Teacher Appreciation Week Decorating

Email me your pictures next week if you're decorating your school's staff lounge, teachers' doors, entryway, and more. I'll post them here to share with everyone for great ideas for them to use later in the week, at the end of the school year or next year.

Below are some of the signs that are going up in our staff lounge. I'm matting them on construction paper and hanging each from a wooden clothespin along a piece of twine on their large, empty wall. I'm going with a beach theme focused on this quote. Out in the main entrance of the hallway will be a sign that says, "Forget about Hollywood, the reals stars work here at Our School!" Then each staff member has their name on a pictures of a starfish.

I'll be putting shells around the lounge, some netting, a bright striped table cloth. Our napkins even have shells on them! I might even go wild and break few fire codes and light some tea lights in some sand and mini starfish.

Show me some of your decorations this week!

I'm looking for a cute phrase or quote to put on our substitute teachers' gift buckets.



Any creative ideas out there? We have five substitute teachers that are usually at our school at least once a week, so I'm leaving them a little gift bucket in the staff lounge for them to pick up one day this week. I have lots of pictures to post tomorrow of all of the preparations that are almost done!

Free Gift

Just in case your family isn't able to do anything more than a thank you, you can see below...or should I say feel below that this these are the things that really let a teacher know they are appreciated.

This is a sampling of the notes I have collected this week from families in our school (excuse the quality, please). I put a lot of work into planning to make next week-Teacher Appreciation Week-special at our school, just reading these notes and hearing the difference our teacher make makes it all worth while.

Each note starts with I, (mom, dad, student) appreciate Mrs. Smith because:This one is from a mom with two boys with special needs and she addressed it to all of the teachers and aides individually.

Gift-Basket Ideas That Won't Break the Bank!

Here are just a few ideas to add to a nice teacher gift bag or basket. Remember we want to put things in here that are consumable--the teacher will USE them versus dusting them or regifting them. What other ideas do you have?

#1 Thank you note: Handwritten by child, parent or both.
This note can be a plain piece of paper that your child folds in half and draws a picture on the front of. It can also be a homemade card you made or something from the local card store. Which one is cheapest? The plain piece of paper folded in half. Which one does the teacher want? The plain piece of paper folded in half with a drawing by your child and an appreciative note from you. Practically free!

#2 Teacher's favorite candy or lotion.
Notice, I did not say your favorite candy or the newest scented lotion you love to give out on this special occasion. It is so wonderful that you'd like to do that for the teacher, but instead take one extra minute and print this out. Hand it to your child's teacher or send it in their folder/backpack (whatever your communication system is with school) with a note that says, "Please fill this out and return it back to me. I'd love to know more about you!" Or "I'm working on a little surprise for you. Please return.) You'll enjoy knowing you spent your hard-earned money on what they like and they will too.

I say this with love, because I personally know people that are allergic to nuts, chocolate, milk and whatever they use to make card candies that are sugar-free. If I smell any type of lotion or hand soap that is scented with anything remotely floral, I will be sneezing nonstop for the rest of the day and will probably get a headache. I know you would feel awful if that happened.

#4 Hand sanitizer
There is never enough of this to go around...and look at this cute guy! The kids can't help but see this cute little guy sitting next to the tissue box!
PURELL® 9600-PL1 Pal









#5 A very small or very large gift card. If you are buying a gift card just from your family, do what you can afford. No teacher wants a family to spend outside of their limits. Now if you're pulling up to school every morning in your fully-paid-for Escalade, by all means spend what you'd like. Another great option is to get together with a few other parents in the classroom and each put a few dollars together to get a nice gift card.

I was at OfficeMax this weekend buying some extra Pentel pens and there was a rack near the checkout filled with every gift card you could possibly want. The Visa gift card I turned over--thinking that would be nice and versatile--said "$3.95 fee will be added at the checkout." Crazy!

All of these gift cards below have free shipping, no fee and no expiration date. I don't have to drive anywhere to get it and no ridiculous fee. Saved gas money + saved time= Happy parent and happy teacher!

Best Buy GC $5 Gift Card
Borders Gift Card $25
Kitchen Collection and Gadgets and More Gift Card

Group Gifts for Classroom Teachers

I'm turning on the broken record for one quick moment and then we'll be back to our regularly scheduled program...one of the most appreciated things you can do for your teachers is a heartfelt, specific thank you note. That being said, here are a few group gift ideas for the special teacher in your life.

A book with a special surprise inside...Kristin at Everything Pink does this wonderful classroom gift for her children's teacher each year. She sends home a note to the families in her child's class and collects quotes about their teacher and a small cash donation. What do a few quotes and a few small donations equal? A gift to bring a teacher to tears, that's for sure! You have to visit her site to see just how easy this is. She has a step-by step tutorial, plus a great gallery of photos showing each step.

Are you thinking about collecting a small donation from families to buy your teacher a gift card? Dawn at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts has a great homemade gift card holder. She takes you through each step with her very own YouTube video, making this a fast and easy way to make a gift card a little more special. Your note of appreciation inside the card will be icing on the cake!


A homemade meal for the teacher at the end of a long day teaching, grading, counseling, etc is a wonderful idea for all of the classes families to participate in. Some parents can make the main dish, a few some side dishes, a few some bread, and a few could make some baked goods for desert. Some parents won't have the time, but might be able to donate a couple of dollars towards purchasing the food. What are some of your families favorite dishes? Make enough for leftovers and make your teacher happy for two nights!

What group ideas have you given your teachers in the past? What do you plan to do this year with a group to appreciate a teacher?

Decorate Your Teacher's Door

Aren't these just the neatest idea ever?



Cindy, from Skip to my Lou, has a tradition at her school where they decorate the teacher's classroom door. What a great surprise to come into work and see? My favorites are the "Recipe for Success" and "Give Mrs. Moody a hand." What is your favorite? Does your parent group do this at your school?

Teacher Gifts and Chocolate Covered Spaghetti

I had to share some research with you that I was doing earlier today. The chocolate covered spaghetti was just a "control" in my test...okay, it's the day after Easter so cut me some slack. :)

Google Results:
"chocolate-covered spaghetti"=513
"gifts teachers really want"=11
"gifts teachers want"=



That number was 3. T-h-r-e-e, three, 3. Seriously? Do we put so little thought into the people who are influencing our children for seven hours a day?






You could always google "gifts for teachers" and then you could get a wonderful list of items you could personalize with the teacher's name like a mini-chalkboard, a coffee mug or a silver apple (add dripping sarcasm). Let me tell you what google won't...that will be the fifth mug they've received this year. However heartfelt and well-thought-out that gift may seem, it is what you want to get them and not what they want.

What does research say teachers really want?

1) A thank you note.
I have been out of the teaching profession for over 8 years now and I still have a box that we called our Happy Boxes at my school. It has notes in it from the parents of children that were a joy to teach and children that were a daily challenge to teach. The ones that touched me most were the ones from the parents thanking me for my patiences and love for the children that challenged me. I hear story after story from teachers who have a box, a bag or a Rubbermaid container filled with these notes. They are notes they read over and over again. That is not to say that we don't treasure wonderful handmade items, it's just that over the years things break and your "Happy Box" starts to turn into a "Happy Storage Rental Container" and you have to pick and choose what is most meaningful. I've only been able to save two small ones: From Mitchell M in 1996, an angel sun catcher and from Katie L in 1997, a red bird mini-statue. Trust me that the most meaningful thing to your child's teacher will be your words.

So write a note and make it specific. Ask your child some questions to get you writing:
-What do you like most about Mrs. Smith?
-What was something that was tricky for you to learn that Mrs. Smith helped you with?
-What was the best thing Mrs. Smith taught you this year?
-What will you miss most about Mrs. Smith next year?

As a parent jot some notes:
-Was there anything Mrs. Smith did for your child that really touched you?
-Did she help your child in a subject that was really frustrating for them?
-Did she see a strength or weakness in your child that you had not seen at home?
-Did she support their giftedness in an area by giving them more challenging work?
-Did she help your child's confidence in a certain area?

