Treats for Teacher

Holiday Gifts for Your Child's Educators

By Beth Hering

The holiday season is a great time for parents and children to show appreciation for a special teacher. Many people, though, find coming up with an appropriate gift to be a challenge. Here are some tips from the people who know best: teachers.

Many teachers list gift certificates as tops on their holiday gift list. Bakeries, restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, grocery stores, video rental places, music stores and movie theaters all offer gift certificates in a variety of denominations.

"I've really enjoyed the bookstore gift certificates I've received," says high school teacher Brian Riley, 42, of Alexandria, Va. "It is great to be able to go in and pick out a book or CD of my choice."

One enterprising group of high school students organized a collection to get teacher Patrick Heffernan, 31, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a generous gift certificate to a nice restaurant. "The students remembered me mentioning once how my wife and I had dinner at a French restaurant on the night we became engaged," he says. "The gift certificate was to that very same restaurant. It was a very, very sweet thing to do."

In fact, many teachers say that they like group-given presents, especially if all families are invited to contribute whatever they wish anonymously and all students' names are on the card.

Also, consider creating a gift certificate using your own resources. One teacher received a hand-drawn certificate from a junior high boy for a ride in his father's glider. While most of us are not in a position to offer something that elaborate, there are plenty of other possibilities.

Those who enjoy sewing can arrange to make placemats to match the teacher's dinnerware. Mechanics can give a free oil change. Anyone can offer to bring the teacher a nice brown-bag lunch on a set day or come in and read to the class for a half-hour to give the teacher a bit of a break.

Want to see more?

• Holiday Baking with Kids: Fun and Easy Goodies to Make with Your Children
• Talking with the Teacher: Making the Most out of Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Holiday Crafts: Gifts Kids Can Make Themselves
• Heart-y Gift Giving: Teaching Kids the True Meaning of the Giving Season
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