Simple (and meaningful) End of the Year Gifts for Students

Can we talk about the time I spent a year teaching 12th grade British Literature and 7th grade ELA at the same time?  I spent most of my day with middle schoolers, and then during one class period I taught a group of very un-enthused seniors.  It was a challenge.  The school district was new to me. The curriculum was new.  The high-school-student was new to me.  I was often overwhelmed and exhausted and defeated.  However, I was committed to making the experience meaningful and engaging for my seniors.  I may have white-knuckled my way through the school year, but we found our stride and I grew to love each of the eighteen-year-olds in that classroom.  In fact, when the school year ended I wanted to give them each a little gift that they could take with them to college or their jobs.  So, I made quote cards for them.  

I spent time figuring out just the right quote for each student. Then, I designed the quote to fit on the size of a business card so they could stick them in their wallets.  Finally, I added a personalized message on the back of the cards and laminated them.  On the last day of school, I gave them each an inspirational quote card.  They were simple, but they all had special meaning.

Fast forward 6 years.  I'm in an airport and I see a familiar face.  It's one of my former seniors.  We started chatting and then he stopped me mid-sentence.  He pulled out his wallet and showed me the card I gave to him years earlier.  He said, "Look, I still have this."  It was so sweet!  Then, he added, "When you first gave this to me, I didn't understand what it meant.  Now I do.  It's something I think about all the time."  Those are rare moments for us teachers:  moments when we get proof that something we've done matters. 

That's why I've put together a few ways that you can give a little gift to your students at the end of the year or semester.  Each is designed to be simple and motivational.  Check them out.

Inspirational Quote Cards

Of course, I made a set of 24 quote cards that you can cut up and share with students.  They can fit right inside students' wallets.

Or, you can add a business-card-sized magnet to the back to make it easy for students to hang them anywhere.

I've even designed an envelope that the cards fit into perfectly that you can customize for students.

The idea is that they can leave your classroom with a little inspiration that they can carry with them always.

Motivational Posters

I found the idea for this poster on Pinterest.  It was a poster reminding students that they are beautiful.  I figured I could take that same concept and turn the message into a motivational one.  The idea is that you'd give each student a poster. Then, they'd cut along the dotted lines of the poster to create 8 tear-away messages.

When a student needs an extra bit of confidence he or she can tear off one of the messages and carry it around with them all day.

Students could hang the posters anywhere:  their school binders, their locker, their bedroom...the options are endless.

Note Cards and Pockets

Sometimes the very best gift is a kind note.  These pockets are designed to make a personalized note a bit more special.  Just use the template to write a personal note to each student.  I like to copy the note on patterned paper to make it more fun.

Then, assemble a pocket for each student.  

After you assemble the pocket, you can stick the note inside.  The pocket and note are a perfect end-of-the-year keepsake.

All of these ideas are designed to be simple to create and meaningful to receive.  If you're inspired by them, I'm sure you can craft some of your own.  Or, if you'd love to have a set of the 3 End of the Year Gifts ready to print-customize-and-give, then you can find everything you'll need (all 26 pages) HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,

Mary Beth