Munchkin Monday: 10 Teacher Appreciation Ideas

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up! Here is a list of 10 different ways to show those extra special people that you care. Keep in mind that I am a former second grade teacher, so my personal opinion is found throughout this post! :)

1. The Written Word: I LOVED getting notes and letters from my students! I had amazing room moms who would help each of my students write letters for me and then they would bind them into a book. I still will pull out the books and read them! Teachers also love hearing appreciation from the parents as well. So easy, and it means so much when it comes from the heart.

2. Treats for a "Sweet" teacher :) Most teachers love chocolate and sweets! It's especially nice after a long day. One piece of advice: unless you know the teacher well, I would avoid making homemade treats. The thought is purely delightful, but I just couldn't put something in my mouth unless I knew the parents were sanitary and weren't secretly poisoning me (I don't think I was that bad of a teacher though!)

3. Arts and Crafts: If your child loves art, or you have an artistic teacher, have your child create art and frame it for her teacher! Simple and it comes from the heart!

4. Sing: Have your child write a short song for her teacher, or just entertain the teacher by singing a favorite song. In all the years I taught school, I had only one mom do this for me. She took our class pledge and put it to music- I absolutely loved it and taught the song each year to my classes!

5. Have your child make a Top 10 list of things that she loves about her teacher. Print it off or better yet- make a little Top 10 video. Burn it on a DVD and your teacher not only has a unique gift- but she has something to watch over and over to feel super appreciated!

6. Gift Cards- these are always nice. My favorite gift cards were to book stores- my students knew what a book lover I am!

7. A Little Piece of Nature- plants, flowers, gardening tools, seeds.... all great for a teacher that loves to garden! A bouquet of freshly picked flowers from a child always seemed to melt my heart- even if they were just dandelions.

8. Dollar Store shopping- I had parents who would take their kids to the dollar store and let them pick out a gift. It was SO hilarious to see the things that they thought I would like! And most of the time they  picked out the perfect things! In fact, I still have some necklaces from a student I had MANY years ago (she is a teenager now!) and will even wear them on occasion.

9. "Practical"-ly Perfect! I loved getting practical things that I could use in my classroom.... such as pencil cups, cool highlighter pens, sharpies, welcome mats for the classroom signed by the class, and nice water bottles. One year I got a stamp with my name- it was SO nice to be able to use that for labeling my books instead of writing my name a million times!

10. Take a PIC! Place photos of your child, or of the entire class, in a frame. A fun keepsake for your child's teacher to look back on!

There are a gazillion ideas out there in the internet- check out this list of Teacher Appreciation boards on Pinterest. I am sure you will find several amazing ideas!

You can find this awesome post linked up to the following Fantastic Parties: