DIY Teacher’s Survival Kit (gift idea)

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I wanted to share this Teacher appreciation idea as teachers have such a special place in my heart & I know how hard they work to make that first day perfect. I hope you love it!

Teachers are so important. They work so hard to prepare for school, all year round, starting with the first day of school.

The first day of school is one of those all-important days.

You spend a week before school starts back just trying to get “back on a routine.”
You make a new lunch plan, the one that you know you’ll stick to this year.
You buy their fall clothes after you realize just how much they’ve grown.
You send in the school-supply list and a few extra glue sticks.
You try not to cry when you are waving goodbye that morning.

Yes, it’s a big day for us, the parents.

The thing is, while I’m preparing our kids to go back to school, I know that their teachers have been busy preparing their classrooms for this first day, too. They’ve spent days and weeks setting it up, printing out work, planning lessons, and memorizing their students’ names. They deserve our support…

One time, years ago, I had a student bring me a card on my first day (as a teacher) and I’ll never forget it. It was simple, and it was meaningful.

“Thank you for taking the time to plan for your students this year. I know that you have been in your classroom for days, as I’ve been helping out with the PTO. I just want you to know that someone noticed. If you put that kind of time into the classroom before the year even begins, I know that you will put that kind of time into your students as they begin to grow. ”

That thank-you note has been in my dresser drawer for twelve years.

Now that our children are going into their classrooms and I am the parent, I want to do the same. I’ve been pulling together my own Gift Basket: First Day Teacher’s Survival Kit for the kid’s new teachers.

A variety of school supplies in plastic containers beside a box of Mini Wheats.

A box filled with different types of school supplies with a box of Mini Wheats in the background.

Two framed posters with a variety of small chalkboard framed sayings in them.

What I’ve Included in my First Day Teacher’s Survival Kit:

These printables (Pick which set you like best – you are welcome to download them & print them here.)

Two frames with colorful hearts with text on them.

Along with the printable, I have included a box of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheat, for in-the-classroom-snacking. I’ve also included a craft kit filled with first-day goodies and the cereal for a first-day snack will fit perfectly into a teacher’s desk drawer.