Your child's teacher will appreciate it, not just this year, but for many years to come.

2) A gift card for classroom supplies.
Where do teachers buy their supplies? Two of the most popular educational stores because of quality and cost:
I'll have some coupon codes for both coming up next week, but a gift certificate is really your best choice unless you know something your child has mentioned they need or the teacher has told you something they've been wanting. The teacher in the classroom right next door to them might have some good ideas too!

3) Ask me!
Hand this form out to your child's teacher and tell her you'd like to find out a little bit more about her for a surprise.

If they've always wanted to go to new fancy restaurant in town, but cannot afford it, a simple chipping in of five or ten dollars by you and few other parents can make that happen.

And if you're the teacher, what do you wish we knew about what you REALLY want? If you're the parent, what do you give for a gift that you know your child's teacher REALLY wants? I love your comments! Keep on sharing :)

And Our Theme This Year Is...

"You Make a Difference!" from The Star Thrower Story, written by Joel Barker who was inspired by the writing of Loren Eiseley.

I'll decorate the staff lounge with shells and candles to set the mood for relaxation. I will also do a display in the main hallway with each teacher's name on a star with a display title of "Forget Hollywood...The Real Stars Work Right Here at Our School!"

Throughout the year I've used this theme for one of my favorite thrifty teacher appreciation gifts, Wilton Lollipop Molds! You can use them again and again and all you have to buy are new lollipop sticks and new chocolate. I've even done butterscotch chips and peanut butter chocolate chips. I use the Sea Creatures molds for some starfish and other fishy lollipops, but I also the Smiley Faces. Because who can resist a smiling chocolate lollipop??? Certainly, not I. I like to tie on a small bag of almonds to for a few of our teachers who are on restricted diets. You can't please everyone all of the time, but I sure do try!

What theme is your school using this year for Teacher Appreciation Week? What themes have you used in the past?

Personalized Pens...the homemade way!

I've been on the hunt looking for something cheap and non-cluttery (yes, I just made that a word--see the link in the left column to find out more about these types of gifts) to give out with the teachers' sweets. I came across this great tutorial on making very economical personalized pens for the teachers and staff. I just happen to have some cute scrapbook paper leftover from our Christmas notes to the teachers. I think it will work out great and I'm off to shop for some of these pens tomorrow. Personalized Pens

29 Days Left Until Lots of Smiling Teachers

I'm making my list and checking it twice--Okay, I check it about five times a day...but who's counting? Here is my progress on last week's to-do's. What are you working on right now to prepare for your Teacher Appreciation Week?

1) Decide where you'll keep all your notes for Teacher Appreciation Week planning.
I made a spreadsheet this year to keep everything nice and organized. It has all of my categories, plus a mini-four week calendar so I can jot my "to do's" and "to call's" right onto the day things need to be completed by.

2) Call department stores and ask makeup counters for donations of samples and/or gift bags.
I have some bags set aside for me at our local department store for after their promotion is done this next weekend.

3) Contact three stores or restaurants per day to ask each for 5 small gift cards to donate to the teachers and staff.
I have half of my gift cards reserved and need to do some pick-ups and more calls early next week.

Now we're finishing up our main to-do list for Teacher Appreciation Week activities and gifts.

4) Asking for help from parents in your school.
I am saving most of my asking for help with our big luncheon for Tuesday of Teacher Appreciation week. Today I typed the form reminding parents that Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up. On it, I asking for food donations and help covering the teacher's duties for that day so they can relax. Before I could type up the form, I had to get the school schedule with recess duties and lunchroom duties on it. I try to break up the volunteer times into 30 minutes or less so even those parents with the busiest of work schedules might be able to help. They can always volunteer for more than one time. I also list the grade next to the time so parents can sign up for their child's grade.

At the bottom of this form, I ask them to do a "thank you" note on the back. (See Friday in the post Parties! Parties! Parties!)

