Teacher Gifts can be difficult to decide on. You have to stay on a budget but you want to give them something nice. My sisters and I are all teachers and we are here to tell you what your child’s teacher really wants.
Currently, I spend my days chasing two little rascals down, trying to manage my family and household, and blogging and making jewelry during naptime, but in my pre-kid life, I spent my days teaching in an elementary school classroom. I have taught third and fourth grade, but third was my favorite. They are old enough to take care of themselves, but young enough to think puppets (and their teacher) are cool.
My sisters are also teachers. Neither of our parents was, but somehow we were all bitten with the education bug. My sister Rachel taught high school English for five years prior to adopting a baby, and my sister Laura is currently a high school chemistry teacher. Here is a picture of us as little girls and on my wedding day together. Aren’t they darling? I love them. Especially in that little kid leotard picture. Heehee.
Teacher Gifts – What We Don’t Want or Need
I have been seeing a lot of teacher gifts in the way of craft ideas and tutorials on blogs lately. Here’s the thing: I am a former elementary teacher and a major color junkie, so I will be honest with you . . . the sight of a perfect crayon frame or wreath does indeed make my heart beat a little bit faster. However, I don’t really need any more of them. At Christmas, during Teacher Appreciation Week, and the end of the school year teachers are showered with mugs, lotions, knick-knacks, frames, and cutesy projects galore. What is a teacher to do with all of these things?
Now don’t get me wrong: they truly appreciate your generosity in thinking of them and giving them a homemade teacher gift. It touches a teacher’s heart to feel appreciated. It is a very emotional, woefully underpaid, and very time-consuming job. (If you think it’s all early hours and summers you clearly have never had to plan wonderful lessons, coordinate field trips, put up bulletin boards, keep administrators happy, go to staff development meetings, worry about your individual students’ needs, grade piles of papers, and communicate with dozens of parents!) Teachers truly love to feel appreciated. But a person can only use so many frames and mugs, and of the three of us sisters two of us are very allergic to smelly lotions and have to just pass them on when they are given to us as teacher gifts. And that is why I am here today to tell you the five gifts that your child’s teacher REALLY wants to receive. They are not complex and they are not expensive. So read on!
The top five teacher gifts I loved to receive:
I made my list of the top five teacher gifts I loved to receive as a teacher. Then I asked my sisters to make a list without telling them what mine was. They both made the SAME list IN THE SAME ORDER! We could chalk that up to similar DNA, but I truly feel that it is an accurate representation of what the majority of teachers would love to receive as teacher gifts, and that is why I am sharing them with you now. I will start at number five and countdown to number one, Letterman style.
(I am going to be using “she” to refer to the teachers. Not because there aren’t male teachers, just because we three happen to be female. Male teachers rock and there are far too few of them!)
#5: Delicious goodies make great teacher gifts!
Who doesn’t love a treat?! So unless you know your kid’s teacher is on a diet or has health issues that require them to limit sugar, then go for the goodies! However, make them gooood. I am a junk food junkie (my mom’s title for me), so I ate the junk candy that came in as well as the good stuff, but my favorite treat was when I got a big box of hand-dipped caramels from a local candy shop. Mmmmmm…….
Non-perishable is always a good option. Local candy shops, gourmet chocolate, local bakery treats, or goodies from a place like Trader Joe’s are all great options. My sister got so much perishable, homemade food one year that she had to have a bunch of friends come over just so it wouldn’t go bad!
If you are dying to make your child’s teacher a beautiful cupcake, then make one big, beautiful cupcake for her in a small box. Because, unless she has a big family at home, how is she going to get through a dozen? Or here’s an idea: THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE! Make a big old platter of cookies and leave them in the teacher’s lounge. There is nothing better than walking into the lounge to grab a soda during an all-too-short break and finding homemade baked goods up for grabs. Oh, sweet manna from Heaven. These Cowboy Cookies are our family’s favorite cookies ever!
I am passionate about treats. Just in case you couldn’t tell…. 😉
#4: Something really great for the classroom . . . or HELP!
I am a children’s lit junkie, so a great gift for my classroom would have been a great new children’s book to read to the class and add to my classroom library. (Here is a post about my favorite children’s books that you could use as a reference: 9 of Our Family’s All Time Favorite Books for Kids.) One year my sister Laura got a beautiful coffee table book about the elements of the periodic table from a student and she is obsessed with it. (Geek.) My sister Rachel’s favorite book to teach is To Kill a Mockingbird. A beautiful edition of that would be treasured by her for years to come. Or, as far as elementary teachers go, something like (affiliate link) The Magic School Bus videos to enhance science lessons. Be creative!
Or, better yet, HELP! Teachers love help. At the end of the year, a high school student could stay after with a friend one day and help their teacher clean up and organize so that she too can get started on her summer. Or the parent of an elementary student could volunteer in the classroom!
Would you believe that I never had a room mother? I only worked at Title I schools, so never once was a parent able to come in to help me with a class party or anything else. I had to BEG for field trip chaperones. They were all working like crazy just to support their families, which is obviously a much higher priority than going on a field trip or planning a school party. It was very stressful trying to plan all of the extra things like class parties and events all by myself on top of all of my regular teaching duties. I did my best to make it fun, but I remember the parties my mom used to throw as a PTA member when I was growing up. My parties were nothing like that.
So, if you can, get in the classroom and help! It’s not realistic or even possible for every family, and that’s obviously ok, but if you do have the opportunity to get into the classroom at some point during the school year, then I would encourage you to do so! The teacher will be so very grateful to you, and, most importantly, your child will know just how much you value their education and support the teachers at their school! My son loves it when I show up in his classroom!
#3: Teacher gifts directly from your child that show they know you.
There is one teacher gift from a student that I still see daily. It is a tiny stuffed donkey. It has come apart and undergone hand-stitching surgery many times. Incredibly random, right? Yes. INCREDIBLY random. But one of my students saw it at Walmart and decided to save her money and buy it as a gift for myself and my stuffed llamas that I used as puppets in my classroom to teach lessons and generally bring silliness to the classroom. When she gave it to me she was bursting with excitement. She made me name him on the spot and create a character and a voice for him. Years later, my son is now amused by this little donkey’s “personality” and sleeps with him at night.
Then there was the time that a little girl living in the most horrible of poverty brought me a six pack of miniature Dr. Pepper cans for my birthday. She had not only made a mental note that my birthday was coming, but she had also been watching me and noticing the soda on my desk each day after lunch. Then she begged her mom and they no doubt made a sacrifice in their grocery budget to get me some DP for my birthday. I was incredibly touched.
This works with high schoolers too! My sister Laura teaches chemistry in California to many troubled teens. One boy, in particular, caught her eye at the start of the school year, and she made a special effort to help him pass and to fuss over him and make him feel special. She knew he was withdrawn, not into school, and involved in gang activity. But she loved him as he was and set out to try to help him love himself and maybe learn a bit of chemistry along the way as well. On the last day of school, he walked up to her and silently handed her a bag with her favorite treat in it: a single Subway cookie. And then he gave her a hug. She wept when she called to tell me about it. It meant so much to her.
What parent ever would have picked out a poorly made small stuffed donkey as a teacher’s gift? Or a miniature six-pack of Dr. Pepper? Or a single Subway cookie? None. But each gift is etched into our memories years later, and each was so meaningful to us because it spoke volumes to us about how much our students cared about us personally!
#2: GIFT CARDS are one of the best teacher gifts!
This is the purely material suggestion. You guys, teachers are woefully underpaid. It’s ridiculous. The first year I was teaching my family would have qualified for the free lunches my students were getting. Yeah. So if you want to buy your child’s teacher something then spoil them with a gift card!
The gift card does NOT have to be in a large amount! Once Rachel got a $5 gift card to Coldstone. She was thrilled! It came on a long and exhausting day, and she stopped at Coldstone on her way home and got herself a much-deserved treat! If you are going to make a craft for them you will be spending at least $5 – $10 anyway. Put it on a gift card instead and let them treat themselves to exactly what they want!
If you want to give them teacher gifts that could be used for themselves or the classroom I would suggest (affiliate link) Amazon, Target, a VISA gift card, or Barnes & Noble. If you wanted to get them smelly lotions or soap for pampering purposes then just give them a $10 Bath & Body gift card instead so they can choose their favorite scent. Or how about an iTunes or Starbucks gift card? We don’t drink coffee, but most teachers do, and we are obsessed with vanilla steamed milk, so Starbucks worked for us, too! If you have the ability to be more monetarily generous then consider a gift card to a restaurant or movie theater. I bet they don’t get to go on very many nice dates with their husbands!
Gift cards are the ultimate gift if you are looking to spend any money at all. Give your kid’s teacher a chance to take themselves on a mini shopping spree, even if it is only worth $5! And, hey, if you want to also do something cutesy then I have your answer: I rounded up a collection of 19 Teacher Appreciation Gift Card Holder Printables. Quick and cute!
#1: Heartfelt letters make special teacher gifts!
