Gift for the teacher on the first day of school?

My daughter is starting kindergarten and fluctuates between excited and nervous. I thought (and she likes this idea a lot; I%26#039;m thinking it might help her feel less nervous if she has something to be responsible for) of bringing a gift for the teacher on the first day-- like a plant for the classroom.





My only concern is that I don%26#039;t want her to look like a suck-up on her first day! LOL





But, for kindergarten, kids probably don%26#039;t think along those lines, right? What do y%26#039;all think? Teachers, what would you think if a kid brought something like this on the first day?

Gift for the teacher on the first day of school?
Your plant is a great idea. Gifts are appreciated! Your daughter%26#039;s kindergarten teacher will not think she is sucking up or that you%26#039;ll want her to give her more attention! She will think it is sweet. You daughter will have her mind on something else, too. Good idea, mom!





How about a gift basket of fun school supplies? Pens, markers, cute note pad, ink jet cartridges... he he


The wish list idea from above is a great idea, too!
Reply:Not a plant... go w/ something like a piece of fruit. Believe w/ the teachers nerves on the first day she%26#039;ll be glad to eat them away on lunch.
Reply:I never brought anything for my teacher on the first day, even my first day of kindergarten. I have seen it in the movies in small towns. I%26#039;m sure if your daughter does not bring anything, she won%26#039;t be the only one. But if she does bring something, make it small and not so noticeable. Maybe something like a cute stamp or something like that.
Reply:Most of the teachers that I know, and I know dozens, have said the best gifts they ever received were gift cards to school supply places or office supply stores. The school districts never have enough money to go around and the teachers are always shelling out their own money for their classroom supplies. So the cards are very welcome!


Good luck to your daughter!
Reply:You should bake her teaching a cake or cookies or something, OR there is also getting her teacher the biggest, fatest apple in the whole world!!!
Reply:An apple.


Always does the trick!
Reply:Giving first day of school gifts isn%26#039;t something that is customary - for the very good reason that classroom space is limited and most teachers have plans for every bit of it. Giving plants is a nice idea, but it aside from the space issue, it raises problems with who will water it and look after it over the holidays, long weekends, etc.


This isn%26#039;t about looking like a suck-up, because kindergarten kids really don%26#039;t think about that.


What would happen if she gave her teacher a small bouquet - maybe even flowers from your garden if you have any - which would serve your purposes, but wouldn%26#039;t generate a problem for the teacher. (And by small, I%26#039;m thinking kindergarten size - like a nosegay)
Reply:Instead of your daughter looking like the suck-up, the teacher will probably think that you want him or her to give your daughter extra attention.





Maybe you could include a card with the gift your daughter will bring to class on the first day. Let the teacher know of your intentions and that in addition to a gift for the class, you are also trying to teach your daughter about responsibility. Ask if your daughter could be in charge of watering the plant from day to day. That way, she will feel very important.
Reply:i think its a great idea, and i believe the teacher would be flattered , and probably would be extra nice to your daughter for doing it, and in return would probably lift your daughters spirits. and as for kids picking on her for doing that, i dont believe kindergarden is a age for that kind of mentality. i dont think there would be any repercussions from it. i think it would be a great idea, go for it
Reply:The kids won%26#039;t think along those lines, but parents do! Anyway, how about a calendar - she%26#039;ll turn the page each day. Hopefully, kids won%26#039;t feel jealous that your daughter gets to do something and not them. Kids at that age wants to help, too! Good luck!
Reply:I think that your daughter should bring it the day before school...she will sleep soundly as well
Reply:If you brought things for all the kids too, like...candies, they would all be happy!
Reply:Hmm, I never thought giving any teacher a gift on the first day of school... but that is a really cute idea. The bamboo is a cute idea, as well.


You should get the teacher something that the whole class can enjoy!
Reply:kids that small don%26#039;t think like that yet. it%26#039;s ok now, next yr they%26#039;ll be all over her, though
Reply:well in Ireland we always brought presents for the teacher in primary school but i dont know about kindergarten!! i would just do it anyway, the other kids wont even notice if she does it and nobody else does!!





you could go in with her and if no one else has a present then you can just give it to the teacher or not give it to her at all!
Reply:I%26#039;m a kindergarten teacher and all I gotta say is that I love it when kids bring in presents. It definitely brightens up my day! The only thing is that I would love to get things that I actually need. A gift certificate to a teacher supply store would be wonderful for her teacher b/c I%26#039;m sure that she will need to buy some stuff and guess what..... 90% of what you see in the classroom, well, the teacher bought it or made it. Stuffed animals are cute and all but for example, I don%26#039;t go crazy over them. I%26#039;d always pass them along to my mentor%26#039;s little girl who was in prek and they didn%26#039;t have that much money.


Also, in response to the answer from the previous person, a plant is actually a good gift also. I plan on getting a plant and planting it with the kids and turning it into a mini lesson and then assigning a kid every week to water it. They love being assigned classroom jobs because it makes them feel special. If you%26#039;re going for the plant idea, then get something that flowers... my favs are gerbera daisies.
Reply:Go with an apple. Its classic.
Reply:Maybe a little vase with a nice flower. Or maybe home made cookies. Cookies and flowers shows you care :)
Reply:Be careful because you don%26#039;t want to send the wrong message to the teacher or the other students not to mention the other parents. Why would you want to give a gift to a stranger? just because they are a teacher doesn%26#039;t mean that they deserve a gift, why don%26#039;t you wait and see what kind of teacher/person she is before you do something like that. I personally wait until the end of the school year to give gifts because sometimes the teacher really wasn%26#039;t that good or nice so I don%26#039;t think they deserved a gift. Remember this, there are good and bad in everything in life, just because you hold the title of teacher doesn%26#039;t automatically put you in the good column , everyone; teachers included, have to prove themselves. Also if you wait you will know much more about the teacher and won%26#039;t have such a hard time thinking of what to get her.
Reply:Check with the school website - Do the have a list of supplies that the children are required to bring in? Some supply lists have an optional %26quot;wish list%26quot; on the back or on the website like room plug-ins, electric pencil sharpener, painting aprons, etc.





If you want to get something for everyone - how about special pencils that say Kindergarten on it - check out teacher supply stores, they sell them for every grade.
Reply:Buy something inexpensive but sweet. DON%26#039;T buy a $40 colored marker set or a fancy glass vase. That will definitely make your daughter look like a %26#039;suck up%26#039;. So, buy the teacher a bouquet of flowers or a box of crayons. I assure you the teacher will appreciate the gift!
Reply:give her some colored chalk
Reply:Give the teacher a car, they%26#039;ll appreciate it.



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