I’ve been thinking about this at random times, and if you’re going to give a teacher a home-made cook book, here’s what I think they’d like: a recipe from the mother/father/primary caregiver of every kid in her class of that student’s favorite recipe, as well as making the student write a little paragraph on why that’s their favorite recipe.
Recipes kids like are going to tend to be easy-to-prepare, and will give the teacher a little insight into each student.
I know teachers and they don’t all cook.
I’ve been teaching since 1985, and gifts from students or their parents still make me uncomfortable. Generally, if it is possible to graciously decline to accept a gift, I do so. Happily, it is not common in the school where I teach now. I’ve taught other places where it was accepted, even expected, and the gifts were significantly expensive.
IMO, accepting gifts from people whom you are expected to impartially evaluate and on whom you are expected to enforce a disciplinary code is just bad juju.
Another teacher chiming in that it wouldn’t be on my top ten list of great presents. If you’re getting a teacher a gift just because you feel like you should, go for a gift card. They don’t take up much space and they allow the teacher to pick out something she or he may actually enjoy. Plus, if they’re to a place that the teacher doesn’t like, they can easily be regifted. If you’re getting the teacher a gift because you really love the teacher and want to show your appreciation, think about the teacher as a person and base the present off of that. My absolute favorite teacher gift was a wildly pink travel coffee mug that was filled with Hershey kisses. A second grade girl picked out the mug herself because there I always had coffee in hand and she knew I liked chocolate, so she came with the idea of filling it with chocolate. I loved that she was involved in the gift process and she thought about what I would like. I still use the mug daily at school and think of her fondly when I do.
It’s not a totally weird gift, but does the teacher cook enough to care? My bro’s MIL gave us all Thanksgiving cookbooks, and my idea of cooking is using marinade on the baked chicken. It was like I’d given her a book on engine rebuilding. I don’t know where it is any more. She just gave it because she was so excited about it, and I should care. I don’t.