The best thing that you can give to a teacher is a heartfelt letter thanking them for the help that they have given your child. Use specific examples of the positive growth and changes that you have seen in your child. I recall at the end of one year getting a letter from a particular student’s mother. This particular student suffered from Bipolar Disorder and severe ADHD. He was definitely a challenge to have in class. But somehow he and I found a rhythm and rapport that worked for us. The year prior to being in my classroom he had been sent to the office at least 4 times a week. I sent him three times in an entire year. I dealt with him myself, communicated with his mother regularly, and learned great lessons in patience and temper control. The letter that she wrote to me about how much they loved me and how much growth they had seen in him at home and in school made my soul soar. I have never been so touched or so grateful for the opportunity that I was given as a teacher to touch a child’s life. Don’t read too much into this: I was no perfect teacher. Not even close. But I was the perfect teacher for that ONE child at that one time. And I am so grateful to his mother for taking the time to let me know why.
My sisters also received some meaningful letters over the years, and Rachel’s favorites were from students directly. (More feasible in high school classrooms than in elementary classrooms.) The two that stand out to her were not long letters from eloquent students. They were simple and sweet, and they touched her deeply.
Her first year of teaching she worked really hard with a boy who was struggling with clinical depression and who hardly spoke more than 5 words to her at a time. At the end of the year, he gave her a pre-printed teacher bookmark that said something like, “Teachers make such a special difference in the lives of their students, and you are the most special teacher of all.” On the back, he wrote six words: “I really mean it. Love, Johnny.” (Name has been changed for the student’s protection.) Coming from that student, such a simple sentiment brought tears to her eyes.
A few years later, she got a little thank-you note from a student with Aspergers Syndrome. He began the note with a few sentences that were pretty typical, “Thanks for being a great teacher,”etc., but he ended the note with a sentence she has never forgotten: “Thank you for seeing in me what so many others have not seen.” She put that note on her desk and looked at it often when she was feeling discouraged and overwhelmed as a teacher.
Over the years I have misplaced and lost track of the majority of even the cutest handmade and store-bought teacher gifts that my students gave to me, but that letter from my student’s mother? It is safely tucked away and I will keep it literally until the day that I die. It reminds me that I made a real difference in a child’s life, which is the reason that I started teaching in the first place.
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Teachers rock. They work so hard and are often not fully appreciated for all that they do during and after school hours. Show them some love and let them know how much they have meant to your child by giving them teachers gifts they really want! Now that I am a parent myself I realize more than ever that a great teacher is worth his or her weight in gold!
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If you enjoyed this post then stick around! Here are a few more teacher gift ideas:
Rachel says
Awesome job!
sarah says
Thanks sis! I appreciate your help is making the list! xoxo
Christy says
It’s like you’re on a miiossn to save me time and money!
Natalie L says
I don’t care how “cute” a gift is – I’ll always opt for the gift card. It really is the most helpful gift you can give and it’s one size fits all. Teachers deal with so much day-in and day-out, they deserve to be pampered too!
sarah says
HERE HERE! xoxo
Darla says
Yes! A gift card!!! Please listen to what we really want.
Laura says
Thanks for making me cry all over reading this. Teaching is so hard, but the kids can be so dang sweet!
sarah says
You’re a leaky faucet. I can not be blamed! 😉 xoxox
Cindy says
As a former teacher, I agree 1000% with your ideas! Teachers are underappreciated, underpaid, and overworked, yet we love the kids! Just let your teachers know how much you appreciate them and make it personal. Teachers pour their heart and soul into their students, every day! Simply be grateful! Thank you for sharing this!! It brought back many memories for me 🙂
sarah says
Thanks for the feedback, Cindy! 🙂
Chrissy says
LOVE THIS!!! Thank you for the suggestions. Just eased my stress over teacher gifts. Hooray! I know what to do!!
sarah says
YEA!!!!!! This makes me so happy to read! Stop stressing over crafts and elaborate projects and just go simple and basic! LOVE YOU! xoxo
savannah says
thanks! this really helps. i love it.
JDaniel4's Mom says
I taught for years and would have loved any of these gifts.
Kristen says
Great post! And I LOVE the pictures!
Katie {Sweet Rose Studio} says
As someone who was a teacher in my past life too, I totally agree with every single item on your list! Great ideas!
Diana says
Thank you so much for sharing such great ideas and personal examples. Teachers are so important and now I feel like I am better able to thank them. Thanks
sarah says
You are so welcome!
Kaylynn Young says
First of all… YES! Oh I love this SO much! As a teacher I FULLY concur with this list. Teacher approved indeed. I was scouring Pinterest (of course) and there were a LOT of teacher appreciation gift ideas on there. Obviously they were all cute, but I found myself thinking, “Yes, it’s cute, but would I want that?” Probably not. Gift cards and candy people! We’re not that hard to figure out!
