danielle Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I need to come up with 3 Christmas gifts: orchestra conductor (spent tons of one-on-one with dd); music composition teacher (dd adores the class and he's given extra time, too) and new harp instructor (made more improvement in her playing in 6 weeks than the last one did in 16 months). Last year we gave former harp teacher a gift certificate to a good restaurant. However, I don't know these teachers as well and am not sure if I could pick a restaurant. Also, I saw that last year the teacher had tons of gift cards--so many that he said it would be hard to spend them. We're in a major metro area, and the private lessons are $55/hour, so you get an idea of the cost scale. What would you get these teachers, and how much would you suggest spending? The opinion of other music teachers would be especially welcomed! Have you BTDT? Please make suggestions! Pretty please? Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyinNNV Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 We generally get our youngish harp teacher a gift card to the local mall-lots of variety. In the past, we gave another youngish teacher a gift card to go to the movies. With our piano teacher (who has a big family) we gave a large gift basket of candies from a local fudge shop. With a teacher who loves coffee we gave a Starbucks card. If you knew the teacher had an iPod, you could give an itunes card. Good luck- Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in SC Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I need to come up with 3 Christmas gifts: orchestra conductor (spent tons of one-on-one with dd); music composition teacher (dd adores the class and he's given extra time, too) and new harp instructor (made more improvement in her playing in 6 weeks than the last one did in 16 months). Last year we gave former harp teacher a gift certificate to a good restaurant. However, I don't know these teachers as well and am not sure if I could pick a restaurant. Also, I saw that last year the teacher had tons of gift cards--so many that he said it would be hard to spend them. We're in a major metro area, and the private lessons are $55/hour, so you get an idea of the cost scale. What would you get these teachers, and how much would you suggest spending? The opinion of other music teachers would be especially welcomed! Have you BTDT? Please make suggestions! Pretty please? Danielle We gave each of ours a Classical Praise Christmas CD (purchased the day after Cmas last year at 75% off). :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 How about making a donation in honor of the teacher to a scholarship fund at a local music school or somewhere like that? That would have thrilled me to pieces as a (mostly) former music teacher. Or if you'd rather purchase something, how about an itunes gift certificate or a gift certificate to a local cd shop? I charge/d in the same price range you're talking about. I was always very happy with just the gesture. $10 was very nice. I also treasured handmade cards by my students. Once a parent wrote me a very, very lovely letter, outlining all the things that made her glad I was teaching her daughter. That was the best gift of all, that feeling of appreciation and really "getting it." :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nayner Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Gift cards are nice, but I have to agree the best gifts are handmade cards and detailed letters of appreciation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Tickets to a community music event? And I agree about handmade cards. :) My kids enjoy making cards and gifts for their teachers. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 Is it rude to say that as a teacher I don't like to get lots of homemade food? I get so much and I end up throwing a lot of it away because we do our own holiday baking and have too much around. I love getting a note where the student lets me know what they appreciate. I like getting homemade ornaments or something like that because I can put them on my tree and then put them away after Christmas and when I get them out the next year I remember that student. I do really like getting gift cards. Even a small Starbucks card ($5.00) is a huge treat since I don't ususally spend the money to buy one for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 I buy one of our music teachers an ornament for her Christmas tree that is musical, every year. She is a retired recorder teacher, apart from teaching my son, and we always get her something like an angel playing a flute or something remotely similar to a recorder. She loves it. The other teacher is newer for us, and her Christmas tree decorations were so tatty and she was commenting on it, and apologising for it- so we bought her a beautiful tree decoration, but not musical, because that was too hard to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 I generally purchase the music teachers giftcards to Barnes and Noble or something similar, depending on the teacher. I have 4 to buy for...drum and guitar (both are male and love BN so enjoy this gift), fiddle teacher (this year I bought her an orchid because she loves plants and will add in a giftcard), and violin teacher who asks that her students do not give her presents so I donate money to her favorite charity instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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