room mom ideas

Teacher Appreciation Idea

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banana bread teacher gift

Rather than throw away the two black bananas sitting on my counter, I baked banana bread. Teacher Appreciation Week is next week, so I used my mini loaf pans and wrapped up the loaves to bring as teacher thank you gifts for my children’s teachers. I always get hungry mid-morning at school and need a little breakfast-y bite. I thought my kids’ teachers might need a little snack too. The mini loaves are a good size for eating at school since they equal about two servings (and taste great with coffee). Teachers can share with a co-teacher or have a bite in the morning and finish the little banana loaf at lunch or at the end of the day.

ripe bananas

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 c. sugar
  • 1 1/2 t. baking powder
  • 1/4 t. baking soda
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 3/4 c. regular oats (not instant)
  • 1 c. mashed ripe banana (about 2)
  • 1/3 c. buttermilk
  • 1/4 c. vegetable oil
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • Crisco or Pam
  • standard loaf pan (8″x 4″) or 3 mini loaf pans (5 3/4″ x 3 1/4″)

banana bread sliced

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Stir in oats.

banana bread dry ingredients

  • In a separate bowl, combine mashed banana, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs.
  • Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Stir until just moist.

banana bread combining ingredients

  • Pour batter into an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan coated with cooking spray or greased with Crisco. Bake for 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack about 15 minutes and then gently turn pan over to drop the loaf out of the pan. Serve warm or let cool completely on the wire rack and wrap in foil to store.

banana bread mini pans

Notes

  • If using mini loaf pans, fill about halfway with batter. I get about 3 mini loaves per recipe. Reduce the cooking time for the mini size. After about 30 minutes, watch until the top is browned, then test the center to determine if the banana bread is baked through.
  • Wrap with parchment paper and have kids decorate with stickers if giving as gifts.
  • These work well as a teacher appreciation gift, hostess gift, and housewarming present.

banana bread cookedYou know I love teacher gift ideas!

I have a few ideas in the hopper for Teacher Appreciation Week and end of the year, but I like to keep the pipeline stocked. Any other suggestions out there?

Giveaway Winners

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teacher appreciation petal bag giveaway

Congratulations to Lucy and Stephanie for winning the petal gift bag giveaway! Thanks to all who submitted an entry.

If you missed out on the giveaway but want to make your own petal bag, click here for directions. I have many other little gift ideas for teachers, friends, and neighbors, so be sure to click the picture links below or the Sirsees tab in the black bar above.

Back to School Teacher Emergency Kit

teacher emergency kit filled and gift tags

Ice Cream Sundae Samples teacher gift

Teacher Lunch Bag Gift

gift card wallet giveaway

iced tea kit contents

teacher appreciation gift bag

 

Giveaway Ends Friday

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teacher appreciation gift bags

Have you entered TheRoomMom giveaway to win a fabulous petal gift bag? The giveaway ends Friday, April 4 at noon (EST). Two winners will be selected.

teacher appreciation gift bag

Step 1: Follow TheRoomMom blog by clicking one (or all!) of the links below.

Step 2: Click on this Entry-Form link after completing step 1 and submit an entry!

Additional Information

  • Already following TheRoomMom? You can leave a comment below and enter the name you used to comment in the giveaway entry form. You can enter a new comment every 24 hours and submit another entry form creating more chances for you to win.
  • All likes, follows, and comments are “verified” at the end of the contest, and the two winners will be randomly selected.

Winners receive one drawstring petal bag containing clear nail polish, nail clippers, tweezers, and an emery board. Keep it for yourself, give it to a friend, or give it to your child’s teacher and become the #1 room parent.

Teacher Appreciation Sirsee

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DIY magnets

If you read my previous post about Teacher Appreciation Week, you know we organized a group gift of freezable meals for my daughter’s kindergarten teachers. We will be sending a little extra appreciation gift too. We made personalized magnets for the teacher’s white boards at school. I won’t lie to you; this little sirsee took some advanced planning.