Met you at SNAP and you’re awesome. Seriously. Totally stalking you in every possible way and can’t wait to get to know you better! Hope you’ll check my site out too –
Kaylynn
AmongTheYoung.com
sarah says
Oh my word! You just made my day! Stalk away! I’ll stalk right back! 🙂
Cassie L. says
As a teacher (who is not in the classroom currently, but still identifies as a teacher), I say this is *spot-on*!! Those little handmade cards and letters make it worth facing the challenges!
Jessica says
Last year I gave my kids’ teachers gift cards for Oriental Trading. Many people, when I told them what I was giving, said “doesn’t the school pay for all the stuff for the classroom?” Haha!! I am not a teacher, but do have friends who are. I am actually a custodian at our elementary school. I have seen teachers working until 11pm after teaching all day long, and the things they put into their rooms with their own funds. The good teachers do this, and at our school we are very fortunate to some really great ones! One of the lowest paid schools in our area, but they stay because they love community and are part of it!
Sarah says
Oriental Trading Co is a great idea! A great teacher is worth their weight in gold!!
marla says
You have reminded me of the awesome teachers my children have had. They are homeschooled, but still have had some of the most amazing tutors in the world. It is heart-warming to know that the simple letter, for my broke self, is appreciated. Last year we were so broke that I did nothing, however I just sent an email. My kids tutor last year is an amazing woman that, even if I can’t appreciate with a monetary or homemade gift, DESERVES to know how much she is appreciated. She can’t read my or my kid’s minds right?
marla says
One more thing….is cash a no-no?
Sarah says
I wouldn’t say it’s a no-no, but I never got any! Just putting it in a gift card form is more the social norm I think.
Sarah says
RIGHT! The tutor will love your note!!
Jaimi says
I found this post on the Kid Blogger Network Back to School link-up and I am so glad that I did! I can relate having been a teacher prior to staying home with my kiddos, and your list is so helpful for parents. Will be sharing it with my readers. Thanks for sharing this list with us!
Sarah says
Thanks, Jaimi! I’m glad to hear other teachers concur. 🙂
Joan E. Brands says
Hi Sarah,
I wanted to share this with you. I asked a friend of mine, who is now a retired kindergarten teacher, what would be a good teacher gift. She told me this story. She had a boy in her class that obviously came from a family that didn’t have a lot. She said for Christmas he gave her some tulip bulbs as a gift. When spring rolled around she planted them. She wasn’t sure if they would even grow. They bloomed that very year. Every spring after that, when they would begin to bloom she always remembered the sweet boy that gave her such a beautiful gift.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
That is a lovely idea!!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
That is a lovely idea!! THanks for sharing!
Cathie says
love these ideas – especially the letter. This year, my son is in a co-teaching classroom and I know exactly what to give his teachers – scissors. I’m a scrapbooker and I use a fabulous brand of scissors that are high quality yet affordable and they’re more comfortable than any scissors I’ve seen or used at school. Projects are so much easier when you’re not fighting with your tools, don’t you think?
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Absolutely!!
Laura Clark says
Cathie: What is that great brand of scissors??
Jessica says
As a veteran teacher, I agree with you 100%. The thoughtful student gifts are the best, but gift cards are a very close second. All gifts are appreciated, but I personally think that a lot of the cutsie craft gifts that are all over Pinterest nowadays are more about the parent needing to show off than actual gratitude for the teacher.
Shari says
Thanks so much. I have been giving the teachers gift cards for a few years now and was worried that it maybe felt a little impersonal, especially seeing some of the homemade gifts that clearly take many hours for parents to make. Now I know that I have been on the right track with my Starbucks gift cards! Thanks for making me feel better about how I say thank you to my son’s teachers. Now I don’t have to stress about the choice this year!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
No stress, lady! You’re doing the right thing all the way!! 🙂
Heather says
Thank you for this post. My daughter is in kindergarten this year, and adores her awesome teacher (we love her, too!). I started scouring Pinterest a few weeks ago for gift ideas, and was amazed how many things had apples or crayons hot glued to them. I thought to myself, “Oookay, we shouldn’t give teachers anything we wouldn’t want 20 of, all over our own houses.” Thanks for the wonderful, and totally doable, ideas.
Peggie says
This just made me cry! The #1 gift to give, a letter, that describes our journey with my son *exactly*!!! We have had a rough few years adjusting to post-ADHD/ autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and this year’s teacher has been sent straight from heaven to answer our prayers! I will definitely write her a note and gloat about how appreciative we are. As well as having my son write her a note, too.
