It’s the last week of school for many West Michigan schools, and I know both students and staff are looking forward to a much-deserved winter break! Before you pack it up for the holidays, be sure to show your appreciation to teachers and school staff for their hard work and dedication so far this year.

We’ve put together a board of creative teacher gift ideas on our Pinterest page. If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of gift giver, you will definitely want to take the time to check out our Gifts for Teachers board. There are several creative ideas for decorating with crayons! One of my favorites is this photo frame with crayons glued to the frame.

Photo courtesy of http://feltsocute.wordpress.com

The holidays are also a great time to recognize your teacher with a delicious indulgence. Share a plate of cookies or your favorite holiday candy, like fudge, brittle, or truffles.  I really like this idea of decorating Hershey Kisses, too, by adding a small graphic to the base. Put all the kisses in a jar, mug, or water bottle, for a display worthy – and tasty! – gift.

 
Photo Courtesy of http://jengrantmorris.blogspot.com/

To take your gift straight to the front of the class, focus on the presentation and packaging. One idea we found is to package cookies in a decorated Pringles container with a ribbon on top. Arrange candy in a basket or jar so it looks pretty when you give it. Or give one of our themed teacher gifts. The artwork itself makes beautiful packaging!

Looking for more teacher gift ideas? Download our Teacher Appreciation Ideas eBook for free from the recently renovated Recognition Resource Center.

What are your favorite teacher gift ideas for the holidays? Tell us here!

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

August is here which means kids will be heading back to school very shortly! Start the year off right by welcoming back teachers, students, and staff with a small gift and welcome celebration. We’ve compiled our top ten choices for back to school gifts to make your planning easier!

1. Sticky Notes for Teachers. Teachers will love this Flip Top Note Holder and use the handy sticky notes all year. Present this gift to teachers at a meeting before the students arrive to motivate them for the year ahead.

2. Twist Top Tumbler for Student Workers. Colleges and universities have lots of student workers who keep valuable school services up and running all day and into the night! Welcome your student workers back to school with a Twist Top Tumbler. It’s a popular new take on a water bottle that they can use for their favorite hot and cold beverages.

3. Tote Bag for Volunteers. Let volunteers know how important they are to your school. One of our themed tote bags is a practical gift they’ll use every day. Get more volunteer ideas from our Recognition Resource Center, and use VolunteerSpot’s online sign up sheets for easy volunteer coordination.
 
4. Journal and Pen Gift Set for Teachers. A journal and pen gift set provides your teachers with a notebook for staff meetings and conferences that will last months.

5. Pen and Pencil Gift Set for Student Leaders. Recognize your student leaders with a welcome back gift. This sharp pen and pencil gift set will serve as a reminder of the important role they have in your school.

6. Sweet Treats for Students. Place one of these colorful sweet treat candy jars on each student’s desk for a sweet surprise and a warm welcome back to school.

7. Goofy Guy Talking Pen. Just for Fun! Set the tone for fun with a unique talking pen. It will give your teachers and staff a smile and entertain the students.

8. USB Key Chains for Teachers and Staff. Your team will love being able to carry important documents and data with them on a USB key chain. Choose the recognition theme that best suits your team for a memorable welcome back to school gift.

9. Perpetual Calendar for Administrators. Your administrators and leaders will be “perpetually” on top of things this school year with a beautiful perpetual calendar to keep track of the days for them.

10. Themed Lanyards for the Whole School. Make safety and security a priority this school year by outfitting the school with themed lanyards. The lanyards come in a breakaway option great for kids and will keep ID cares prominently displayed.

Looking for more teacher appreciation ideas? Download our Teacher Appreciation Ideas eBook for 60 ideas for back to school, holidays, and year round appreciation.

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

As our days are becoming shorter and the air crisper, nature is telling us back to school is around the corner. My first day back to school is the 29th, which is less than a week away. Yikes! Back to school for me means, last year of classes, running my advertising club, volunteering for a professor, and of course, enjoying my friends. Oh but wait, best of all I will still be here at Baudville writing blog posts for you to enjoy!

Last year, another student and I helped a professor of mine put on an advertising competition in Grand Rapids. Throughout the entire experience the three of us would go get coffee once a week to meet and talk about what had been accomplished, what needed to be fulfilled, and then how our lives were going. He took time out of his busy schedule to sit down with us, see how we were doing, and get to know us a little better.

On top of the weekly coffee meetings, I would get emails once or twice a week with words of encouragement telling me to keep up the good work, and praising me for a job well done. These would always bring a smile to my face. The emails motivated me to keep up the hard work, even though I was really busy.

At the end of the year, Grand Valley State University put on a dinner party recognizing all the volunteers and workers for their efforts. This was a perfect way to end the year! I was told that I did a great job and thanked for all my hard work.

Recognizing your student volunteers and workers doesn’t need to be super expensive or grand.  Trust me; students understand the importance of free!

