Teachers show an incredible dedication to their students, and form strong bonds with them that can last many years. As a teacher, you share in your students’ achievements and help them navigate disappointments. Personalized gifts, trophies, or custom awards handed out at the end of the school year are a great way to celebrate their successes. If you’re interested in presenting your students with personalized awards in the San Jose or Santa Clara area, here are some tips for creating wonderful awards for your students.
Don’t Use Superlatives
Children are sensitive, and proclaiming one child as the best at something can cause hurt feelings and discouragement. Avoid using words like “best” or “most” when designing your awards. Instead, try to highlight each 
child’s special skill without comparing him or her to other classmates. You can use adjectives like “confident,” “brave,” and “enthusiastic” to describe their skill.
Highlight Personality, not Physical Traits
Don’t give out an award for best smile or prettiest hair. Choose traits that contribute to the learning environment and encourage further development. Focus on skills like the student’s manners, penmanship, or a specific area in which he or she has excelled or demonstrated improvement. These specifics will help the children and parents understand the value of the award. It will also allow the parent to encourage the child’s development of that particular skill in the future.
Give Each Child a Special Award
Make sure you include each child when preparing your awards. It may be hard to think of a unique award for everyone in the classroom, but avoid repetition and try to make each award special to the individual recipient. This will ensure that each child feels valued and important, and help them develop a sense of personal responsibility that will aid them in their advancing education. Parents will also appreciate this, as they will know that you have taken the time to get to know their child as an individual.