My son’s kindergarten and first grade teachers are right across the hall from each other. At the end of the year both years he made them crayon pictures (one was a letter of her last name made in crayons, the other was subway art with crayons as the frame) and it’s funny because they both have those pictures displayed prominently in their front classroom windows for everyone to see and they wear them like a badge of honor. Like, “I have a handmade picture from Hunter!” haha! I love walking by and seeing them. I get teary and proud 😉
Sarah Westover McKenna says
I love it! Thanks for sharing!!
Polly says
As a mom of 6 kiddos, it would really add up if we bought a gift for each teacher and each switch teacher, so we have tried to be creative. One year I had the kids make up a list of things they love about their teachers (art, music, and PE included) and we used those words in a Wordle online. At the Christmas party we rolled up the Wordle for each teacher like a scroll and tied it with a red ribbon. The teachers seemed to appreciate it and a few even framed them for their classrooms!
Last year I decided to let the administration for the school and the district know how much we appreciate our teachers by writing a letter and naming names of the wonderful teachers we had encountered that year. We gave a copy to each teacher and let them know that this letter had been mailed to the administration. We wanted to make sure the district knew what wonderful teachers they had working for them.
Thank you for this post, it is really nice to hear from the teachers themselves what makes them feel appreciated.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
I totally LOVE the wordle idea!
Emily J says
What a great list! It’s hard to think of things the teachers will really enjoy, that won’t set me back a ton of $! Thank you for showing that the most meaningful gifts aren’t the most costly. In the past I have always chosen a book for each child’s classroom and hand-written a dedication inside the cover…”Dear Mrs. C’s class, this is one of our favorite books at home, and we hope you will enjoy it too! Merry Christmas, Love, R’s family”
But I get that teachers need to feel the love, so I think we’ll add a handwritten letter or a Wordle from each kid.
Erin @ Making Memories says
What great ideas! I love the letter idea! But treats? Yes, please =o)
dannyscotland says
I came across this post via Pinterest. I had to tell you what a great post it is, and as a former teacher myself, I agree with everything you’ve written. I have said many of the same things myself! Your stories about students who touched you and your sisters’ lives reminded me of some of mine. A had a child who was special needs one year. She hated school and everything about it. She hated her foster family. She was so angry, and rightfully so, considering what she’d been through. One day she tried to run out of the building but was cornered in the reading specialist’s room. She tore it up, screaming about all the things she hated. But I was later told she also said, “But I love Miss Dannyscotland” (not my real last name, he he). I almost cried. She gave me a stuffed bear, dirty and probably her own. I tried not to accept it from her, because I thought it was probably one of the only things that was really hers but she insisted. I keep that bear in my craft room and I think of her all the time. Thank you for a really sweet post that touches on many of the issues teachers deal with daily, in a cheerful and happy way. This was just beautiful.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Thank you for your kind words and for sharing that amazing story!
Catherine says
Thanks so much for posting! I taught for 2 years at the high school level and can definitely relate to your sisters. The examples brought tears to my eyes because I could easily see the face of several students that made HUGE impacts on my life during those short 2 years. These simple gift ideas are great for teachers! You don’t have to spend tons of money to let those amazing teachers see how valued, appreciated and loved they are!
Helen says
Great post! The one that really sticks with me is also a letter. The mother of one of my kindergarten students last year wrote a little note towards the end of the year. She said how much her son had enjoyed his year and how he was always talking about things that he had done at school. She then specifically mentioned several things that we had done together that year, all the way back to the beginning of the year. She had really taken the time to listen to her son and they had put those thoughts on paper. That was truly a beautiful letter because it really was personal and heartfelt.
Camille says
Its good to know that sincere thank you cards are appreciated because that’s all we can give sometimes- I have 5 kids- each child has at least 6 teachers plus all the helpers but I do appreciate them and help out where I can.
Tina says
My children have been at two different schools in a Title 1 district, one of the schools was very much a Title 1, the other was higher up, but still classified as such because the entire district had the rating.
There was an abundance of parent support and classroom help at both schools, enough so that this year in particular (4th grade) the teacher has two parent helpers for each day of the week and a room parent committee.
Just because a school is Title 1, does not necessarily mean that the parents are all too busy working to help. That may be a fact in some areas; however, not in all.