I magnet things to the white board in my classroom all the time– attendance slips, papers without a student name, sample projects, just to name a few. I figured all teachers could use a good magnet. These little DIY magnets have a personalized thank you picture of the student, so the teachers will never forget the child– even if they try.

magnet supplies

Materials

  • scrapbook paper
  • clear glass stones or glass tiles (flat back)
  • Diamond Glaze
  • magnets (super strength)
  • photo address labels (pre-ordered)

Directions

  • A few weeks before you need the gift, make a sign that says “Thank You” and take a photo of your child holding the sign.

magnet thank you sign

  • I use Shutterfly, but any site with photo return address labels is fine. Order a sheet of return address labels with your “Thank You” photo in it. I have thought about other options for this, and I can’t come up with any. You need a tiny photo, and it needs to have permanent/sealed ink (like a sticker). I have tried printing my own photos on copy paper and photo paper, and the ink blurs when you use the Diamond Glaze. 

magnet labels

  • When the address labels arrive, cut the “Thank You” photo side away from the address label. I use a paper cutter and cut the photo so there is a small border around the edge. I tried to have a little thank you message printed in the address field thinking the whole sticker would fit under the stone– WRONG. Go ahead and print the photo with your real return address. If you use a paper cutter, the address side of the label is completely usable for any letters you mail. It’s kind of a two for one if you actually mail any letters.

magnet paper back

  • Put the stone on the scrapbook paper, flat side down, and trace a line around the edge. Cut out the shape of the stone and apply the “Thank You” photo sticker in the center of the scrapbook paper piece. My son squeezed a handwritten note onto the side of his magnet with the school year listed too.

magnet add sticker

  • Put a dot of Diamond Glaze in the center of the photo and press the flat side of the stone on top until the Diamond Glaze smooshes to the edge. Let dry. If the Diamond Glaze runs over, gently wipe with a damp paper towel. You may need to turn the stone upside down to let it dry.

magnet attach paper

  • Once the Diamond Glaze dries, put a small dot of Glaze on the back of the paper attached to the stone. Press the magnet into the center of the Glaze. Let dry completely. NOTE: You can’t have any run of the mill magnet for this job. You need super heavy duty magnet strength. The best part about these homemade magnets is the industrial strength pull. I found the super magnets at an art supply store, but I have seen them at my Ace hardware store and Michael’s Crafts. I like the small silver disc magnets, but I have also bought the black disc magnets.

super magnet

  • Instead of magnets, you could attach thumb tacks to the back with the Diamond Glaze and make a pushpin for the teacher’s bulletin board. I have also used these photo magnets as a gift for a grandparent, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day.

finished magnet

Recipe for a Good Teacher

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recipe for a good teacher one card

Teacher Appreciation Week is on the horizon at my daughter’s school, which completely turns my idea brain into overdrive. We are implementing an idea I used during the nursery school years for the kindergarten teachers this year. We are organizing delivery of a week of freezable meals and a grocery store gift card.

E-mail the parents in the class with a list of suggested freezable dishes and ask for volunteers to deliver one item each day of the week. For those who don’t like to cook but want to participate, suggest a $5 donation (per teacher if there is an aide) and use the collection for a grocery store gift card. Finally, send 4×6 blank notecards with directions home via kid mail about 2 weeks before Teacher Appreciation Week. Ask the students to write a “recipe for a good teacher” on the card– or write a note– or draw a picture.

grocery gift card

The Giftcard to Kick Off the Week: Collect donations and purchase a gift card to the local grocery store. You can also pick up one of those hot/cold bags, so the teachers can transport their casseroles home. Deliver the gift card and freezer bag on Monday with a card letting them know that meals are on the way!

sausage artichoke soup

The List: I don’t want the teachers to end up with 5 pans of lasagna, so I send an e-mail to the parent group with days of the week and casserole suggestions. Parents sign up for a day and reply all to the group. Depending on your teachers, you can add bottles of red and white wine too. If your child has 2 teachers, ask that volunteers bring 2 9×9 pans of the same casserole, so both teachers get the same thing. Food should be delivered in disposable containers, so the teachers do not have to return the dish.

  • Tuesday: Italian
  • Wednesday: Soup or Chili (Sausage and Artichoke Soup is an easy freezable soup. Click the name for the recipe.)
  • Thursday: Chicken
  • Friday: Breakfast

recipe for a good teacher card

The Recipe Cards: The concept of a “recipe for a good teacher” is tricky for small children (and some parents). Children do not have to write a recipe. Any thoughtful note or picture will work. Teachers like to be recognized by their students in some way. If students write a recipe, it should list things the teacher does in class that the kids like and then put measurements next to it.

Deliver the recipes on Friday to wrap up Teacher Appreciation Week. In my experience, this gift is the most well received of any that I give. Delivering a freezable meal to any busy friend (not just teachers) is always appreciated.