<p>This thread piggybacks on the one for graduating students. Any suggestions for gift ideas for the private teacher? My D will be leaving her beloved teacher at the end of the summer after several years. Last year one of his students assembled a book of all his pearls of wisdom and quotes she heard from him through the years. It was an incredible piece of work - so personal and organized in such a way that it could be a lesson book for violin. It will definitely be a tough act to follow.</p>
<p>I haven't quite figured out how my daughter will personalize it, but, we're making a quilt for her private teacher with music themed fabric.</p>
<p>My daughter is getting one that I'm making for her graduation - what she doesn't know I that I sent some "blank" squares with special fabric markers to every music teacher she's ever had, including the ones out of state (we've moved a few times). My feeling was she could wrap herself up in college with all these words of love and encouragement from her mentors. The rest of the quilt blocks have music staff/notes and the border has kokopelli - she is a flutist!</p>
<p>When son graduated high school, we took out full page ads out in his youth symphony program thanking his chamber coach; we did the same in the spring musical program for his hs music teachers. Son wrote the copy, specific to each mentor for the ads.</p>
<p>He gave his college instructor a gift certificate to cover dinner for two at the instructor's favorite restaurant.</p>
<p>Last year I got my amazing bass teacher at home this beautiful pen after I graduated. </p>
<p>Kind of like this one except green and ballpoint instead of fountain:
<a href="http://penhome.co.uk/Images2/Vermeil1.jpg%5B/url%5D">http://penhome.co.uk/Images2/Vermeil1.jpg</a></p>
<p>It was a good present.</p>
<p>Violadad: We did something similar this year and made a contribution to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in honor of my daughter's flute teacher. In several of their performance programs it was noted in the donors section. They printed "in honor of: (her name) teacher extraordinaire!" We really liked doing this because a) it contributed to a cause we love, b) it acknowledged her in view of her collegaues/peers.</p>
<p>BEK - I wish I could see the quilt - it sounds amazing!</p>
<p>I had forgotten about the ad - we also took put one in the Youth Symphony program - had a picture of S and his teacher with a nice note from S.</p>
<p>Most of our gifts have been nothing special. The piano teacher that had two big black labs, we gave a black lab statue to. At S's senior recital, we invited every music teacher he'd ever had, listed their names inside the program, and S wrote them each a thank you note, and we enclosed a flat pewter horn ornament in each.</p>
<p>Personalized Quilts! What a lovely idea! I've done them for elementary school teachers with the kids handprints. I never thought of personalized messages on the square. GREAT IDEA! For the teacher's quilt maybe you could get a square embroidered with a personal note. I'd love to see the final product!</p>
<p>It's also important to think about the personality of the teacher you're buying the gift for. I can't even imagine my bass teacher's reaction if I were to give him a quilt... </p>
<p>With him, I always did pretty well getting him a book I knew he'd like and write him a nice card. That pen was a good present for him because I know he's a real classicist and I thought that that gift speaks to that side of him more or less.</p>
<p>No offense to the quilt idea. Very good for the right kind of teacher.</p>
<p>No offense taken Cosmos. This particular teacher would enjoy a quilt. I have also made those neck cushions with rice in them that you heat up in the microwave as a gift (using music fabric of course) - great for relaxing neck and shoulder muscles. Or I've made bowls out of music fabric and that stiff stuff used in baseball cap brims...great for sitting on top of tables as a catch-all for keys, etc.</p>
<p>I'll post a link to a picture when the kokopelli quilt is done, sometime around the end of June.</p>
<p>Another idea we have used is to find DVDs of master players performing or teaching. My D's teacher was thrilled to get one from us.</p>