… at our most recent teacher appreciation day, the classroom gift was a gift certificate to the teachers favorite restaurant, a gift cert to her favorite ice cream shop (both enough for her family), and a Starbucks gift card for herself. The gift was boxed up in a small pizza box. Inside was a paper “pizza”, and the children all wrote small thank you notes on the “slices” and on the “toppings”.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Gift card JACKPOT!!!! I love it! I wish I had been working in THOSE Title 1 schools! That’s amazing! We didn’t even have a PTO at either school because at one school there were ZERO parents willing to join and only TWO parents offered at the other school, so they didn’t bother and just had those two help in their kid’s class. 🙁 I never had room parents or any other volunteers. Did all the parties and extras myself out of necessity.
Lorio says
Wow. Perfectly said. As a teacher of 5th grade for almost 13 years, I totally agree with you. I keep a notebook of the notes students give me. It’s nice to llok back on those and realize what a difference one person can make. I had one student who wrote “Thank you for being nice to me, even though I was a pain in the butt.” heh.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Hahaha! At least they were self aware! 😉
Crystal says
Thank you for this great run down of what teachers love to receive as gifts!
Rebecca A says
It’s funny how teachers think the same! I agree 100% with this list! I love the notes from parents!! It really does make you feel appreciated when most of the time you don’t!
My favorite though are heartfelt gifts from the kids. I once had a family who barely had anything, but every once in a while would get me a bottle of “Super Water” (Smart Water) and a bag of Sour Patch Kids, because my student knew I loved those. She would be SOOO stinkin’ excited when I opened the bag…and I always shared with my students!
My other favorite thing just happened at the end of this last school year. One of my boy students (who I thought was not very receptive to some of things I did to try to capture his heart) had his mom film him to make a video for me of all the things he loved about my class. He told me some things that were his favorite that I thought he could’ve cared less about and how much he’ll miss me next school year. Every time I watch it I cry.
It truly is rewarding to be a teacher!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Oh man, I would totally cry! That’s amazing!
Lauren says
Great ideas. I am a teacher and totally agree except with the goodies part. I have had many conversations in the breakroom with other teachers about parents who bring you a dozen cupcakes or a box of donuts. One year our school suggested student bring the teacher’s favorite candy on teacher apperciation week. As a middle school teacher with 6 classes of 30 students I literally had over 150 candy bars at the end of the day! Yuck!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Yuck indeed! I guess you were stocked for Halloween! 😉 As an elementary teacher I really didn’t have that problem, especially in the schools I was teaching at b/c we didn’t have a PTA/PTO b/c no parents volunteered. I hadn’t considered how that could add up for a secondary grades teacher.
Tara says
Those are all things that I like to receive. Something else that I love to get at Christmas are tree ornaments. I always write the name of the student and year on the back. Every year when the ornament is unpacked I have fond memories of the student and class.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
I love it!!
Toshia Hanlon says
Your post made me teary-eyed (mom of 3 so most things do!) I love our teachers. They are wonderful and take great interest in my kids. I feel like we are a great school community with lots of parents involvement. I have given everything from lotto tickets with cake pops, to storage containers filled with markers, hand sanitizer and other classroom necessities. For Mother’s Day and Father’s Day when my son was in Kindergarten he drew a picture of us and filled out a questionnaire about us, what our fav color is, fav food, why they love us, etc. I duplicated it for the teachers in his room and he answered the questions about them. They loved it! He is going into 3rd grade this year and one of the teaches just told me it is still on her fridge <3. Glad to know I have been in the right direction 🙂 Teachers deserve lots of recognition!!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Those sound like such wonderful gifts!
Peggy says
I totally agree with the great suggestions listed but I wanted to add two more. People in my community know me and sometimes give me gift cards to the local movie theater. I love this gift because they know I am an avid movie goer. The other is gift certificates to my favorite local restaurants especially McDonalds. Yes this is my favorite fast food.
wendy says
I came here to get ideas to share with other parents, and now I’m crying. (in a good way). Beautifully written and very helpful.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Thank you, Wendy! 🙂
L Adkins says
Please take your letter of appreciation one step forward and address it to the Principal/Headmaster of the school (include a copy to the teacher). It just might help save a teacher’s job at some point. Thanks.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Great idea!
Heidi says
Love this list! I come from a family of teachers including my mom, three aunts, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and husband. Here’s another “gift” idea my mother-in-law passed on to my husband. On the first day of teacher appreciation week my hubby tells his students he would rather they be on their best behavior all week then buy him a gift. This is a “gift” that comes straight from the kids no matter their financial situation. Usually, the parents end up getting a gift card or candy for him too.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
A great gift indeed!!! 🙂
Elizabeth Towns says
It’s always good to know from a teachers perspective what will be really appreciated as a gift and not just accumulated. I love to gift the teachers at my child;s school, so I will keep this list handy!
