Enough with the shiny red apples and "I Heart My Teacher" mugs. That's not what teachers really want.
Their kitchen cabinets are always overflowing with ceramic coffee mugs that never get used -- not to mention the junky trinkets that just collect dust on their desks. I know we hear it all the time, but teachers regularly go above and beyond the call of duty. And the nature of the job itself is less than desirable. I mean, would you want to hang out with just your kiddo and 25 of his crazy friends all day long? Seriously, let's tip our hats to educators! Not sure what you can do to give your child's teacher some much-deserved love? We've compiled a list of what your teachers really want for Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8-12. Send your middle schoolers to school with deodorant. Please. When puberty is in full swing, those classrooms filled with hormonal pre-teens can get awfully stuffy -- and stinky!
Make sure your student turns in stellar, completed homework on time. Nothing makes a teacher happier than having more assignments to grade. Specifically A+ assignments that show the student's effort and growth. Really.
If turning in homework is too much to ask, then at least see to it that they come prepared to class each day. Duct tape paper and pencil to your child's body if you have to! For goodness' sake, it's May, and students should know better than to show up for class unprepared. But, honestly, by this point in the school year? Kids have lost track of all the school supplies you so generously set them up with back in August.
Give the teacher a bouquet of freshly-sharpened pencils. Tie them together with a pretty ribbon, if you want. And don't forget the "sharpened" part -- there's nothing more irritating than a long line of kiddos waiting to grind their pencil tips to perfection.
Send in a couple boxes of Kleenex tissues for the classroom. Kids eat that stuff, I swear.
Good behavior. This one's a toughie because, unless you're an awesome parent who's already spent years ingraining basic manners into your spawn, then at this point it's really out of your control. But if there's a way to bribe your child into treating his teacher and classmates with respect for a week, then do it. If not, then just keep your kid at home. For the rest of the year.
Notes or cards of appreciation. All teachers like to know that they're making a difference. But if the note falls anywhere short of "You're like the father my son never had," then just forget it. We're not looking for platitudes here (i.e., "Thank you for all you do"). Cards and notes should sing the teacher's praises to the extent that he or she can retire in peace, confident that the next Albert Einstein just passed their 6th grade science course.
A mini bar in the teacher's lounge. The Department of Education might disagree, but we're going to hold fast on this one. End of story.
Chocolate -- specifically dark chocolate. With the mood-boosting endorphins that are released in the teacher's brain when dark chocolate is consumed, you'll actually be doing your child a favor, too.
A pat on the back -- in front of the principal. Everyone wants to look good in front of the boss. And if you can bring up something specifically amazing ("Jenny had never used a spoon before Ms. Smith's math class"), all the better!
Cash or gift cards. All joking aside, you can't go wrong with monetary gifts. Lack of money tends to be the source of stress for many teachers, so anything along that line is always greatly appreciated. Find out their favorite restaurants and the stores they like to shop at, and purchase a gift card. Or when in doubt, just give them cold, hard cash.
