Bright Idea #1

My love language is gifts. I love to get them, but more importantly, I love to give them. I think if I had all the money in the world, I would spend it buying stuff for other people. There's something to be said about picking out something that you know someone will love and knowing that someone thinks enough of you to do the same.

I am now constantly on the lookout for things I can pick up for Daniel's teacher. Because even the smallest thing, a candy bar, a kind note, a can of soda, can brighten someone's day. However, there is nothing more painful to me than staring at a wall of candy and having NO idea what he/she might like, hate, or be allergic to.

In order to solve this problem from the get-go, I developed the following list of questions for Daniel's teacher and emailed it to her after the first day of school thanking her for a great day. This way, I was able to kill two birds with one stone. Not only did I get to have all my questions answered, but I was able to find out right away if she was or was not the "emailing type". I told her there was no rush but if she wouldn't mind, over the next week or so, answering the following questions it would be a big help. She was more than happy to oblige and it opened a door for me to get to know her better and for her to get a little more comfortable with me. After all, why wouldn't you like the mom who wants to shower you with gifts throughout the year? ;-)

I tried to keep it simple and format it like one of those quizzes you might take on Facebook...short and sweet. It will be a lifesaver throughout the rest of the year!

What is your favorite...
1. Candy?
2. Color?
3. Warm drink?
4. Cold drink?
5. Restaurant?
6. Ice Cream flavor?
7. Place to shop?
8. Holiday?
9. Family activity?
10. Thing at Starbucks?
11. Way to indulge?
12. Perfume/Lotion
13. Animal?
14. Decorating style?
15. Scent?
16. Cake or pie?
17. Walmart or Target?
18. Way to unwind?
19. School subject
20. Hobbies

21. When is your birthday?
22. If you had $10 to spend, where would you spend it?
23. Apple things for teachers...love them or hate them?
24. What is something you wish the parents of your students knew?
25. What is the most helpful thing I can do for your class this year?

That's it! Twenty-five simple questions and voila! I have a better understanding of who my son's teacher is as a person and am armed with enough ammunition to keep her happy all year long. Not to mention, I am probably the only classroom parent who is aware that her birthday is coming up in September. Definitely important information! There is nothing worse than forgetting your child's teacher's birthday, as far as I'm concerned. (He/She celebrates upwards of 30 birthdays a year and it's quite frankly, pathetic, for his/hers to go by without so much as a mention). Learn these things, people! ;-)