Our Custom Grade Apple Classroom Stamp is perfect for the upcoming school year and will make preparing the classroom much easier for students and teachers!

Ready to get started prepping for the Back to School season? Here’s our all-in-one guide to classroom prep with rubber stamps:

Creating Your Custom Classroom Book Stamp

Make your own custom book stamp to adorn every piece of your school library in a few simple steps:

1. Choose your stamp design. Simply Stamps has a wide selection of custom book stamps to match your classroom theme.
2. Add your custom text like grade level and name in the corresponding fields.
3. Choose your ink color. At Simply Stamps we have a variety of vibrant ink color options to match your grading style.
4. Finalize and place your order. Once we receive your custom stamp order, we’ll start personalizing it and ship it out ASAP.

Guide to Using Your Rubber Stamp

Once you receive your custom order, you’re ready to start stamping! Follow these step-by-step instructions to get started:

1. Test out your custom stamp on a piece of scrap paper by firmly pressing down on the top of the stamp body.
2. Next, open the book you would like to stamp to the desired page. The most common placement for book stamps are on the inside front or back cover, or the first page.
3. Allow your stamp impression ample time to dry before closing the book to avoid smudging or ink transfers.

Once the impression is completely dry, your customized book is classroom ready!

Custom School Stamps at Simply

At Simply Stamps, we have tons of teacher stamps to help make everything from organizing your classroom to grading easy. Choose from our curated collection of teacher-approved designs to find the right fit for your classroom!

See it on Social:

Check out how some of our customers have been using their rubber stamps and sharing on social:

Similar Stamps:

Looking for a different way to make your mark? Here are some similar stamps that might be a better fit for your stamping style:

Shop all of our teacher stamps for more ways to customize your classroom:

Check out some similar blogs:

Teacher Appreciation Stamps

Grading & Feedback Stamps

Best Back to School Tips for Teachers

At Simply Stamps, we specialize in creating rubber stamp designs for every style, holiday, event, profession and occasion. To celebrate some of our favorite stamp designs, we pick one stamp each week to put on display as our featured Stamp Of The Week!

This week's Stamp of the Week is designed to help you make your mark in all of your favorite books and customize your personal or professional library.

The Round Heart 'From the Library Of' Book Stamp is available with special pricing for a limited time with our Stamp of the Week promotion. Shop now for a special discount from 4/19/21 to 4/25/21!

Shop fast for special pricing (Valid 4/19/21 to 4/25/21)!

This custom library stamp is available as a self-inking stamp so you can make thousands of quick and clear impressions in all of your favorite novels. Add your name and choose your ink color to start stamping!

This week's featured design helps you show off your love for reading, just in time for World Book Day on April 23rd! To promote reading at home, in the office and in the classroom, this classic book stamp features timeless "From the Library Of" custom text and a simple heart design.

From making your mark in classroom books to personalizing your at-home library, here are some of the ways that you can use this week's featured Stamp of the Week:

Customizing Classroom Books

Customize your classroom! This personalized book stamp is perfect for adding your name to all of your classroom textbooks and novels. Stamp the inside of each of your books to add a personalized touch and to make sure each one finds it's way back to your classroom!

Check out our complete collection of teaching stamps for more classroom-inspired designs for busy teachers.

Personalizing Your Own Library

Make your mark in each and every one of the books in your personal library! Stamp the inside of each of your books, then take your library to the next level with DIY bookmarks!

The Perfect Book-Inspired Gift for Bibliophiles

Gift a custom library stamp to the book lover in your life! Our personalized library stamps are a must-have for every avid reader. Check out our guide to the 5 Things Every Bibliophile Should Own for more literature lover gift ideas and inspiration.

Similar Stamps:

Looking for some other ways to make your mark in your library and celebrate your love for books? Here are some similar products that might be a better fit for your specific stamping needs:

Floral Branch Library Stamps

Read it, Love it, Return it Stamps

Trendy Script Library Stamps

We would love to see all of the ways that you're celebrating World Book Day and getting creative with custom rubber stamps! Share all of your rubber stamp pictures with us @SimplyStamps, and don't forget to follow us to stay up-to-date on our newest rubber stamp designs and DIY inspiration.

