December 7, 2009 - What would teacher-librarians want for Christmas?

I met the writing deadlines for my various projects. I ran my book fair (withOUT my mother, which is a serious hardship for me). I stood in line at Chapters behind a woman who was buying a copy of Twilight and prevented myself from gushing about the novel like a lunatic. I'm hoping that all these things mean that I'm on Santa's good list this year.

In my household, I'm usually the one that purchases the presents. That includes my own. So far, I've "received" hardcover copies of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and will probably add a charm bracelet to the pile. (The Cricut, despite being on sale at the craft store, is still a little pricey to justify buying.) I like getting gifts for people, although I hate the crowded stores. This year, I wanted to ensure I gave my children's teachers something that they would appreciate that might be a bit different from my past offerings. I polled my staff for ideas (since we are teachers too) and this is the list we came up with.

- gift cards, especially to book stores or food/drink establishments (on the Tim Hortons card, you can put as little as $1 on it and as much as $200!)

- charity donations (I signed up with canadahelps.org and it makes it very easy to give to legitimate organizations, based on whatever "subject" you want, and you can send an e-card or print card as part of the gift)

- something edible/drinkable (of course, this depends on what the giver is making or providing - the box of chocolates is an old standby, but I can't eat most of them because of my nut allergy; wine is a popular option as long as the recipient isn't opposed to alcohol)

- something created by the child (this works best if it's small and/or paper, because then it's easy to store and keep - ornamental knick-knacks are more likely to be "regifted" than a lovely note written in the child's own handwriting, explaining how you made a difference to them)

I'm often surprised by how many students give me gifts at this time of year. I'm not their regular class teacher and money doesn't fall from trees. Sometimes I wish they didn't go to the trouble or the expense - seeing how they learn (corny though that sounds) is a bigger reward. However, regardless of whatever treasure it may be, I always accept the gift with a thank you and a big smile. They considered me important or worthy enough to remember me on their list.