'Tis the Season for Giving...Business Cards

Happy December! For me the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas tree signals two things: 1) The holiday season is here in full force! 2) It is also the end of another semester. Time for celebration, relaxation, family, friends, and giving thanks!

As you do your holiday shopping and think about the exciting semester ahead, don't forget the student teacher on your list. Or better yet, if you are the student teacher on your list, treat yourself to something to get you excited about your semester student teaching! My posts this December will focus on the top, economical, gifts for student teachers.

One of my favorite gift ideas for a new teacher (but this will work well for a student teacher who is about to start his/her job search) is custom business cards. The site www.vistaprint.com offers free items (you only have to pay for shipping and handling) and one of their recent offerings was business cards. Business cards are great for students who will be job searching soon as well as for students who already have their first teaching job secured!

If you or the person you are buying for does not have a job yet (if you are a student teacher) you can create business cards to display name, email, phone number, college or university, major(s), certification(s), leadership roles on campus, links to portfolio or blog, etc. Check out the example below:



If you or the person you are buying for has a job, there are lots of things to include on the card: Full Name (what you want parents to call you), Email Address or other means of contacting you(make sure it is appropriate; in other words avoid hotstuff@mail.com), School Name, School Address, your Classroom Number, a link to classroom website or blog, an inspirational quote that captures your teaching philosophy, a picture or logo. You do not have to include all of these items - be creative and remember the real purpose of the card is to help parents get into contact with you when they need you! Business cards are also great for substitute teachers. Check out the example below:


If you are student teaching, include your business card in your application packets or at your student teaching placements. If you already have a job, be sure to distribute your business cards at back to school night or during parent-teacher conferences. If your cards look classy and professional it can say a lot about you as a teacher.