Want to learn more about how you can be featured as this week's Stamp of the Week? Check out our Stamp of the Week page to view our previous stamp picks and learn more about our stamp selection process.

The Round Heart 'From The Library Of' Stamp is Stamp of the Week with special pricing from 4/19/21 to 4/25/21. Check back next week for new offers with our latest Stamp of the Week!

Check out some similar blogs:

Previous Stamp of the Week: Shark Teacher Stamps

Previous Stamp of the Week: Script Address Stamps

Celebrating National Literacy Day

Keep a regular schedule

Just as parents must maintain some normalcy as they do their jobs remotely, kids need the same regularity and routine.

Parents can keep kids on schedule by:

• Waking them up the same time every morning (like a normal school day)
• Serving them a quick, healthy breakfast
• Getting them dressed in school clothes. (Some parents are even driving their kids around the block to give them the feeling of arriving at school)
• Setting an alarm for the start of the school day, which will act as a school bell

Set up a home classroom

Kids aren't in learning mode if they're wearing pajamas, sinking into the sofa.

Ways that parents can create a fun learning environment at home:

• Turn the kitchen table, or other surface, into a school desk
• Keep books, learning props and pencils in reach
• Set individual seats with custom place mats with each child's name
• Set up a makeshift teacher's desk, complete with a red grading pen and desk plate
• Hang a chalkboard or white board and keep a checklist of assignments
• Create a reward system with fun stamps or stickers

Take “recess” breaks

Make sure students can break away from their laptop screens and books! A fun learning environment also includes recess breaks, snack time and even nap time for pre-school aged children. Though social distancing should be maintained, and many businesses and destinations are closed, parents can still create mini field trips!

Parents can have fun working and teaching from home by:

• Setting up a 30 minute recess each day
• Taking the students outside for fresh air
• Creating a fun outside lunch picnic
• Taking a daily or weekly field trip. (Host science class or do art projects outside!)
• Setting up a snack station (and coffee station for yourself!)

Space lessons out – devote an hour per day for each subject.

COVID-19 has changed our daily lives dramatically. As more and more people spend their days at home, routines are harder to maintain. It's important to prevent apathy by breaking lessons up into manageable time blocks. If time and curriculum allows, parents should spend about an hour per day on each school subject.

Although they seem obvious, the following daily habits can help maintain stability and growth as kids go to school from home:

• Create a class bell! Set an alarm on your phone to sound every 1.5 hours. Each time it sounds, check with each child's progress and give them a brief break before moving to the next assignment or subject
• Work with your child's teacher to set up regular face time each day, or a couple days per week as time allows
• Keep the same class schedule each school day. If math class is at 9 am on Monday, keep it the same each week day
• Set an end-of-day alarm at 3 pm! Separate school (and work) from personal time by creating a real ending to the day

Follow guidelines provided by your school district

School districts across the United States are responding quickly to COVID-19 prevention and school closings. Many districts, such as Duval County in Florida, have programs such as "Duval Homeroom." Through programs like this, which will begin with an online orientation, curriculum and courses are set up online. Learning packets for small children are also provided and delivered to bus stops. Free lunches are still available for pick up, while some are even being delivered to bus stops! Parents with limited access to technology can request a laptop. Resources are readily available to assist parents with homeschooling their children.

Teachers are on board and prepared to assist in home schooling efforts, especially for special needs children. "It's important for parents to relax and allow their children to adapt to the new way of learning away from the classroom," says Duval County fourth grade teacher Mrs. Fuller. "Don't freak out or force worksheets on your kids. In fact, the routines for elementary should only include one to two hours of academic instruction, with breaks," she adds.

Parents across the US should stay in contact with their child's school district leaders and teachers, who are available to provide coaching, learning materials and meals for students.

