PTA Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2-6, 2016. It’s a time to stop and recognize those that do so much for our kid’s day in and day out. But for parents, gifts to teachers can be complicated– group gift or individual? How much should I spend? What would they like?
The folks at the EdTech startup Front Row Education, Inc. decided to ask K-8 teachers what they prefer to receive from their students, including telling about some of their favorite, and weirdest, gifts (some of the answers are truly bizarre).
With over 650 respondents, they found that a personalized thank you card is the most preferred gift from students, followed by a gift card, and a homemade craft. Most teachers would rather receive nothing than a coffee mug, picture frame or homemade food. See the lists below.
Teachers Top Ten favorite gifts from students:
- Personalized handwritten card or letter from students
- Gift card
- Homemade craft or artwork
- Scrapbook from the classroom
- Class picture with the kids’ signatures
- Donation of books to the library
- Homemade food
- Students poetry in a frame
- Hugs
- Chocolate
Ten of the weirdest gifts teachers have received from their students:
- “An empty Gatorade bottle with a gecko inside”
- “Fake poo”
- “A nose hair trimmer”
- “A live bug. Omg.”
- “A picture of a Christmas tree in a frame”
- “A tee shirt with my photo transferred onto it”
- “Enchiladas”
- “Matching pajamas with a student”
- “On my 50th birthday – 50 rolls of toilet paper”
- “Toilet brush set”