Now that my note is ready, I'll send it off to our other parent group members and have them proofread it and make any suggestions. Then I'll send it home next Wednesday and have it due to be turned in on the next Thursday--that means even us forgetful parents should have it filled out in a week and turned in by that Friday. Then I can work on scheduling volunteers and determine if we have enough food donations over the weekend. I will usually have some gaps here and there in the schedule and will fill those with any parent calls or emails I get for anyone that didn't turn in their form.

5) Order supplies.
Make your list of everything you need to order ahead of time and keep a pen close by to that list. A lot of things can be ordered even the week before, but I like to save on last-minute shipping charges whenever I can.

Tomorrow I'll be ordering our personalized M&Ms in our school colors. They have some cute teacher message ideas on their website that I need to decide on. I'll be ordering the three-7 ounce bags because they're buy 3 and get 1 free right now. MY M&M'S® Candies Offer Because we have such a large staff, I'll be mixing treat bags with a scoop of regular M&Ms and a scoop of personalized ones. These will be their goody bags for Monday.

6) Tie it all together with a theme!
Our theme this year is... more on that tomorrow!

I love to read your comments! What are you working on for Teacher Appreciation Week? Do you have a theme? Do you have suggestions for or questions about my plans?

Parties, Parties, Parties!!!

Today starts the biggest blog party on the net and soon the biggest party I throw for our teachers each year will be here.

Welcome to all my new readers stopping over from the Ultimate Blog Party ~ 2009! Click on the link below to find other great blogs throwing a party and visit the main party page to see the live shows today!


Every year Teacher Appreciation Week takes place the first full week in May and I look forward to planning it every year! It comes at just the right time when the teachers are trying to fit in all of the important lessons they want to teach before year's end...and also that not-so-fun time of year when the children in their classes have Spring Fever and are starting to bounce off the walls a bit.

We do a big luncheon or breakfast for the teachers on Tuesday of that week, the "official" Teacher Appreciation Day, which falls on May 5th this year. I'll be sharing more over the next week about the details that go into each step, but today I'll share what my goals are for that week with some notes for you to start thinking about what you'd like to do to make that week special at your child's school.

Monday: A special note in each teacher's mailbox along with something sweet to start of the week. Don't forget custodians, cooks and other important staff. I'm lucky at our school that everyone has a mailbox regardless of their position in the school. What staff are there besides your teaching staff that you want to include during teacher appreciation week?

Tuesday: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon. Do you want to do a big lunch or a breakfast? How will staff that are not scheduled for a break or unable to leave their classrooms be able to get their meal? Can you get parent volunteers to fill in for a teacher to give them extra time to relax and enjoy their meal? Is it easier to do a breakfast so staff can eat before their day begins?

Wednesday: Send out school-wide email with link to YouTube videos with our school's students telling why they appreciate their teachers and staff. What are some fun non-clutter gifts you can give the staff during the week? I am all about non-clutter gifts...if it's going to collect dust, don't give it. Give them something they can use. See this great link to FlyLady talking about clutter-free teacher gifts.

Thursday: I'm still debating between 10-minute massages for everyone, corsages, or another great idea shared by YOU. If I choose your idea, your blog will be our sponsor of the week for the week of May 3 to May 9, 2009 and will be featured throughout the week as well.

Friday: Awards Day. Each staff person will receive a certificate of appreciation from our parent group and a little mini-book of thank you notes to them from the families and/or children in the classes. To get these notes, at the bottom of the sign-up sheet for volunteers for Tuesday's luncheon, there is a section telling them to turn over the paper and fill out : I, (parent or child's name) blank, appreciate (teacher or staff name) because.... In the explanation, I encourage them to remember to fill out an additional one for secretaries, music and art teachers, librarians...and anyone else special in the school. More about this later, but let me know if you'd like me to send you any of my Word files for you to edit and use yourself.

What does your parent group do to make this week special at your school?



There are so many cool prizes to be won at this year’s Ultimate Blog Party, but my top picks would be:

* USC 10- Mabel's Labels, The Big Combo Pack
* USC 26- Hatley $50 gift certificate
* 50- Paperlicious $50 gift certificate
* 89- $100 gift card to HomeGoods
* 8- Stuck on You personalized name dots
* 58- Kitchen Aid Mixer