Check out these helpful tips from parents:

• "I make a lesson plan that also includes time to play games or chill out for breaks, and I make the plan from 8 to 4," says Chloe, mom to 7-year-old Kaylee.
• "We put a lunchbox on the counter with her cup and snacks for the day to prevent her raiding the pantry more than usual," says Stephanie, mom to 4-year-old Mae.
• "When working from home, let the kids sleep in a little later. You can get up early and get your important things done first," says Nichole, home school parent, and mother of 3 teenage girls.
• "Some parents drive their kids around the block to give the feeling of being dropped off at school," says Nick, dad to 3 girls.

As the US works to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it's imperative to continue to encourage regular hand washing - even at home! Just as teachers have promoted regular hand washing at school, parents should do the same at home.

Fun Fall Foliage DIY Leaves

The first day of Autumn is in late September. (This year it fell on September 22^nd) If you are back in the classroom kick off the fall season by having your students decorate your school-room with colorful leaves. Our easy fall foliage paper crafts will inspire your students to understand why leaves change color in the fall. Your classroom will look bright and festive too!

All you need to make fall craft leaves is:

• Construction paper (white or in fall colors)
• Markers and/or crayons
• Fall foliage stamps
• String/yarn
• Scissors
• Hole Puncher

Each student can stamp a leaf onto a square sheet of craft or construction paper. Once they color their leaf with crayon or marker, they can cut it to its leaf shape, and punch a hole. Use a long piece of string to attach each student’s leaf. String your new fall foliage craft leaves around your bulletin board, the front of your desk, or across the chalkboard.

You and your students can enjoy the festive colors, and you can help them understand the reason that the leaves change in hue.

“Because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.” ³

Have the students color their leaves a range of hues, from green to yellow, orange and red. Hang them in order of the way they would change color over the fall season. Get even more in depth and have your class try this leaf science experiment! ²

Halloween Show and Tell (Or Show and Treat!)

What would fall be without Halloween? Each year kids look forward to dressing up as their favorite characters and villains and hitting their neighborhood streets in search of candy. You can easily bring some of this fun and tradition into the classroom by hosting a post-Halloween show and tell. For distance learners, have a fun dress up day over your video calls!

First, the week before Halloween, get the students excited to share their story with their classmates. Have them decorate small paper treat bags with fun Halloween stamps.

SimplyStamps.com Mr. Goofy Jack O' Lantern Stamp

Here’s what your kids will need to make Halloween "show and treat" bags:

• Small paper bags (plain white, brown or orange)
• Halloween craft stamps and ink
• Hole puncher
• Orange or green yarn/string

During the school week following Halloween, throw a trick or treat show and tell party! Give each kid a few minutes to share his or her favorite trick or treating or Halloween moment. Once each student completes his or her story, he or she selects the next story-teller to come up and share.

This lesson will help students think about their classmates as they hunt for candy on Halloween, and will help them share their findings in a thoughtful way.

Dia de Los Muertos DIY Marigolds & Sugar Skull Crafts

Your students are most likely familiar with sugar skulls, but do they understand their cultural significance? During the fall season, take the chance to show your kids the meaning of Dia de Los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead. Each year, this Mexican holiday starts on or around November 1^st.

This year it will be celebrated starting on October 31^st and ending on November 2^nd. During Dia de Los Muertos, Mexican people show their respect for loved ones and ancestors who have passed on. It’s a festive and joyful holiday known for bright flowers, candy, treats, sugar skulls and other celebratory gifts that are left as offerings to the deceased. This post-Halloween holiday can spark fun classroom lessons and crafts for elementary school students and help them learn about Mexican and Hispanic heritage.

Source: Tinkerlab.com

Help your class create bold yellow marigold flowers ¹ with three common craft items:

Gift wrap tissue paper

Pipe cleaners

Scissors

Once each student has created a marigold, have him or her make a simple but festive sugar skull card or paper craft to accompany each flower.

