1. Decorate a mailbox
Nothing says good morning like some cheap silver garland surrounding a newsletter. Throw in some twinkly lights and it's like the South Pole right there in your own front office.
2. Hire the school choir to go sing a carol for your person
Do it during the class period in which you know the person needs it the most.
3. Ask another staff member to take over your person's duty for a day
Make sure they don't let on that the request came from you.
4. Have a student act as elf and deliver a cup of good coffee to your person
Make sure you choose a kid who won't bust you as the Santa! Kids love to be in on the joke, so maybe even rotate the job if you do it all week long. Give different kids the opportunity to make a teacher smile.
5. Bestow a gift certificate for a foot massage
I'm not kidding. Get a certificate from a place that specializes in feet. We are on our feet all day, and they take a beating. They can use the TLC.
6. Present a gift certificate for a dinner delivery service
After all, some teachers are at school so long, that preparing their own family dinner during the holidays seems as mythical as a snowman brought to life by a top hat.
7. Pack a surprise picnic lunch for a fellow teacher
Nothing fancy. It just takes a little pre-planning and an elf to get the teacher out of their room so you can set it up fast.
8. A week of rain days? Give your person a get-out-0f-rainy-day-free pass for February
It's the shortest month, but when stuck inside all day, it can feel like the longest. Have their students pack into your room for a lunch period so that your secret Santa can have a student-free moment.
9. Give 'em classroom library luxury items
I'm a huge proponent of the every-content-area-teacher-should-have-a-classroom-library. Let them show some pride, and get your teacher an inexpensive book embosser or book plates; it's a little bling for the books.
10. Or, better yet, just write a note of appreciation: one teacher to another
Acknowledge your colleague's accomplishments, what you respect about them, their attitude, even in the face of struggles. Let them know you see how they are influencing others around them. While we could all use a pay raise, the fact is that a little note from someone who knows what they are going through goes a long way to enriching the heart.
source: edutopia.org