Diane says
I would get school supplies when they put them out before school and then get a basket and put them in there. It was stuff the teacher could hand out to kids that didn’t have money to purchase items. One year I did laminated bingo cards, so the teacher could reuse them in the classroom. I not sure I would give a teacher candy because maybe they are dieting or can’t eat something or allergic.
I imagine each teacher would have an idea of what she likes and doesn’t like, just like each individual. The letter would have only worked for one person. She still has a clay pot with the banana bread and the flowers we made with sugared jellies and it must have turned to stone she never eat it, and still has it on her kitchen table.
I once gave a teacher a picture cookie of our family and for years she has it hanging on her file cabinet. So you never know what each person will like.
Thank for listing your likes.
Megan says
As the wife of a teacher, I know all of these are appreciated. But voting in school board elections for pro-teacher candidates bears them all by far. Don’t forget we can have a say in how teachers are treated as professionals.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Great point! Thanks for bringing that up!
Chelsea says
We had teacher appreciation day here in Brazil just a couple weeks ago. Thanks to these suggestions, I knew exactly what to get Penny’s kindergarten teacher: a nice hardcover copy of Room on the Broom. We love that book, and Halloween is coming up. It’s fun to give people gifts when you have good ideas!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Yay!!
Laura says
These are such great and thoughtful ideas. Pinned! I always wonder if the teachers are ok with what I’m giving! 🙂
Betsy says
I am a teacher and I totally agree with the heartfelt letter, gift cards, etc. I would also like to add: erasers (at this time of the year, they are very scarce…also notebook paper and tissue…thanks for a great post.
Kathy says
As a high school chemistry teacher, I didn’t get nearly as many gifts as my elementary teacher friends, but I can tell you I still have the hand-written notes from students and parents that were so appreciated and reminded me why I was teaching. I can also remember by name those students that noticed that I drank Dr. Pepper and love chocolate and surprised me with a sweet thank you and a treat! A cold Dr.Pepper on my desk or some chocolate when I needed a pick-me-up – those students loved seeing my smile when I saw it!
SarahJane says
My son who is a 9th grader now, has struggled for many many years. He has been in special ed for all those years. His special ed teachers were the most special people in my life. They understood this amazing boy in front of them that struggled how to express himself. I have always had a hard time with gifts because I wanted them to be as special as these ladies were to me and my son. Never thought about a letter though. This is what I will be giving this year. I know she will cherish one from him also. THanks for the ideas, something so simple for you to do, (make a list) means alot to us moms.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Oh she will LOVE it!!!!!!! Yay!
Leighann of D-Mom Blog says
I was looking forward to hearing your suggestions…until you disseminated misinformation in your very first one. People with diabetes can certainly have sweets. My daughter has type 1 diabetes and can have sweets in moderation (just as EVERYONE should have sweets in moderation) as long as she has insulin to cover the carbs.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
I didn’t realize that! Thank you for letting me know!
Kate K Hill says
Thanks for the insight- I soo appreciate my girls teachers. The treats in the break room is a wonderful idea. I’m going to make a pan of goodies once a month for the teachers! God Bless teachers!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
You are welcome! 🙂
Melissa French, The More With Less Mom says
I love your story about the little donkey, that’s so cute. Thanks for posting. Hello from Inspire Me Monday.
JoAnna says
As a teacher, I completely agree with all but the baked goods.
I have been to many people’s homes who do not practice safe hygiene and I just can’t stomach the thought of eating food that has come from my students’ houses. I never eat anything that students bring from home, not even store bought things that they might have touched! One look at my students’ dirty fingernails tells me they probably didn’t wash their hands before arranging those cookies on a plate for me.
Wendy says
Okay, so I got a bit teary reading #3 and #1. As a high school teacher, I have received everything on your list (and many homemade things, too!), but the most meaningful were by far the gifts chosen specifically by the student and given with an “I know this is your favorite!” comment, and the personal notes. Usually by the end of the year I am ready to be done (as in, not going back the next year!), and then I get one of these game changers. 🙂 Great post!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Thank you Wendy!
April says
Teachers are so precious to children and their parents!! I love this. Thank you for putting it together. We struggle each year with what to buy our teachers. This year we are home schooling, but we still have tutors. Thanks again!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
You are welcome! 🙂
Kyla @HouseOfHipsters says
This is such a great list! Thank you so much for sharing it on Found & Foraged. I think as parents, we never know what to get the teachers. And what special stories you put along with the gift ideas. This was our first year participating in Teacher Appreciation Week. Our school gave a list of things to bring each day. I really wish I would have read this list first. Yours is much better!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Thank you!!
