As this school year begins to dwindle down to the remaining an end and our children get the summer itch preparing for the last day of school, our focus turns to family vacations, activities to keep our children busy during the hot Summer months, and more importantly finding a suitable have to remember the people that spend all school day with out children - Teachers. 

Our friend, Francie Alexander, Scholastic’s Chief Academic Officer, offers some great gift ideas below. What an exciting time it will be to gather your child’s whole class together and create a beautiful group masterpiece. No child will feel left out and the class teacher is sure to love a gift from the heart.

Francie’s thoughts:

Who doesn’t like presents? If you can involve the whole class in gift giving, it makes it easier to chose something special and to keep anyone from feeling left out. Ask for small contributions which will take a little organization and working together. And be sure to put all the kids names on the card even though some families won’t be able to help out.

Beach fun: A beach bag with a fun summer read, a beach towel and sunscreen is sure to be a hit even if the teacher
isn’t leaving town.

Memory-keeping: Many of us are getting somewhat expert at scrapbooking. Give every child a page with easy instructions and the necessary materials (in an envelope to make it a surprise) and be sure to set a due date. Have the kids make a picture or offer a photo and do a caption to remember something special that happened during the school year.  Scrapbook supplies also make a good gift for a DYI-type teacher.

Fan Mail: Collect a thank you note from every child in the class and deliver the letters in a fancy wrapper.

And if you are unable to gather the whole class around to create a class gift, or maybe you just don’t have the time for your child individually to make a gift from the above listing, no worries! Francie also has noted some great gift ideas to give priced just right at under $20.00

Francie’s gift ideas under $20.00:

These are some great generic gifts that any teacher would appreciate and be able to use in the classroom or at home:

Tote Bags: World’s Best Teacher/Teaching is a Work of Heart $19.95/$17.97 – Heartwarming style and functionality are in the bag! The World Best Teacher will love carrying classroom necessities, or any accessories, in these printed canvas message totes.

Red Apple $14.95 – These apples look like they have been just picked! Makes a great gift for a teacher and looks beautiful on any desk or windowsill!

Why We Teach  $15.99 — Award-winning teacher Linda Alston strives to help educators generate their own joy, passion, creativity, and love of their profession. Readers will be inspired by Alston’s ability to demonstrate what a difference their teaching makes for children and their families.

Instant Desktop Organizer $13.99 – This ready-to-personalize, file box holds 10 file folders with labels designed especially to meet teachers’ organizational needs. Teaching just got easier!

Not quite sure if any of these ideas are the right fit for your child’s teacher? Head over to the www.ScholasticStore.com for more great gift ideas for teachers.

This is an original The Parent Spot post.