Teacher Gifts (2023)

bill.m.davis · May 25, 2023, 3:33am

It has become tradition now for us to give gifts to our kids teachers at the end of the year. I like it when I can reuse gifts from previous years for my kids teachers. But, this year my daughter had the same teacher as last year (she moved up a grade with her class because they needed more teachers in that grade)!

So I couldn’t reuse the gifts I did last year, at least not for her.

I normally design my own, but I was strapped for time this year and just used a couple designs from the catalog that I could customize.

I love being able to create my own gifts and make them very personalize, engraving messages on the backs.

Aloha · May 25, 2023, 6:29am

What are your secret messages on the back?

I really do like your apple design a lot.

I have tomorrow to start and finish any gift for the teachers…. Then school is out here.

I also need to cut out the last day of 1st/3rd grade signs.

It makes me feel like I should be working on this now instead of going to bed….

eflyguy · May 25, 2023, 6:30am

You can sleep when you’re dead!!!

Aloha · May 25, 2023, 6:31am

Hahah ok fine. I’ll laser

eflyguy · May 25, 2023, 6:33am

Good plan!

You won’t regret it, but you would if you didn’t make something.

Aloha · May 25, 2023, 6:39am

1 hour and 7 minutes… regret mode activated, I was so close to sleep-ville, population me.

Aloha · May 25, 2023, 6:39am

eflyguy · May 25, 2023, 6:56am

Coffee shop is still open, no?

Daughter has been home from HI for about a month, and ships off to Africa next week, pretty used to odd hours and time zones!

She’s planning on heading back to O’ahu when she gets back from Africa. She loves it out there.

Aloha · May 25, 2023, 7:48am

That is great! Oahu is awesome.
bed time…

bill.m.davis · May 25, 2023, 12:51pm

The layered apples have the same message on the backs, “You don’t just teach, you inspire!”

And there was one more still in the forge when I took the first picture.

ellencadwell · May 25, 2023, 1:08pm

Those look great! Love the sign language one!

ptodd · May 25, 2023, 1:58pm

A wonderful gift! Love teacher appreciation!

ChristyM · May 25, 2023, 8:00pm

Do Hawaiian teachers get pineapples on everything?

eflyguy · May 25, 2023, 9:10pm

Apples are actually common in the humid climate, and you’ll find them at farmer’s markets during summer. Also a common garden tree.

The only place I ever saw pineapples (growing) were on the plantations.

ChristyM · May 25, 2023, 9:48pm

It was just a silly joke. The whole idea of giving anything apple to a teacher no longer makes any sense, so I decided to have fun with it.

bill.m.davis · May 25, 2023, 9:56pm

Ouch. What do you propose that a teacher would prefer? I thought they would enjoy a traditional gift, but I must be wrong…

ChristyM · May 25, 2023, 10:32pm

Sorry, Bill, that wasn’t meant to be an attack. Giving apples made sense in a historical context, but now the symbolism has carried on. I don’t know what your kids’ teachers like, but you have to imagine that not every person who becomes a teacher naturally loves apples.

I grew up in a family of teachers (my mother retired 18 years ago and still has a massive stash of generic “teacher gifts” in a closet) and I know that teachers often spend a lot of their own money on things for their classrooms, so I tend to give a small item paired with a gift card. In terms of laser items, I’ve given custom pencils, key chains, etc. If I know a teacher celebrates Christmas, they might get a personalized ornament. Sometimes I got to know the teachers better or they had funny stories/nicknames for my kids. In those cases, they got something a little more personal.

Whether they love apples or not, I’m sure they appreciate your thoughtfulness.

grottfam · May 26, 2023, 4:17pm

LOVE your teacher gifts…and I’m positive the kids’ teachers did too!!

trually · May 28, 2023, 7:19pm

I love making things for the teachers, too!

I made earrings and keychains for the holidays. For end of the school year, I try to never make my item school-focused. All I picture is that the teachers have what could fill up a closet with apple and pencil themed stuff that they won’t ever use. I prefer to give them things that anyone would enjoy. I made some cute butterfly bookmark things for the teachers this year and they loved them. My daughter has lots of teachers and therapists, so I have to make something that’s inexpensive so I can afford to give everyone one. (I think I made like 10 this year and still found a couple of people I missed, ugh! lol But her school is amazing and they all love my daughter - it’s truly her home. So I do whatever I can to show my appreciation.)

three.eight.onecreat · June 3, 2023, 8:40pm

Where did you find the letters with the sign language? I love those!