For this, you will need:

A sugar skull stamp and ink

Craft paper or construction paper

Scissors

Yard/string

Hole puncher

The sugar skull cards can be cut into simple square or round shapes, or the students can get more festive and cut them into skull shapes.

SimplyStamps.com Sugar Skull Craft Stamp

Once each student has created a marigold and a sugar skull card, they can help decorate the classroom or make shift desk at home. Yarn or string can be used to hang these beautiful Day of the Dead crafts over doorways or across the front of desks and tables. Simply punch a hole in the cards to attach the string. The pipe cleaners can easily be used to tie the marigolds onto the string. Adorn your classroom with bold flowers and skulls!

Share with your students the significance of Dia de Los Muertos and Hispanic Heritage Month with storytelling, fun arts and crafts lessons and ink stamps, all from SimplyStamps.com.

Teachers love our rubber stamps! From Halloween and fall stamps to Spanish teacher stamps, you’ll find thousands of stamps in our selection. Use the code below to save on your order.

Check our blog and How To Resource Center often. You'll find helpful guides on how to use stamps along with fun craft ideas!

You may also like these blogs:

Back to School Organization Tips for Teachers

Classic Teaching Methods that Work

Sources:

1. tinkerlab.com/simple-paper-marigolds-dia-de-los-muertos

2. howweelearn.com/science-experiments-for-kids/Fall

3. www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/leaves/leaves.htm

Evaluate Last Year

If history is the best lesson, as they say, then taking some time to thoughtfully consider the challenges and successes of your previous school year will provide valuable insight as you plan ahead. Perhaps that new seating chart inspired students to new heights in socializing rather than on teamwork, as you had hoped for. Or you saw great strides in teamwork and responsibility as your students cared for the classroom’s pet hamster. There are valuable lessons to be learned from the past!

Happy New Year!

Now that you’ve reviewed the past, make some ‘new year’ resolutions sure to get your school year off to a wonderful start. Be mindful of the goals you would like to accomplish, but be sure not to over plan, overwhelming both you and your little learners. When planning your first month of school, be sure to include lots of interactivity among students that will help them to get to know one another and learn to work together, setting the stage for a year of togetherness.

Start a Classroom Kindness Campaign

When children feel comfortable in their environment, they are more likely to flourish. According to Karen Lamm, who has been teaching elementary school for nearly 20 years, “When students enter my classroom, the first things they need to know are that they are safe in my room and that they are loved. They don’t care how much I know, until they know how much I care.”

Create a culture of kindness in your classroom (and beyond!) that will inspire students to be mindful of others around them. Begin by showing kind behavior to everyone, especially those who fill other school roles, such as librarians, cafeteria personnel, and custodial staff.

Add ‘kindness week’ to your lesson plans during the first few months of school. Encouraging children to perform random acts of kindness for others all week long will help set the stage for a year full of thoughtful words and deeds.

Collaborate with other teachers for students to send kindness cards and notes to one another at random times throughout the school year. Especially when things get stressful or hectic around test times or when that long-awaited holiday season has yet to arrive, a little kindness will go a long way and add plenty of unexpected smiles.

Making the Grade

If there’s one sure thing about teaching, you’ll be grading papers from the beginning of the year until that summer bell rings. The subjects may change and the assignments will vary, but there are a few common errors you're sure to see time and again. Rubber grading stamps designed especially for teachers are a simple, fun, and economical way to organize grading and help you ‘make the grade’ with students all year long! From stamps that offer friendly reminders such as 'no name' stamps and stamps requesting a parent's signature to motivational stamps designed to provide a bit of extra inspiration, rubber stamps can add efficiency to your grading process.

Teachers are wonderful examples of champions for children, often planning well before the summer ends to ensure they're off to a stellar school year in the fall. Being mindful of and adapting to the evolving needs of your classroom throughout the year will help you reach the last day of school with the happiest of smiles rather than an overwhelming sigh of relief!

