Valentine's Day is an ideal opportunity for us to tell our teachers how much we love and appreciate all they do for our children! Giving the gift of time resonates with both parents and teachers, especially when budgets are tight. With VolunteerSpot, classroom parents sign up to share some of their time to supervise at recess, bring the teacher lunch (or a family dinner) or anything else parents think of, turning an individual small gesture into a collectively generous gift.
Recognizing our childrens' teachers with a gift from the class is a Valentine's tradition at our elementary school. Each classroom typically takes up a collection and presents the teacher with a gift card, spa treatment, or restaurant certificate. (yes, I realize this is very generous).
This year, given the economic crisis and being sensitive to family budgets, our PTO has directed homeroom moms NOT to collect money for teacher gifts. I applaud this move - in our district, we have several parents who have recently lost their jobs.
Consider giving teachers a daily break by taking over recess duty. Simply set up a recess monitor schedule using VolunteerSpot.com and parents sign up to take turns supervising kids on the playground each day. With a class of 20 kids, it turns out to be about one day a month per family. Moms and dads can both participate (even us working moms -- c'mon it's less time than a lunch break and we need the Vitamin D!) - and your teachers will LOVE their new found free time!
Another thing the class CAN do together is set up a Thank You Meal Schedule with VolunteerSpot's automated sign up sheet. Parents sign up online to send lunch or a take-home-meal one day a week. If the parent is available, (s)he can also offer to bring the teacher lunch and supervise the class for 30 minutes while the teacher gets a well-deserved break. Of course, if you want to slip in a restaurant gift certificate when it's your turn, I'm sure it would be welcome.
What’s even more wonderful about setting up a meal or recess schedule, is your child’s teacher can enjoy this gift ALL YEAR! This Valentine's Day, show your teachers how much they are loved, and give them the Gift of TIME!
What ideas do you have for celebrating teachers on Valentine's Day?
