Readers Respond: The Best Gift You've Ever Received From a Student

As a teacher, you get a lot of gifts near the holidays, and I've certainly had some crazy ones - mashed brownies, shot glasses, and even a bread machine one year. But there are some gifts that just stick out more than others because of the generosity, kindness or personal touch.

Teachers, what's the best gift you've ever received from a student? Share your personal story and give someone else a little joy this holiday season.

Wonderful books

Being a retired educator, I have received many gifts during my career. Since I incorporated a lot of nature into my classroom, you can imagine the delight I had upon receiving the book... The Burgess Bird Book for Children. The stories and plate illustrations were priceless. Years later, I found great interest in the Titanic, and taught a unit of study on its demise each April...right around the anniversary of its last voyage. At the end of a particular year, a girl in class presented me with a Discovery Channel's book of Titanic. The book's photographs were breathtaking! Today, I still have both books!

—Guest Sue

Best Gift Ever From a Student

A fifth grader at the end of the school term said "Thanks" and gave me a hug! Then he said, You are the fairest teacher I have ever had. All my other teachers had "pets" and you treated us as if we were all your favorites.

—Guest Gertrude Saenz Mora

J Jackson

A Video of `Dead Poets Society' which the student/ aged 11 and myself watched while eating favourite chocolates. I knew that this student in order to get the money had got up very early to deliver newspapers before school.

—Guest wordwarrior

best gifts

The best gifts I've gotten are letters/cards/notes from them saying thanks. It always warms my heart to hear in their own words what I've meant to them or how much they appreciate what I've done for them. It shows they actually recognize all of it and have taken time to write it down.

—Guest liz

A silver bracelet from Ben

I once had this quiet student named Ben give me a silver bracelet with a big heart on it for the holidays, when I had no idea he even liked my class at all. All year, he never spoke a word to me, barely contributed in class, but turned in these breathtaking, brilliant essays that I loved to read. One day, I asked him if I could share some of his essay with the class, and he blushed, and said no. I shrugged, said okay, and thought nothing more about it. At the end of the semester, when he gave me this bracelet, he told me that my question about reading his essay was the proudest moment he'd had that year, and the bracelet was to say thanks for encouraging him. He'd gotten the bracelet from a store that starts with the letter "B", and there was a little B engraved on the heart, which was supposed to remind me of him when I wore it. I wear it to this day, and think of Ben and how many lives we get to touch as teachers.

—Kelly_Roell