Send Your Students the Right Message

Many students hear loud messages about how they are not good enough. Every day they are confronted with new reasons why they are not the best athlete, the most popular, the smartest or the prettiest. So many negative messages from their peers and the outside world create feelings of inadequacy. During the formative years when students want to be the best athlete or at the top of the class, many of them face disappointment after disappointment.

Beliefs based on early messages may develop early on. As students struggle with specific concepts, they can feel totally stuck. A student may think “I’m not good at math,” “I can’t write,” or “I’m a slow reader.” The more those beliefs are cemented, the larger the emotional hurdle becomes. Tackling those subjects gets harder every day. And that feeling may continue through adulthood.

Students don’t want to be dismissed, forgotten or a constant disappointment. Yes, certain students are very familiar with A+’s, and perfect grades, but other students who still put time, effort and creativity in their work often need motivation to keep going. They have a strong desire for recognition and being seen. Positive affirmation can be a tool for overcoming these negative messages.

Super Cute Student Evaluation Stamps

A “Good Work” stamp is one way to provide your students with positive affirmations. Simply Stamps has adorable designs that stand out when they decorate the top of an assignment! Not every paper is going to get a bright and shiny 100%. Sometimes a B- or C+ is the worst thing to have to take home to mom and dad. But – with or without the highest grade - plenty of papers are samples of good work and a student’s best efforts.

You can strategically put uplifting messages wherever you choose. For students who struggle with one portion of a lesson but excel in other areas, the little bit of feedback geared toward their strengths can go a long way. Place stamps right next to a specific place on a page. It rewards your students with the old school version of the Facebook “Like.”

Check out “Good Work” stamps that feature an animal, such as a:

• Frog
• Whale
• Seahorse
• Giraffe
• Dinosaur
• Shark
• Gator
• Turtle
• Bunny
• Dragon

The stamps provide a little approval that can go a long way. The stamps can even be personalized for your classroom. View other teacher stamps with a positive message, including designs such as a:

• Pineapple, Taco, Donut, Egg
• Rocket ship
• Googly eyes
• Flower
• Calculator, Pencil
• Star, Medallion, Trophy

The Classroom Can Be an Encouraging Environment

In the midst of the noise of negative messages, teachers continue to help students develop their scholarly abilities. It can feel like an uphill battle. You may be able to help students move away from discouragement with the smallest bit of intentionality.

Providing students with positive affirmations as they complete work helps build a foundation for self-esteem. It can foster a desire to learn the things that may not come naturally. Positive affirmation provides a loud message, when growing up feels tough. It fights some of ways students confront their own self-doubt. It allows students to rest a bit, knowing they did one thing well and put forth their best effort. In that pivotal moment, you can help them to see the finish line by giving them a boost of encouragement.

You can be their cheerleader.

Get organized early with these stamp strategies designed to make your classroom pleasant and productive.

Stamps to Help You Work Efficiently

Save time by becoming an expert level grader. Going through tons of homework to analyze and assess student performance can be a tedious process. Once homework is due, you will have to read, review, and check your students’ math. Anything you can do to help streamline these tasks will help. Try using grading stamps and daters to get you through that pile of paperwork quickly!

Grading stamps with a specific message are a handy time saver. Stamp notes on student work right as you are reviewing it. Handle a variety of situations you encounter with your students by choosing stamps related to their consistent errors or patterns. You can also address basic homework issues with a more generic stamp. Simply Stamps has designs that contain the following directives:

• Incomplete
• Please See Me
• Late
• Extra Credit
• Check Spelling
• Check Your Work
• Please Write Neatly
• Parent signature required

Adjustable dater stamps are a perfect tool for any day of the year. When you add these to your teaching toolbox you will be able to give due dates to reading assignments, tests and more. Keep track of your lesson plan goals with complete-by dates. These can be for the first of the next month, by mid-terms or even a few days out. Simply Stamps also makes custom daters which allow you to add text such as “Mrs. Clark’s Classroom” or “Homework Due By.”

