HI,
Last year I made a gift card tree for our teacher. I had each student bring in a $5.00 gift card and put them on a wooden tree I had. Then we made a book where each student answered 2 questions and drew pictures. For the male teacher why not buy a soft sided cooler and fill it with snacks , soda, magazines, coozies, ice bricks etc. I did this one year and the teacher loved it. I bought a sports themed cooler bag. This year Iam going to get a gift card forthe teacher's favorite restaurant again asking students to each turn in $5.00. Ilove the thumb print idea as well. Where did you get the mat? large ice cream scoop attached it to a gift card to ice cream store and wrote "thanks for giving us the scoop on learning this year" thought that was cute too. Good luck!
Last year we took an autograph mat and had each kindergarten child (66) make a thumb print in different colors of ink. Then where you would normally place a photo, I typed a message that said "Thumbs up" for a job well done. The principal and asst. principal loved them.
Maybe a supply theme-- everyone brings in one classroom supply- glue, paper, folders, pencils, pens etc... and put it all in a basket or buy something the teacher can use-- those plastic 2-3 drawer filers---
A Dinner Basket-- where each bring in something that could make a dinner- themed or not-- pasta noodles, sauce, strainer, bread, dessert, etc...
Another one might be a lucky chance-- have everyone bring in 1 scratch off lottery ticket for the teacher--- attach them all to a tree or flower--- then give to the teacher.
Our Teacher Appreciation week is coming up in May and I am looking for ideas as well! I am the homeroom Mom for two classes, fifth grade and sixth grade, and to make it even more fun...one is a man! LOL So flower day is out! And he is not a fan of coffee...so back to the drawing board I go! LOL
I know at our school, our homeroom Mom coordinator used to assign the days for the entire school, now she lets the individual homeroom Mom make up her days.
In the past we have done:
Coffee Day, where each student either brought in coffee mugs, cups, bags of coffee, or gift cards for coffee to their teacher.
Movie Day, where each student brought in movie related things; popcorn, candy, movie passes, video rental cards etc.
Gift Card Day, just various gift cards were brought in.
And those are all I can recall...sad but true, my mind is slipping me, LOL
this year, we are making memory books to give to each teacher. kids are encouraged to write a message or provide a drawing. we will bind them and give them to the teachers.
we will also canvas the teachers lounge with hearts hanging from the ceiling with messages from kids.
last year we just gave out candy bar with poem.
this year we're doing the whole week. we will hand out something each day as teachers arrive in the morning to school (around 7:30am)
Monday - A is for Apple - give each teacher an apple
Tuesday - hugs and kisses (hersheys kisses with poem)
Wed - flower power - paper flowers (can't afford real flowers)
Thursday - coffee break (we're taking coffee/tea orders and will deliver to their classroom)
Friday - "thanks for the Memories" (memory books the kids created)
you don't have to do something each day. there are tons of poems on the internet. just print it out on kid paper and frame it or just give it to them.
Talking with the teachers at my children's school their one big request is new automatic pencil sharpeners.
If I was going to focus on just one class/teacher I might make up a gift basket that would include the sharpener, a stapler with extra staples, a calculator, highlighters, pens, pencils, memo stickers, star stickers, a coffee mug, etc.
Knowing what the teacher has/needs, I'm sure you can cater it to her.
