Teacher, Revised

by GABRIELLE LENSCH PLASTRIK

It is the time of year when most of us are thinking about gifts: what to get our family members, friends, and neighbors for whichever winter time holiday we celebrate.  It is also the time of year when many parents and students seek out gifts for teachers.

In my four years of teaching, there was only one year when I did not receive anything for the holidays, and that was the year that I taught in a large, public, rural high school.  It was not part of the culture at the school or in the community to give gifts to teachers.  At the time, I was saddened.  When I was a student, I spent a lot of time coming up with ideas for creative gifts for my teachers with my mom.  (The best, in my opinion, was a teacher mug filled with Smarties—something that I would not really want now that I am a teacher myself.)  I spent more time with my teachers than with a lot of my family.  I felt that it was crucial that I give them a gift to show them how important they were.  Not receiving anything at the holidays made me feel like an unimportant part of my students’ lives.

This year, as the country struggles with economic hardship, I have spent a lot of time thinking about gifts and discussing students’ gifts with colleagues.  This has been a year for chocolate.  We have so many boxes of fancy chocolates at home, that I am actually running out of space to put them in our teeny 1920s kitchen.  I am utterly and completely grateful that my students and their parents thought of me this holiday season, and I do not want to sound otherwise, but as I have thought about this more, I have come to realize how much more I value the card than the candy.

The best gift that I have ever received from a student is a hastily written note on an unlined note card.  (I should say that it was an impromptu, non-holiday gift when I happened to be ill.) It reads: “I hope you feel better. You really made me feel special today when you told me that I was smart.” I have read that note almost every day since he gave it to me—through my best and worst moments, it has helped remind me what my job truly is and what it can truly mean to someone else.

I am also extremely appreciative of student-made gifts.  For instance, one student made jam with his mom and brought that in to teachers.  Another spent her precious pre-break homework time baking perfect chocolate chip cookies for teachers.  I’ve had students draw me pictures or frame a class photo.  These things are all so low in monetary cost, but so meaningful because of the time and effort that went into them.  I give my students a huge piece of myself everyday (just ask my husband how much time we spend talking about my concerns about my students and how to best meet their needs.)  It is so nice of them to spend a small bit of their time coming up with a handmade gift or card for me.

Our school has attempted to curb some of the awkwardness that can arise from holiday gift giving by creating a teacher wish list.  Teachers send in things that they wish they had in their classrooms, and parents can donate used items, purchase new ones, or send in a check to help cover the cost of those items.  For those who don’t have time, this wish list can be a great way to make a teacher’s life better.  For instance, every year, I ask for bean bag chairs, so that students can use them during independent reading time.  Another teacher requests slightly used books for her classroom library.  These are gifts that we teachers can use year after year to help us make our classrooms better for our students.

There are so many wonderful ways for gifting to be a meaningful part of the classroom.  Perhaps, at the end of the day, I don’t really teach for the money or I wouldn’t be a teacher, and cards and handmade gifts just seem less about money.  As I type this, I have a pile of thank you notes on my left and a pile of chocolate boxes on my right.  The reason that I most grateful for all of these gifts from my generous students is because it gives me an excuse to send my students thank you notes, to tell them how special they are.

What happens in your schools and classrooms around the holidays?  How do you deal with awkward/strange gifts?  What is the best gift that a student has ever given you?

Gabrielle teaches English and Drama at a school for gifted students in Madison, WI.