Stamps for Keeping Track of Items

When you are investing in new items, you don’t want to have your property confused with that of the neighboring class. Pick out a set of ownership stamps. Keep everything more organized by knowing where your stuff is and who completed each assignment. Student names belong on each assignment and workbook. Your name belongs on the reference books you own.

“Missing Name” stamps allow you to quickly mark unidentified homework. Instead of going through the list of already graded homework, you can immediately start a pile of papers that have not been claimed. This can be a much more effective strategy than being frustrated and scrawling out NO NAME in oh-so-stressed penmanship.

Keep track of your personal belongs by using “Library of” stamps. Each book chosen for your classroom is a priceless puzzle piece in your curriculum. Some teachers still rely heavily on textbooks, encyclopedias, and dictionaries. A kind message reading “Please Return This Book to the Library Of” will alert students and fellow teachers to bring your items back. Simply Stamps makes embossers as well if you are searching for an elegant flourish to designate ownership.

Stamps for Staying Motivated

Get students excited with motivational stamps. Creating a positive environment plays a major part in managing the hustle and bustle of learning. For both your student’s sake and your own morale, it’s critical to identify achievements and continually offer encouragement. You can do this with adorable stamps that recognize excellence and hard work.

Using a variety of motivational stamps can help create anticipation for the next accomplishment. Animal stamps customized for your classroom add a bit of fun to worksheets. Younger students will enjoy when stamps with froggies, sharkies, and sea horses decorate their best work. A classic star or smiley face is a familiar sign all students understand. Sure, an A+ or 100% grade are thrilling to see. But there is something extra special about a stamp that says “EGG-CELLENT” or “TACO ‘BOUT a great job!”. From cute images to silly sayings, pick out how to tell your little learners that you proud of them.

As you embark upon a new year, stock up on practical and fun designs – from grading stamps to library reminders - so that you can leave fresh ink imprints on all the crisp new papers that will soon start filling up your desk.

One way to combat the busy back-to-school blues is to bolster your organization system with an efficient and effective strategy. Here are some basic tips to stay organized as the Fall 2018 school year approaches:

Make Your Calendar Your Survival Guidebook

Choose a planning system that works for you and commit to it. Your plan could be using a large desk calendar synced with an app on your phone. You might prefer a monthly chalkboard mounted on the fridge where you can easily add soccer practice, birthday parties and school holidays. Then, some moms go with the classic weekly planner that’s perfect for tossing in a purse to keep it nearby at all times.

Once you’ve chosen your calendar, it’s time to start filling it with your upcoming engagements. If your calendar is on your laptop, find a cozy spot in the house and arm yourself with a good cup of coffee (or rosé). With your school calendar open, you can begin putting critical dates on the calendar. Don’t leave anything out. Include doctor’s appointments, dance class, holidays, paper-work deadlines and which days you will head out for back-to-school shopping trips.

As you do your back-to-school shopping, think about more than just pants that fit or trendy shirts. Check your children’s closets to see what you can still use or throw out. You can make sure that nothing gets left behind at school or lost by adding a stamp with your child’s name to each article of clothing. From laundry planning to consider the whole wardrobe, you can schedule small ways to stay ahead of the game.

Think Like You Are Running a Business

The business of parenting is a full-time, all-hands-on-deck, don’t-skip-a-beat level job. Getting ready for the school year is like your website launch, new brand reveal or busy season. The demand is high, but you can conquer it better when you are prepared. What research can you do to prepare for the coming months? What small goals can you a write down now and then cross off, one at a time?

You can opt to think like a teacher or business owner. Track your goals, accomplishments and errands. Cross each off item when it is complete. In addition to to-do lists, you can decorate your walls with phrases that inspire you. It’s important for everyone to stay motivated – teachers, students and parents alike. Savor the momentum of each accomplishment by ordering motivational stamps. Have fun with the smiley face stamp and the 100% stamp. These playful designs can be used when your student brings home their graded homework as well as when you want to leave notations in your own calendar.