6 Inexpensive tips for acknowledging back to school student workers or volunteers:

1.    Make sure you take time out of your schedule to get to know your student workers because they are taking time out of their busy schedules to help you.

2.    Acknowledge your student workers with a fun low-cost note card, pocket praise, email, or ePraise, our free ecards. These are great was to let your student workers know you care. 

                         Thank You theme Pocket Praise are a great way to write a small note of praise!

3.    Throw a pizza party, have a potluck picnic, bring in cookies, or just have a candy jar. Let's be serious - what student doesn’t like some type of free food!

4.    Have a team bonding day. If your school has volley-ball courts, go out and play a couple games, or get a bocce ball or cornhole game going. Do something as a team that is easily available to you.

5.    Take your student workers or volunteers out for a cup of coffee. Coffee shops are a nice relaxing area to learn more about them!

6.    For more free ideas check out our Recognition Resource Center.

Come on, join the conversation!

Click the button below to start sharing your inexpensive tips to recognize student workers or volunteers!

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Kendra is the newest Baudvillian. She is currently an advertising intellectual at Grand Valley State University, and is ecstatic about the change of atmosphere as Baudville’s web marketing intern. Watch out because this young professional just touched down at Baudville.

I just attended a couple of creative writing workshops in one of my favorite places to visit: New York City! When I enrolled, I wasn’t totally sure what I would get out of the experience. I had done my research and found that the school had a great reputation; but it also seemed from the reviews that overall student satisfaction had more to do with the individual instructors than anything. Of course, I hoped I would get good ones.  

Despite a little hesitation, I was excited about the workshops and, like a big nerd, actually giddy about being given a homework assignment to complete before one of the workshops started.

Happy about homework? Crazy talk!

But, along with the assignment, the instructor had taken extra time to introduce herself and tell us a little about what we could expect from the class and what she would expect from us. Her message was infused with humor, heart, and energy. I couldn’t wait to get started.      

That’s the power of good teachers: they don’t just contribute to the quality of your education, they also inspire you. They make you want to work. They fuel your desire to learn. They feed your hunger for knowledge.

And, as with this creative writing institution, they also help build a school’s high standing in the educational community.

Whether you’re a student, parent, or school administrator, if you’re starting back to school in a few weeks, there’s no better time to show your appreciation for your teachers. Every day, they put their passion and energy into providing the best education possible to their students – and go the extra mile to motivate their students to care as much they do. These are the gifts our teachers give to us and our communities. What do you think about giving back?

Because they make a difference…

Because they’re essential…

For all they do, say thanks!

What are your favorite ways to recognize and appreciate teachers? Click the button below to share your ideas in the comments section!

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Allison is a self-proclaimed Copywriting Diva and has the certificate to prove it! She’s been writing for Baudville for two years and has worked in a variety of business settings for more than 17 years. Before becoming a professional writer 10 years ago, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

It’s that time of year! Students will soon be packing their bags and moving back to colleges and universities across the country. Many of those students will also begin or resume jobs and leadership positions on campus.

To get the year started off right, we’ve put together some back to school ideas for Student Affairs Administrators. Some of these ideas are great for the first few weeks of school, to help everyone get back into the groove, and others you can use throughout the school year!

Back to School Ideas for Student Affairs Administrators:

Give a Personal Welcome. One of the most effective and memorable ways to express your appreciation for a student is with a handwritten note. Give a warm back to school welcome by completing a Pocket Praise card for each one of your students. In your note, explain why you’re glad to have the student on your team, whether it’s her amazing attention to detail or his ability to work with computers. Remind your students that it takes their individual skill working in concert with the team to have a successful year.

Remember your Spring Award Ceremony. A lot of college and university spring banquets happen at the end of the semester. But with so much going on during the last few weeks, it can be easy to forget about publicizing or communicating the awards banquet! This fall, post pictures from your spring award ceremony in the office or a central location. Students who participated in the ceremony will start getting excited for this year’s events, and new students will be motivated to aspire to earn an award of their own.

Peer Recognition Program for Resident Assistants. Keep your team of resident assistants positive and encouraging all year by starting your own Spot On Peer Recognition Program. Each week, members of your team can nominate one another for the Spot award by completing a ballot and depositing it in the dog house box. Nominations should be for students who go beyond the call of duty, help a peer, or do something extraordinary. Award Spot to the winner until the next staff meeting when a new award winner is chosen!

Post Positive Messages to Make Students Smile. Coming back to school and away from family can be a challenge for some students. Make their day – and a smile! – by posting one of our free Print and Post sentiments on their dorm door or on a pay check. The surprise note will be sure to brighten any student’s day!

Candy Always Works. When it comes to college students, the way to their heart is almost always through their stomach (that or a free t-shirt). Keep your office stocked with small treats like our Sweet Treats, snack size candy bars, or individual bags of chips. Be ready to toss these to a student at a moment’s notice to say “thanks,” “great job,” or simply “you look hungry.”

What are some of your tried and true back to school ideas for Student Affairs Administrators?

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.