I’m About to Be a (Gulp) Parent of a Preschooler

…And am apparently on a coaster kick.  I was laying in bed thinking about teacher gifts and remembering some of the memorable (both good and bad) and not so memorable.  I taught second grade in a low-income school, and never expected much in terms of teacher gifts.  A verbal “thank you” from a parent meant much more to me than any candle ever would.

I’ve received some strange gifts.  A 5-foot tall lawn ornament reindeer.  100 fresh egg rolls.  Hummus (a gallon drum of it).  A large, pink, singing gorilla.

I’ve received some lovely gifts. Beautiful, handwritten notes; photos of my students and their families; gift cards; a handmade nameplate for my desk.

And then there are the costly, but impersonal gifts that I often didn’t use: candles, potpourri, figurines.  I swore to myself that as a parent I would let teachers know I cared, but try to do so in a way that showed I put some thought into it.

Playing around with the Scrabble Coaster idea from yesterday, I grabbed a few more tiles and some chalkboard paint to see what I could come up with.  And voila!  I have chalkboard coasters/hot plates.  I chose a slightly larger tile so that it could function as a coaster, hot plate, or cheese plate.

Step 1

Spray tiles with chalkboard paint.  I used Krylon brand.  I put on three thin coats, waiting 20 minutes between coats.

Step 2

Let the paint dry over night.  Cover the bottom of the tile with felt or cork board (I used felt).

Step 3

Season the chalkboard by rubbing chalk on it and then erasing it.

Step 4    

 Wrap up a set and give them to your favorite teacher as a way to welcome in the new school year.