My first child started school in 2003. At the end of the first year of school, I made the two Kindy teachers (they were both part-time and shared the week), some baked goods as presents. I remember it being a nervous-breakdown-making-event, in the last two days of the school year, to bake two lots of iced, pudding-shaped, sweet Christmas buns with custard inside them. Both teachers seemed to really love them but I remember thinking, next year we need to make something well in advance of the pressures of the end of the school year. Not to mention the general craziness that Christmas brings.
I'm not sure how I stumbled on these things. I blame ebay. Anyway, ever since 2004 we've been making the teachers a beaded Christmas ornament. The good things about these kits is that they make at least two, sometimes three ornaments. So we give the teacher one (or two) and then keep the other one as a memento of that teacher. Each year we hang the teacher decorations on the tree and remember them. Some teachers we loved, others...well... they still got decorations and I try and say a little "hope they are doing better this year" wish (ie hope they aren't still shouting at lots of little children). Across both my children's primary school years and counting all the helpers in preschool, we've had 15 teachers so far and only 2 of them get the little "wish they are better now" treatment - so really, we have been lucky. And of course, some teachers we have really, really loved.
When my son moved to high school we stopped making the ornaments for his teachers. It seemed odd and inappropriate. Instead he bought gifts for the teachers he liked and we just quietly parted ways with the ones we didn't respect.
This year, like last year, it is just Tess and me and she has decided that she'll make the bells for the Guide leaders and the Plaid ornament for the wonderful Grade 4 teacher.
The other good thing about these kits is the children have always helped. Often I've needed to finish the ornament but the children have always started out with me.
2008: Grade 1 teacher
2007: Nick's Grade 4 Teacher
2006: Tessy's Preschool teachers (thankfully there were 4 birds in this kit)
