What Your Child’s Teacher Really Wants This Holiday Season

It is upon us—the greatest and sometimes most stressful time of the year.

You budget your holiday gift money out making sure you give your kiddos a fun and memorable year. You’re making your lists and you come to the dreaded question: do you or don’t you buy the teacher a gift? For some it’s easy to purchase something small to send with their students. Others are scraping pennies to finish family shopping.

Can I let you in on a little secret? There is one thing that every teacher would love this holiday season: gratitude. The simplest thank you note goes a long way.

We spend day in and day out with your kids and are so thankful you share them with us. They become our kids. They become our family. I think I speak for most teachers in saying we would protect your child at all costs. We love them! So a simple thank you note telling us why you appreciate us or a funny note about something your student has told you about us makes us smile and warms our hearts.

Now, I am not saying you can’t let your kiddo pick us out a cute trinket or buy us a coffee card. I mean most teachers would live off an IV of coffee if we could, especially during the holiday season. Scraping kids off the ceiling is a real thing! 

Just know that we don’t expect a gift. As teachers, we treasure what the students bring us. I know I have a shelf on my desk where those sweet gifts sit and gifts spread around my house in random places that when I walk by them I think of my old students. But by far the most treasured gifts I keep are the sweet notes from former students and parents. They remind me why I teach and of the students I love so much!