•    As Colleen mentioned in her post, gift cards are always welcome.  Be thoughtful about what type of gift card you want to give. Make it something convenient. Also, be thoughtful about the amount. You don’t have to give a lot, but can they purchase something at the store for, or under, the amount that you are gifting them? If not, you may want to reconsider.
•    The dollar section at many stores can be ripe with great little gifts. A pot with some seeds and a note, “thanks for helping me grow”, or some recipe cards with some of your family favorite recipes written on them and a note, “thank you for feeding my mind.” Get creative. Gifts don’t have to be spendy to be thoughtful.
•    Consider getting them a gift for the classroom.  A book would be perfect, and go ahead and write on the inside. Put a little note with your child’s name and the year they were in that class.  What a nice reminder to the teacher, and a way to give other kids the gift of learning and reading.
•    If you are an organizer, you may want to communicate with other parents and put together a gift-card “bouquet.” Many people will get gift cards as it is, so if you collect the cards that they were going to give, and a note from each family, put them in “envelopes” that you create in the shape of a flower using construction paper, foam, or some such, attach them to dowels, and then surround a potted house plant with the “flowers.” The presentation can be as meaningful as the gift.

What creative or interesting gifts have you given teachers? Teachers, what are your favorite gifts to receive?