My recent post on the gift of pencils I received prompted quite a few comments...so...since it's Spring Break and I don't have any nutty stories to share (after all, how exciting is it to read about me cleaning house and doing yardwork?) let's get some audience participation action going.
In the comments section , describe the best gift you ever received from a student OR, the best thing someone could give you as a teacher. For example, I always love it when a kid shows up with a box of tissues for the class. Talk about useful!
Your turn!
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9 comments:
When I got engaged, the next day a student of mine brought in homemade cupcakes in a wedding cake formation. I thought it was a sweet gesture.
What I tell my kids if they ask: "Nothing beats a sincere, handwritten thank-you note for the effort I make to teach you each day, whether it's from you or your parents. If you feel you must give an actual present, I might enjoy a scented candle or a mix CD with interesting music to introduce me to -- anything that might help me relax, unwind, and enjoy my life outside of the classroom."
I think the best gift I've been given was an invitation to a former student's college graduation.
I got a $100 gift card to Best Buy for one Christmas gift. Funny thing is that the kid didn't talk at all to me.
Oh! What OKP said! I appreciate practical gifts such as homemade goodies and nice smelling lotions and candles. I would cry over a box of nice pencils, too! But those thank-you notes...when I stumble into them years letter, they still bring tears to my eyes!
Hands down, best thing ever, was the 'suprise' birthday party I got this year. They made me a card that they all signed, they pitched in for pizza, their parents helped them bake cake, and...wait for it...they made me a CROWN!!! So great! All the heart shaped tea lights and Avon watches in the world can't compare to that in my book.
I got a beautiful handmade potholder from one of my second grade language learners. It was addressed to Jenobre (my name is Hanover) I could just picture the student working with Mom to figure out the spelling using their mix of English and Spanish sounds. It was really touching
The thank you notes I got from my most difficult class last fall. I have them up above my computer at home so when I need some encouragement I can just look up and know that I'm making a difference for these kids.
I thought of you yesterday. I went to Costco to shop and saw the Ticonder..... The World's Bestest Pencils Ever! Funny how things stick with us!
I have a folder of handwritten notes and letters from all kinds of kids - difficult and not so - who just wanted to say something so I'd remember them. On particularly bad days, I look for them and occasionally, I will stumble upon them when I am looking for something else. They make me smile and remind me why I do what i do.
Oh, yeah. I also have a baby food jar of sand from Iraq. One of my student's dad's was deployed and he knew how much I loved all things historical, so he sent me a baggie from Baghdad. It sits on my desk where I can see it every day.
Six months after my last day of teaching (It was a two year temp. gig and I've moved across the country looking for something perminent) I got a letter in the mail from an EA I worked with. W ehad many students in common and did some great things together. It was a happy birthday letter from a few of my X students. Not only did they remember me (it had been six months since the last time I would ever see them) but they remembered my birthday! I cried.
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