I was thinking of compiling a short letter/questionnaire for my boys teachers this year so that we can get to know their personal likes/dislikes a little better. I would like to surprise them throughout the year with little treats to let them know I appreciate them and also this would make Christmas and other gift giving times much easier.
Can ya'll help me come up with something?
This is what I thought of so far.....

favorite foods
favorite snacks/candy
favorite candle scents
favorite drinks
favorite sports team (we live in football country)
hobbies
wishlist for classroom
giftcard wishlist

Do you think this is appropriate? Anything I should add or subtract from the list? Forgot to mention...I work at this school so it's not like a total stranger is asking for this information. But honestly, I think it would be nice if everyone in the class had this list from the teacher. It could help with all those "unused" gifts that wind up in the closets.


Your Opinions Please!!!

favorite store
favorite restaurant
favorite color
size

This is just a personal preference since I teach in a 4-8 middle school. However, I would rather not share my size with parents or students. The other suggestions are great.

Just wondering about one thing - I think the teacher might feel slightly self-conscious about answering some of the questions - several of the questions imply that the teacher should be ready for a gift.

It might be far out there (I do tend to overthink, sometimes -- but I believe that this tendency helps me to stay out of trouble often! LOL), but I also wonder if the teacher might feel that you are posturing them, in a way, sort of like saying "Be good to my son, Johnny, because if you're nice to him, you'll be rewarded..."

I KNOW that's not your intent at all - I just always try to rule out all possibilities of being misinterpreted before I do something somewhat unique.

I still think the questions for the teacher is a nice idea - but I would take out any questions that sound like your thinking along the gift track at this point. KWIM?

I think along the same lines as Devinmom, but a little more concerned on the privcacy side. Were it me, I would get to know the teachers first, maybe get some of the questions answered nonchalantly, and then decide whether I would write such a letter. Another alternative is to gather and disseminate the information through the room parent or as a group of parents.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

You said that you work in the school. Do you get to eat lunch with the teacher? I am a teacher and have been for several years. Last year one of my parents worked in the school. We ate lunch together so we got to know each other. Here is another suggestion. I had one parent that had a mother who had been a teacher. About 4 times a year, she bought seasonal decorations for the classroom (it could include letters and borders). Many years later I still have those decorations.

I would not be offended. Heck, I would probably fall over that a parent was so thoughtful

I wonder if this is something your PTO could do for all the teachers, secretaries, aides etc. That way one person would not be spotlighted with these questions. I'm sure if you want to know stuff like this, other parents would also want to know about their kid's teachers.

I think that if the school sent out letters like this some of the parents may feel like they are obligated to buy a gift. Our teachers send out a letter in the summer introducing themselves which usually lists their schooling and a little about their personal lives. I know ours listed their hobbies on hers. Maybe something you could bring up at PTO meeting.

that is what our PTO does ,and the room mother receives all the informationsand she shares it with parents when someone ask!!!!

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By the time you make ends meet, they move the ends

okay....a little more info....I cannot have lunch with either of my boys teachers....my schedule is just different than theirs....
I am the home room mom in both of my boys class so this is an issue that I definitely am not overstepping my bounds in doing. I did talk to the PTO v/p....who is a very good friend of mine and suggested that we do this for all the teachers. Then just have the information complied in a book so that it is there if someone needs it. Honestly...it will probably just be used by the other teachers/staff members more than anything. So as it stands...I am compiling the letter/questionnaire. They are going to be passed out to all of our teachers and collected by the PTO v/p. She will keep them in a binder and the info will be availabe to whomever needs it.
I am not doing this to get brownie points for my kids. I always treat my boys teachers well (even if I am not real fond of that teacher as has been the case before). I just want to make sure that when I do want to treat her that I am giving her something that is useful to her so that I am not wasting my money. I just feel if I am going to spend my money to get someone a gift (whether it be a teacher/friend/relative) I want to get them something that will definitely be used and not wind up in a re-gift clost somewhere.
Thanks for all you input and advise. I definitely got some fresh ideas that will be included in my questionaire.

Well, then I think it is a great idea. I can't tell you how many coffee cups I got and I don't drink coffee or tea (they make great pencil holders). In more recent years, I got many Starbucks gift cards.

My kids' school does this. The teachers fill out a form every year and it is placed in a binder in the parent resource center (your school may not have a room for parents, see if they will put it in the library, office, etc. somewhere that parents can come in and look at it). Some years the homeroom mom will make a copy of the page and send it home with the students too, etc. I don't mind receiving the 'favorites' list as it helps me to get to know the teacher a little better; but it also does hint at the whole expected gift-giving thing too honestly, especially if you get a teacher that is very picky (we have one this year that likes European chocolate only for example--ha ha). Here are some of the questions on ours:

Where is your favorite place to shop?
What is your favorite restaurant?
Favorite place to get a gift card to?
Favorite drink from a local shop? (for example seems most of the teachers like Sonic cherry limeade or diet coke--I guess the PTO will sometimes bring in the teacher's favorite drinks during appreciation week, etc.)
Favorite color?
Do you like candy, if so what?
Do you like candles, what scent?
Hobbies or collections?
What is your favorite flower?

We have a very affluent school district though (highest paid in the state and seems like everyone in this area makes lots of $$) so it truly is the norm that the teachers get tons of gifts every year--nice gifts, we really do have a problem with some people brown nosing the teachers/trying to buy them with gifts--I hate all that but anyway. For instance a year or two ago we had a parent buy my daughter's teacher a really nice digital camera (for use in the classroom but still a bit excessive; it's like this here every year though). Of course she presented it in front of all the other students/parents. I think gifts are great and all, but I truly see it way out of control at our school (other parents have mentioned this too so I know it's not just me). Sorry off topic a little.

They also have a teacher wishing tree at Christmas that they refer you to this list, and the HR parent will normally ask for donations to buy something off this list for Christmas and end of year gifts. I wonder if the teachers would really just rather have stuff bought for the classroom instead of more teacher related stuff ya know? I'm sure they totally do love all of the gift cards though.

Our school does this for every teacher and the information is given to the room mom. The room mom can then distribute it to the class.

Personally, I would get to know the teacher first and find out a few of her likes. Then ask specific questions about scents, colors, etc. as I got to know here. Otherwise, as a teacher, I would find it a little strange that one parent was asking all these questions.

Just my two cents.......
Sarah

The class moms in my older daughter's class had the teacher fill out a form like this and then they sent it home to all of the parents. My husband and I weren't too keen on that since it did seem to imply that we were expected to give gifts at certain times (they even had her birthday, teacher appreciation week, and other great "gift giving" dates listed on a cover letter). I agree that a list like this should be made available at the parents' request, but should not be sent home to all as this one was.

The class moms called our house a few days ago and told my husband that the class was getting the teacher a gift for her birthday next week , and for us to send $5 to school with our daughter on Tuesday. My husband made a comment that the gift must be very nice since there are over 20 students in our daughter's class, which would make the gift over $100. The lady said, "well, you don't have to send any money if you don't want to". He told her he was planning to send it, but it just seemed like a lot to him. I think maybe these particular moms are being overzealous. Of course, we are new to the school, so that may just be the way it always is.