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I know, I know…it’s not quite even Thanksgiving yet.  However, the holidays are fast approaching and I’m trying to stay ahead.  Last year I wrote a post about holiday wish lists as possible substitutions for teacher gifts but I wrote it right before the holiday break.  So, I thought I would revisit that post and add a few things to it.  You can see the original post here, but I will label the parts that come from that post so you’ll know it was from before.

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.  All that means is that it’s the same price for you, but it gives a little back to me.  More information available in my disclosure statement.

If you have been teaching for any length of time, you know (at least I think this is universal) how much those meaningful gifts mean like cards from a parent or a student telling you how much they appreciate your hard work.  Any time during the year is an opportunity to share those types of gifts and they are always welcome.  There is nothing more appreciated than a heartfelt statement that recognizes how hard this job can be.

However, the many mugs, ceramic apples and other trinkets that come with the holidays can really start to take over your classroom or your home.  I know when I ran a program, I would end up with so much chocolate that my mother loved when I came home and brought it with me.  But let’s face it, I love chocolate but even in my younger days, I really didn’t need it around my house!  🙂  Plus many places have limits on gifts that teachers can accept from parents now and some even don’t allow gifts. And this makes some sense given that some parents just can’t afford the number of gifts for everyone on their child’s team.

From the original:

I was with a parent and school staff the other day when the parent was trying to figure out how many presents to buy to assure she didn’t leave any one out who works with her child.  For one of her children with special needs, it was 8 people and that only included those who worked with him directly.  Successful education for students with special needs involves a team.  It’s different to be a parent of a typical child with one classroom teacher and another to be the parent of a special needs child who has 8, 10 or 12 people working with her child each day.  That’s a lot of Starbucks cards!

So, this year, you might want to consider having a wish list for your classroom.  If you are a parent reading this, ask the teacher if there are materials they need for their classrooms.

If you are a parent reading this, ask the teacher if there are materials they need for their classrooms. Click to Tweet If you are a teacher and parents ask, suggest materials for the classroom. Click to Tweet

If you are an administrator think about how you talk to families about gifts and having this as an option.

And if you are on the PTA and thinking about gifts for schools, think about giving something that can be used everyday in a classroom with the money to appreciate teachers.

Below are items that I would put on a wishlist for any teacher working in a special education classroom.  I’d love to know yours so share them in the comments!  Some of these are from last year’s post, but I’ve added a few things that have made the list since then.

Want to find some cute ways to present this to families?  Click here to search Pinterest for lots of different, very creative options.

Wipes, paper towels, and antibacterial gel are always needed in self-contained classes (and most others as well).

Spring loaded scissors like the ones from Amazon below.  Buy a few pairs for the classroom and everyone can benefit from them.  They make cutting laminate so much easier.

Velcro–teachers would love Velcro coins to avoid having to cut the Velcro each time they need it, but I’ve never known a teacher to turn down Velcro of any kind.  One great place to get it the cheapest we have found it is at Feiner Supply.  Seriously!   You can also check these out from Amazon.

Laminate–Yes, schools have laminators.  However. those laminators are usually stocked with pretty thin laminate film that our students often go right through it.  Personal laminators are relatively inexpensive and even 3 or 5 ml laminate film is stronger than the big machines.  Here are some examples from Amazon along with laminate.