<p>Now that I know where I'll be going for college, and all this worrying and number crunching the FA is over, I want to give something to the teachers that wrote the letters of recommendation. One of them is an Economics teacher and the other one is a Math teacher. I'm close with both of them, and I'm actually going to the Math teacher's Alma Mater (he's pretty happy for me :D), but I don't know how to thank them?</p>
<p>I was thinking of getting a book for each (on, say, economics and on Math) but maybe that's too much. Or is a simple 'Thank you for taking your time to write my letter of recommendation' sufficient?</p>
<p>A thank you note is lovely - most students don’t bother and I think it is a nice gesture. I had my son write (e-mails) to the teachers who wrote for him thanking them and also telling them his results - where he was accepted and where he decided to attend. I also wrote to each of them, since I do get how busy they are and this is a big demand on their time.</p>
<p>Gift - not necessary - but if you did - I would suggest a small ($10) gift card - Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, etc.</p>
<p>I think that a thank you card is sufficient, but if you want to do something extra, there are always edible gifts (candy or flowers), candles, or something in honor of the school you are going to, like a pen or a sticker or a key chain or something especially for the math teacher who went there. Or you could do something in the school colors. </p>
<p>A book is fine I think, just not something too expensive (a regular hard-cover is ok, but not say 50 dollar coffee table book). </p>
<p>Most of all, they’d probably just like a card to acknowledge the work they put in. THey’re happy to do it, they don’t expect gifts, just a little polite gratitude goes a long way.</p>
<p>Whatever she does, send the note. D gave one teacher a 7-11 gift card because she knew the teacher liked to stop and get a slurpee every afternoon. She gave the other a B&N gift card because she knew she was a heavy reader. D’s teachers went above and beyond to write some scholarship letters for her in addition to the regular recommendation. The school district’s policy is that gifts may not exceed $25 in value, and that was what she gave. (She gave them at the end of May when all of the college choices and grading for the year was done.)</p>
<p>My son sent actual postal mail thank you letters, and will also be giving a pen from the chosen college. I’m glad you’re doing this - they put in a lot of effort and deserve appreciation. And congrats on Cornell!</p>
<p>D hand delivered Thank You notes to both her teachers who wrote for her. I also gave $25 B&N Gift Certificates, which I thought was a little expensive, but D assures me that is standard in her school. I did not get a GC for the GC (;)) because she was less than useless. I did have D write a Thank You note anyway.</p>
<p>I agree with LINYmom. A nice note should suffice…isn’t writing the rec letters part of their job? Is giving gifts a form of bribery? A collection of mementos from various colleges they didn’t attend could become clutter. Just sayin…</p>
<p>DD gave an alumni t-shirt to one teacher who wrote a lot of recommendations for her. The t-shirt is from dd’s eventual choice and this teacher’s alma mater. She baked cookies for the other teachers. They seemed to be extremely appreciative! Of course, she wrote thank-you notes for all of them.</p>
<p>Last year, we did exactly what DougBetsy did. I ordered mugs from the college he chose and then took it to our favorite florist and had them make a small arrangement in them. For the two male teachers, I had them use a lot more lollipops/candy than flowers. He also gave one to his GC and the secretary of that office who is charged with making sure all the files are complete. Certainly she deserved a little acknowledgment as well!</p>
<p>PS… writing LOR is expected, but not mandatory. And certainly teachers are not required to write a glowing review of every student who asks them.</p>
<p>At the end of the year my kids gave each of their letter writers a gift certificate to a wonderful restaurant that they have enjoyed on special occassions. The thankyou note went to each teacher as soon as they had written the letters. </p>
<p>They were each fortunate to have wonderful teachers that had written these letters and we felt it was our way of appreciating the time they took for our kids. Teachers don’t get enough thanks in my opinion, especially the really good ones.</p>
<p>Silvervestersmom: I agree with LINYmom. A nice note should suffice…isn’t writing the rec letters part of their job? Is giving gifts a form of bribery? A collection of mementos from various colleges they didn’t attend could become clutter. Just sayin… </p>
<p>Well, the teacher contract does not require that teachers write letters of recommendation, for what it is worth, though most do. D’s teachers wrote extensive, thoughtful letters, and one of them actually wrote different letters for different colleges. They both wrote additional letters in support of scholarship applications. They clearly spent a significant amount of time doing this, and I didn’t think it was inappropriate to thank them with $25 gift cards to places I knew they used. D didn’t give the thank you letters and gifts until after everything was done, so it wasn’t by any means a bribe – she wasn’t even taking classes senior year from one of the teachers.</p>
<p>My son wrote and said quick thank you’s, and I also bought coffee cups from his college of choice for a few teachers and someone outside of school who was instrumental in his life. The mugs are thanks, not so much for writing letters, but for all they did as special teachers and mentors in my son’s life, and I’ll be including my own letter of thanks to them for that. My friends who are teachers tell me they like getting gift cards best, but I just don’t do gift cards, so they’re mugs - LOL.</p>
<p>We considered the clutter factor when going for the mugs, but decided “it’s the thought that counts.” If teacher doesn’t need or want it, he can trash/recycle/regift. Whatev. It really doesn’t matter. I’ve heard many times that the note is what they value.</p>
<p>Your question about bribes intrigues me. The letters were written months ago. The gifts are given long after the request has been completed. Where is the bribe? (I’m really asking. Not trying to be cynical or snarky.) :)</p>
<p>My son had a part-time job at a specialty bread bakery and we gave gift baskets from the bakery as thank-yous to his recommendation writers and counselor. (couple of loaves of bread, some jam, etc.)</p>
<p>In spring of his senior year, I wrote a long (e-mail) letter to the school board thanking the board for his educational experience and doing a short paragraph to mention each teacher who had made a real difference to him, and the guidance counselor. I sent copies to the principal and the teachers mentioned, and we got so many e-mails back appreciating this! I had done the same for my D years earlier. </p>
<p>The school board gets so much flack from people who are annyoyed about something, I figured it would be nice for them to be appreciated, and a way of giving testimony to the excellent job many teachers did.</p>
<p>My daughter baked each of her teachers a little chocolate torte, boxed it up with a little paper plate, napkin, and fork, tied a ribbon around the box.</p>
<p>My son baked each of his teachers a tin of home-made cookies, using a recipe he’d developed a couple of years earlier. I did ask him if he’d like to include the recipe, but he said no – it has to remain secret.</p>
<p>Both attached a thank-you card with the gifts.</p>
<p>have said it before but the note that says more than “Thank You” is what we really want. We go into this field because we want to make a difference and a child and/or a parent who specifically shares what sort of difference we made in their lives is affirming that.</p>
<p>The gifts are nice but unnecessary. Cookies will likely end up shared in the teachers room, mugs will go into the cabinet for substitutes to use. Teas and Coffees are a good bet for many of us as are gift cards but when I empty my desk at retirement it is the heartfelt thank you notes I will be taking with me.</p>
<p>The math teacher requested batteries for calculator’s or a case of kleenex,
the english teacher liked large pump bottles of antibiotic waterless gel in addition to kleenex. The science teacher badly needed dry erase markers and board erasers. Oh yes, number 2 pencils and an electric desk top pencil sharpener. Many school budgets are so tight that teachers often pay for these things themselves. I just dropped the items off at the office with a thank you note for each teacher and counselor. They didn’t ask me, I just knew what they needed because I have a friend that teaches and one day they had all discussed a wish list.</p>