"A good education can change anyone, a good teacher can change everything."
~ Unknown
Teacher Appreciation Week isn't until May, but as I am working on ideas for this year ~ I thought I would share a few that I have done in the past. These are from last year, where the classroom theme was a beach (you can imagine my disappointment... LOL!), so hence the tropical inspired gifts.
Palm Tree Candy Jar:
I found these adorable little glass jars at the Dollar Store. I just loved the swirl design in the glass. I filled them with each of their favorite kind of candy. The palm tree topper is simply palm leaves cut out of cardstock. These were hand drawn by my mom, but you could use a clip art design as your template. The "coconuts" are Junior Mints. We hot glued the leaves and the mints to the lid of the jar thus making them obviously not edible. I thought they turned out so cute!
The cutest little palm tree you ever did see ...
We receive a list from the PTO as to each teacher's favorites: candy, color, flower, etc. So I try to use those as a guide when coming up with ideas.
Mini Care Package:
Last year, Miss B's teacher's favorite color is teal, so we made her this little care package of things to help brighten her day ~ nail polish, lip balm, gum, mints, etc (all in the appropriate color, of course). The package is a McDonald's fry container... or at least the shape of one. Working on projects can get quite taxing & one must always have a little snack to keep the creative energy flowing. In this case, Mom & I chose a trip to McD's. After eating the fries, of course, we careful peeled apart the container to use as a template. Tracing around the template on teal cardstock, we were able to get the same shape and folds. Glue it together and voila!
Miss B loved decorating it with stickers from my scrapbooking stash.
Lottery Ticket Goodie Bag:
I'm sure you've seen this idea floating around Pinterest. I created the personalized tag in Word, then filled a clear party favor bag with a lottery ticket and gold coins found at the $1 bin at Target. Tie on a "lucky" green bow and hope if they are big winners, they remember you were the one that gave it to them. :)
Sandpail Flower Pot:
This is one of my favorites! Mom and I found the shovel and pails at the Dollar Tree. Using lettering stencils I had and paint markers from Michaels, we traced and colored the phrase "I Totally DIG Mrs. B!" We then filled them with dirt and flowering plants from the local greenhouse. I just love how these turned out!! The plants could be replanted, as they were annuals, and then the shovel and pail to build an amazing sandcastle on their next beach trip (or saved for decoration in the classroom) ... :)
Thankful Hands:
Another Pinterest idea, we traced around Miss B's hands and then folded a piece of cardstock in half. Cutting around the template of her hand being careful not to cut at the seam (just as you do when cutting out a snowflake), it created one continuous set of hands. We got mini bottles of lotion and hand sanitizer. I recommend wrapping a rubber band around them to secure them together. Then after writing the note and having her sign it, we wrapped them around the products and secured it with packing tape on the inside (attached to the products) as not to be seen. Very cute!
Teachers are amazing, patient and extrodanary people! Thank you to all of you who have chosen this profession. You deserve to be appreciated and thanked each and every day!
"They may forget what you said but they will not forget how you made them feel"
~ Carl Buechner
XOXO
N
