Holiday Gift Suggestions for Your Drama Teacher

Holiday Gift Suggestions for your Drama Teacher

So, let’s talk about holiday gift suggestions for your drama teacher, shall we? The holidays are here or nearly. Wasn’t it just shorts and sandals weather? Not in the mid-west that’s for sure.

As I work here in my office, as I blog I see many gifts from students which I have kept after all these years. Theater is very intense and all encompassing if you didn’t know that. Because we work with our students and their emotions, it means they must trust us to a degree they might not with some of their other teachers.

One of my favorite memories of each year are the gifts my students would give me at holiday time.

Sometimes they were cookies they had made with their families. Other times they were a coffee mug (I had many mugs), but I always appreciated that the student took the time to think of me. The only problem was it is difficult to thank everyone—there were so many! (I taught 250 students a year in my last job.)

People wonder what they should give a teacher. Here are some holiday gifts suggestions for your drama teacher:

Candy–homemade or store bought
Cookies–you might find out your teacher’s favorite type and bake those!
Gift cards for a Coffee Shop–Personally, I enjoy these the most. One year, I was given about ten Starbucks gift cards. Some were for $5.00 and some were upwards of $20.00. It doesn’t matter the dollar amount. They are always appreciated. Sometimes I combine them and purchase several pounds of coffee instead of just one drink.
Flowers or a Christmas plant–Okay, this sounds cliché but really it’s nice. A poinsettia or paperwhite flowers or an evergreen arrangement is lovely.
Holiday socks
Something for the classroom–pencils (Ticonderogas, please. They are my favorite), paper, sticky notes, markers, etc.
A lovely scented candle–better to go subtle scent than strong.
An emergency kit for stressful days–a bottle of bubble bath, lotion and candle and some chocolate.
Teachers are readers, so a gift certificate to a particular book store is always fun.
Tickets to a professional play or musical. This will take some research on your child’s part, but if you can find out a play or musical your teacher would enjoy attending, purchasing one or two tickets to see it would be grand. If that’s too costly, see if one or two other families would like to join you in the gift giving. One time a family invited us out to dinner and to see their church’s musical performance. I was a little hesitant to accept the offer, but it was wonderful fun and a terrific way to become more acquainted with the student’s family.
A new coffee cup or water bottle.
A delightful tea–my personal favorite gift of tea is Good Earth. I’d never had any until a parent gave some to me. It’s terrific.
A hand made card from your student. Just make sure they sign them. I’ve kept many purely because of the thought and care behind the making of the card. Even if your student is in high school, a hand made card from her is still appropriate.
Cash. Some people thinks giving cash is gausch. I don’t. It’s like a tip. Trust me, you can’t begin to offend me with money.
Lastly, a simple thank you on nice stationery is good, too! (The only thing I would avoid saying is, “Thanks for all you do.”–it’s a tired phrase and not very heartfelt. )

We love your kids and do enjoy teaching them, but it is nice to be remembered.

At this busy time of year it is difficult to extend our appreciation to all the people who have supported us and our children throughout the year. A small gift is a terrific way to say “thank you” to us.

What gifts have you given your drama teacher? Or what gifts have you received which you really enjoyed? I’d love to hear about them. Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com