Thanks
For The
Memories

Beyond pencils and mugs: great gifts for teachers.

Elizabeth Applebaum

Gift Guide Editor

N

o one has done the research, but it's not
unreasonable to assume that at least one
teacher out there owns a good 2 million
mugs, each of which reads, "World's
Greatest Teacher!"
And they all came from well-meaning parents.
Teachers likely will spend more time with a child
than anyone outside of family. They shape, influence,
forever mold who our children become.
So, in addition to the fact that it's important to rec-
ognize a teacher's patience and kindness, it doesn't hurt
to brownnose just a little with a nice thank-you gift.
Gifts, especially at Chanukah and the end of the year
(don't worry, your teacher does not expect you to
remember her birthday), are very much appreciated.
"Those little thank you's mean a lot," says Temple
Emanu-El Nursery School Director of Administration
Michaelyn Silverman in Oak Park.
When selecting a gift for the teacher, Silverman rec-
ommends the personal touch.
Classroom treats — new games, toys, art supplies —
benefit children. But if you want to say thank you to the
teacher, consider something specifically for him or her.
"A simple jewelry item, reasonably priced," is nice,
Silverman says.
Gift certificates also are a terrific way to tell your
child's teacher how much he or she is appreciated.
Last year, some Temple Emanu-El parents chose to
give teachers a gift certificate to a mall, and that was a
great gift, Silverman says. (Just think about it: This way
your daughter's teacher could select a fragrance she actu-
ally loves, instead of trying to make peace with the "Hot
Body" aroma you bought in a moment of insanity, after
your teen assured you "It's so IN!")
Another in-demand gift certificate: those for a mani-
cure or pedicure.
Or consider a gift certificate to your favorite book-
store. Silverman likes the Book Beat in Oak Park.
Teachers also love Borders and Barnes & Noble,
she says.
Maureen Simon has been educating children for 28

years, and now serves as a first-grade teacher at Burton
Elementary School in Huntington Woods.
"The bottom line is that a nice 'thank you' is
enough," she says.
When a parent takes the time to write a letter, telling
a teacher how much she has meant to the family, well,
life just doesn't get any better.
A donation in the teacher's name to his favorite char-
ity also makes a thoughtful thank you, she says.
But for those moms and dads who really want to buy
something, Simon, like Silverman, recommends gift cer-
tificates to a bookstore. "We [teachers] just love that,"
she says.
Starbucks gift cards also are great, as are gift certifi-
cates to a favorite store.
So how do you know whether your teacher prefers
shopping at Victoria's Secret or amazon.com ? Ask the
room mother, who can always discreetly find out if she
doesn't already know, or speak with parents whose chil-
dren may have had the same teacher in previous years,
Simon says.
Finally, Simon says teachers love a gift that the chil-
dren, as a class, have created themselves. One year,
Simon's entire class went to a make-your-own plaster
project place, and all the children painted their names
on a planter, which they presented to their teacher at the
end of the year.
"I love it so much, and it's so memorable, that I
stuck a plant in it — but not the soil, so it wouldn't get
dirty," Simon says.
Finally, if your budget is tight, you can still find
something as inexpensive but thoughtful as notepaper.
Michaelyn Silverman points out that teachers are con-
stantly writing notes, so a pretty pad comes in handy. If
you like, have the teacher's name or initials engraved at
the top.
"Even bringing in a bouquet of flowers at the end of
the year is really nice," Silverman says.
But remember: "A lot of teachers have been working
for a long time, so they probably have all the mugs
they need."

JN GIFT GUIDE 1 • NOVEMBER 2005 • 21