Stephanie says
this is a beautiful article! I cried through most of it. Bless you for loving your students. The world needs more teachers like you!! Thank you for your suggestions.
PS I have never left a comment on any article I have read. You have so touched my heart with your experiences!!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Thank you so much Stephanie!!!
Heaven says
This is the best list I’ve seen on this topic. I’ve tried to give things that won’t go in the regift pile like games for the classroom or gift cards. Letters are an amazing gift for anyone. My husband was a high school teacher in Idaho for 5 years so I know how underpaid teachers are. It’s a crime. I’m pinning this and sharing on Google. Stopping by from Making Monday.
Travel Animal Doctor says
Aww this was a heart touching article. It must be so rewarding to teach and shapethe lives of young children.
Becky @dempsterlogbook says
As a former teacher I totally agree with this list! Thanks for sharing at Motivational Monday! Hope you will link up again tonight!
Samantha says
Great ideas and thoughtful comments. One more idea is to give your teacher a TIckleMe Plant Greenhouse kit. WIth it the teacher can grow the only plant that kids can interact with as the plant will close its leaves and lower its branches when you tickle it. Kids love it. You can find kits to grow them and videos to see them in action, online and Amazon.
Heidi says
Thank you so much for a wonderful post which brought tears to my eyes on the letters and heartfelt remembrances from the students themselves. I also enjoyed all the additional comments. Our children are grown, but they’ve had some fantastic, caring teachers. I wish i’d found these suggestions sooner to give something practical and be sure they knew how much they are appreciated. Thank you!
G says
These are all great ideas! I have working in education forever, and I think one of the best/most practical gift I’ve seen was for a very popular 2nd grade teacher. She had several small kids of her own, and was still the teacher that was involved in committees and always volunteered for everything. Her students’ families really knew her well. They would often leave a 12 pack of her favorite soda, or “fun” groceries, like a family size bag of Doritios…all stuff she could share with her family, and even though it was “junk” food, it wasn’t as perishable and was certainly a practical treat for her.
Lara says
Thank you, my Mom was a Preschool/Nursery teacher for about 20 yrs to about 90 kids when she retired. She got a LOT of gifts, at Christmas we would have a whole night where the family would sit down and help her open them. Her favorite was the single box of Godiva chocolate she would get every year. No one was allowed to touch them. I always try to give a more personal gift, more often than not I’ll make something and include something store bought. For the end of the year this year I’m planning on making Ice Cream kits, my daughter’s teacher is single but she’s getting enough for 4, my son’s teacher is married with three kids, so she’ll get enough for 5. I’m going to include a gift card for either Baskin and Robbins or Cold Stone so they can get ice cream to use and I’ll make some hot fudge and some caramel toppping. I LOVE trying to figure out something cool for them every year.
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Fun idea!
Marie says
YES to gift cards, and definitely YES to goodies!! Many of my coworkers hate receiving food from the parents, and many admittedly throw it out… What a waste! Sweets, homemade meals, wine, I LOVE. I’ve seen all types of gifts throughout my career, and finally decided to create my own collection of funny gifts for teachers. Feel free to check them out in my shop at https://BoredTeachers.com. My “TEACHER OFF DUTY” wine glass is a real hit, teachers love it!
Adam says
Delicious goodies are a go to teacher gift for a lot of students and parents. However, I’ve seen teachers dump out whole plates of cookies because they don’t trust the cleanliness of the home they come from. I like your idea of buying candies or cupcakes at a gourmet sweet shop. That’s something any teacher would enjoy!
Chris Y. says
That is wonderful post Sarah.
It is very nice to bring your teacher a gift
Olive says
I’m loving this list! My sisters and I are teachers, too (parents were not teachers, also), so I had fun relating to this post!
Faye says
Very good article. I absolutely appreciate this site. Keep it up!
Caricature King says
Another one which we do that are always well received are caricatures of the teacher. These can be from a single parent or from the whole class. The beauty is that the aspects of the teacher they love can be incorporated into the custom artwork. This can be printed and framed or/and put on a sghirt etc. Great value!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
Fun idea!!
Jess says
What a great article!
curiousmindsthescienceshop says
Thanks for Sharing The Top 5 our Child’s Teacher Really Wants to Receive..
Hailey Breazile-Blackadar says
As a middle school student i am very happy with what teacher i have and am looking for perfect gifts. here are the subjects:
*literature enrichment
*math
*american history
*ELA
*science
*computer applications
*physical education/health
Sarah Westover McKenna says
I would just get them each a $5 Starbucks gift card or something similar. But if you REALLY want to make their day then write them a nice note thanking them!