Another professional and savvy way to improve your organization is by tackling bills and other paperwork. Streamline your paperwork with a PAID, handy dater, and signature stamp. Distinguish priority and completed bills with a classic PAID stamp. Dater stamps are great for adding deadlines to your documents and calendar. You can also have a signature stamp made in just the size you need. Whether you’re writing checks, keeping up with correspondence or approving homework, a signature stamp is an efficient tool for speeding things up!

Make Time for Fun

With the full schedule in front of you, it can still be easy to feel overwhelmed. You might need to add a massage and extra yoga class for you to recharge your batteries. Maybe having a date night or girl’s wine night set up for next month will help you charge through the next few weeks with some light at the end of the tunnel. Having something to look forward can give you the peace of mind that will help you you’re your life in order.

With your treat yourself plans complete, take a few extra moments to give your calendar a little flair. Your weekly planner will be more fun to look out with some color coordination, stickers or stamps. Art isn’t just for the littles! Craft stamps and vibrant stickers are great ways to liven up the look of routine planning. For example, you could use a pumpkin stamp to highlight the first day of fall! You can reward yourself with a positive affirmation when you have hashtag nailed it stamp to use once you knock out errands.

With these nice flourishes, you will have a nice balance of errands and items to look forward to. Organizing for the school year can pay-off as you get to enjoy each moment as it comes. Just remember to take a tip from the teachers and make your life lesson plans ahead of time.

Finding the right gift for your Mom is probably the hardest task of them all. What could you possibly give to her that shows her just how grateful you are? The truth is, there may never be a gift that's as special as she is, but we've got a couple suggestions of things we know she'll love.

Whether you talk to your Mom all the time or only on occasion, start a new tradition this holiday season. Instead of sending her a text or a message on social media, make a point to start sending her letters. This doesn't have to replace your daily, weekly, or even monthly phone calls, but it'll be something that's special for just the two of you. Buy her a box of stationery and a new return address stamp and let her know you'd like to start sending letters back and forth. Not only will writing the letters be therapeutic for the both of you, it'll also make your day when you open your mailbox to find a letter from each other.

She may be a stay-at-home Mom or have a more traditional full-time job, but either way, she's definitely busy. Get your Mom a gift that will help her keep organized so she can get everything done in a timely fashion. Choose from a variety of different to-do lists, weekly notepads, or even journals. Not only will she stay organized, she'll also think of you everything she checks something off of her to-do list or goes shopping at the grocery store.

Gifts for Teachers

Every professional begins in a classroom, which is why it's so important to express our teacher appreciation every chance we get. This holiday season, show your gratitude to the teachers in your life, whether they're your children's teachers or your own. There are plenty of great restaurants you could get them a gift card to, but why not make it a bit more personal!

Teachers are often responsible for bringing their own supplies, from books to art supplies. Help your teacher keep track of their personal belongings with a personalized teacher stamp. With tons of designs to choose from, you're sure to find the design that's perfect for their style and needs.

Gifts for the Boss

Sometimes it may seem hard to figure out the right gift for your boss. You want to find something that's professional, but you also want to show that you appreciate all they do for you. There are plenty office-friendly gifts at Simply Stamps, so here are a few of our favorite ideas for your head honcho.

How do you make a gift for your boss both professional and meaningful? The answer is simple: you personalize it! A monogram stamp is a great gift for your boss because, chances are, they send a lot of correspondence. Help them impress whoever it is they're sending mail to, or just make it a bit more fun, with a personalized monogram stamp. All they have to do is stamp their initials to make their very own custom stationery.

Another gift that will help your boss make their mail more sophisticated is a custom embosser. Personalize the embosser with your company's logo or your boss' initials. They can create custom foils to seal their envelopes or brand their documents. An embosser is also a gift that will be appreciated for years to come.

Gifts for the Newlyweds

If your favorite couple just got married this year, there are so many fun holiday gifts you can get them! But you may find it challenging to come up with a unique idea no one else will think of. The last thing you want to do is give them a gift they'll have three of. We're here to help you think outside of the box.

