Gifts for Your Child’s Teacher This Holiday Season
In the latest Chronicle of What We Need to Do Almost This Year, it’s time to figure out how to give our kids’ teachers a gift while still in the midst of a pandemic that makes kids mostly homeschool.
I feel uncomfortable asking the teacher for their home address, and most of the teachers I spoke to during this writing said that sometimes it’s convenient for them to share their address with their families, but sometimes it’s not. Therefore, I cannot recommend putting the teacher in this position, even if it is because you want to send them a wonderful gift.
There are several other options for making a physical gift for your teacher right now. You can ask to meet them in a neutral place, such as the school parking lot, or send their gift directly to the school and tell them that it is there. But that means they’ll have to take a separate trip to pick him up or meet you. If everyone in their class did that, it would mean 20+ extra city trips, and that’s a burden we shouldn’t place on them. So here are some more ideas.
Gift cards
An emailed gift card might be the most obvious option, but it’s also because it’s one of the best options. Teachers may not want students to show up at their front door, but they do not mind giving their parents the school-provided email address. If you know they like a particular store or website, do so. If you don’t know where they usually shop, here are some safe bets:
If there is a local business that works for you (and offers an option via email), this is a good choice too. You probably can’t go wrong if you buy a gift card from a popular local coffee shop, bookstore, patisserie or ice cream parlor – and it supports your local business, which is a huge bonus right now.
However, you can avoid Visa gift cards, or at least check with someone at school before taking this route. Teachers may not be able to receive “cash” gifts, and their administrative teams may or may not consider a Visa gift card to be in this category.
Wish lists
If you really want to give them a physical gift, ask them if they have any online wishlists you could look at. In particular, teachers often have Amazon wishlists full of supplies and other items they crave for their classes. Since they will return to class someday, these items will still be appreciated.
If you’re not sure if they have an Amazon Wishlist, you can go here to email them directly from the site to ask if they have one and, if so, share a link. You will be able to send items directly to them without even seeing their full address.
They may also have a cool Scholastic book wishlist; they can send you a link to this list if you don’t already have it.
Heart letter from his student
It goes without saying that teachers are doing a lot this school year. What they need more than just another coffee mug, a bottle of water, or a tube of lotion is recognition that they are doing a difficult job and the positive impact they can still have in such an environment. And any family on any budget can afford it during a pandemic.
Here’s what David, a music teacher and member of our Offspring Facebook group , has to say about receiving handwritten letters in particular:
I sincerely would like to receive a handwritten letter outlining any positive changes I have made in their lives. This year was incredibly difficult not only for my students, but also for me personally. My virtual learning has been one of the most important parts of my life, keeping me sane. I love my students and appreciate the gift they gave me this year: the ability to continue doing what is important to me, to be creative and challenging, to maintain communication when I can’t behind the scenes, and just to be together. I hope they feel the same way and cherish any kind words from them. I have a box with each card and letter that I have received in the last 20 years since I started teaching. I hope to receive the second box just this year as a keepsake of staying strong and united!
The handwriting part seems so key here, as handwriting adds a layer of personal connection that email simply can’t do. Therefore, David invites the children to write a note and then scan or photograph it and email it to their teacher. The teacher can then print it out if he wants to add a paper copy to his gift boxes.
Also, when do you send this email? Copy their director and district superintendent. Their bosses should also know how much you value them.
Grace in general
Facebook group member Dan said what stuck in my memory: “My wife (high school teacher) would appreciate it if there were kids and her parents would give her some mercy.”
This is a simple but helpful reminder that while it’s hard for parents and children right now – and that can be many endless months – our teachers do their best to come every day to teach them in whatever new challenging form is expected of them. And this deserves our gratitude and understanding that irregularities will continue to arise along the way.