Gift suggestions for homeschool teaching cooperative teachers?

Question

Any ideas?

No apple thingies please. I'd like to get something reasonably priced but that also really shows our appreciation.

Answer 1

I second that assistant vote! I am a co-op teacher and last night one of the kids dropped in to the online classroom just to chat a bit and ask a question about an assignment. I was working on making slides for another class that I teach and he jumped in and helped to make a slide I needed. I was so grateful. That is literally only the second time someone has helped in two years of volunteer teaching. The first time was my son who saw me making a simple online board game and recognized he could make it really fancy for me - which he did and all the kids have loved the looks of that game slide.

If no one can spare the time to help, the next best thing would be tools to do the job better, help needy students, or get necessary tools for a future class I would love to teach. I think most that volunteer to teach love to give and a gift that lets them give even more is the desire of their hearts. My own wish list would be:

Software to make it easier to annotate directly on a student's composition without bothering the original text. Something like http://www.turnitin.com/static/home.html but software that runs on my system instead of a renew it every year dort of service.

Spare used copies of textbooks that are used in the course so I can loan them out freely to kids whose families cannot afford them. I have a fair collection of Saxon Algebra I (3rd edition) and Apologia Chemistry ed 1 textbooks, but inevitably I loan out all I have and there is still a family with need so I give out all I can spare and then my own kids end up doubling up on our own family copies. LOL

Lab equipment - I love hands on science so I always am oggling over the homeschool science catalogs. A gift certificate would be so much fun!

I would so love to teach an online digital painting course, but asking the kids to paint with a mouse is like asking someone to eat with just their thumbs. I dream of having digital tablets to loan out to all the students. I love mine that I use for portrait painting. These are too expensive - but I figure I can have fun with my list. LOL

I would love to have a bunch of neat awards to give to kids as motivators and recognition for going an exceptional job or meet goals.  Gift certificates for Toys R Us (online), Books-A-Million, or even Wal-Mart would be such a fun thing to give.

Of course cash is universal and can be put about anywhere. That is a safe bet to be appreciated as it can be applied anywhere the co-op teacher wants it to go.

Answer 2

An assistant.

Answer 3

Many, not just the paid teachers do a lot of volunteering, and put on activities during the year.

The best, and most thoughtful gift would be a "coupon book" where each parent/young adult designs a coupon, on which they promise to volunteer for a class during the coming year, or to prepare materials/snacks; reward them with your time and talent.

Nothing has a greater value, nor can it be more reasonably  priced.