Every newly married couple will need a new return address stamp! They may even still have thank you cards to send, so you know they'll put it to great use right away. At Simply Stamps, we have thousands of stamp designs to choose from, so you're sure to find the right style for the newlyweds. What's better? Every time they return address a piece of mail, they'll think of you and your valued friendship.

For the crafty newlyweds, find the perfect wedding craft stamp! Every couple loves the day they finally get to look through all of their wedding photos. Many choose their favorites and frame them so they can hang in their living room or bedroom. Others choose to compile them all into a scrapbook they can look through for decades to come. Give your favorite newlyweds something fun to add to their scrapbook with wedding-themed craft stamps. Personalize them with their names, dates, and more for a gift that's truly personal.

Gifts for Kids

There are millions of toys to choose from when finding a gift for your children this holiday season, but there are also many practical gifts you can buy that they will enjoy just as much. At Simply Stamps, we offer a whole line of stamps perfect for kids.

From clothing stamps to book stamps, stamps for their artwork to their own address stamps. This holiday season, encourage your children to send letters or create their own artwork, then give them a personalized stamp that will help them mark it as their own.

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Q: How many years of experience do you have teaching?

A: 12 years.

Q: Why did you choose to teach?

A: I kind of fell into a teaching job after college; I wasn't sure what to do next. I ended up loving it, so I decided to keep on keeping on.

Q: What grade level do you teach?

A: High School. I've taught all levels, but mostly 11th and 12th grade.

Q: What do you find is the most challenging aspect of your daily routine with students?

A: Getting kids to stay engaged. In the technological world we live in today it's hard for kids to see the value in learning and thinking for themselves when they carry all of the world's knowledge in their pocket.

Q: How do you get organized for the first day and first week of a new school year?

A: Lots of Post-it note reminders! I have a big fat planner that I start every year in August (which is teacher new year... I don't care about Jan 1...). I'm very meticulous with putting my stuff away at the end of the year so I can get my room set up quickly to start working on the meaty things (lesson planning, syllabus writing, checking IEP (individual education plans), making copies, etc.)

Q: What subjects do you teach?

A: Physics and Earth/Space Science.

Q: What subjects do you most enjoy teaching?

A: Physics is my all-time favorite. If we're being super specific, AP Physics C, which is calculus-based, college level physics.

Q: Have you developed any unique strategies for teaching, staying organized or anything else?

A: Not really. Teaching is a profession full of re-users. I'm constantly on Pinterest or Facebook groups looking for new ideas. I am a big fan of interactive notebooks for students to manage all their knowledge.

Q: What has been your biggest lesson or point of personal growth since you first became a teacher?

A: First and foremost, coming out of my shell. I've always been very self-conscious and teaching has made me stop. But really and truly the relationships I have with some of these kids are the reason I keep coming back. I am truly blessed to get to spend my days with these tiny people. Even though teenagers are mostly grown, inside they're still kids. They have these ideas and plans and their whole lives in front of them. It's really fun to get to know them all.

Q: Is there a burning question you WISH someone would ask you about your job?

A: I just wish more people would recognize that this is a hard job. Unless you've spent a few years in the school system, you don't understand how it can tear you down year after year. So many people say teachers have a part time job because we get summer off and winter break and spring break. But we don't get paid then. We don't get paid when we show up an hour early (because we have to get ready for the kids) or stay late to help a kid out or grade papers. I probably work 55-60 hours a week and don't get overtime like other jobs. And teachers NEVER stop thinking about school. I've woken up in cold sweats thinking about school, copies I forgot to run, tests that need to be written. It’s not a job that you just clock out at the end of the day and don't think about until 8am the next day... And forget about taking sick days. It's easier to show up and suffer than it is to write last minute lesson plans for a substitute.

Mrs. Eardley

Thank you to Mrs. Eardley for sharing your compelling stories and experiences of being an educator! We're wishing all the teachers and students a successful new school year as they head back to their classrooms. Be sure to meet us back here next Monday for the final week of our "From the Classroom of" series!