Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week!

It’s the first of May and it’s also Teacher Appreciation Week! If you’re looking for some gift ideas to show that special teacher how much you appreciate having them in your child’s life, read on. Here is a list of teacher gift ideas, based on my 28 years of elementary teaching and gift-receiving!

Getting ideas for your special teacher – two questions:

1 – Does your school have a list?

Find out if your school keeps a list of “teacher favorites”. This is a form that teachers complete about some of their favorite things (indulgences, foods, collections, restaurants, hobbies, etc.). If your school does not do this, you might want to suggest it. This is a quick and easy thing for a PTA/PTO to do. The forms can be kept in a binder at the front desk of the school. These lists are a great source of gift ideas.

2 – Does your child have suggestions?

Ask your child for suggestions! Their usual response: “I don’t know what my teacher likes.” But, when given specific questions, they can often come up with great ideas. For example:

*Does the teacher have any pens or markers they especially like? (My favorite are Flair pens. At least one child gives me a pack of these every year.) Other favorites are Paper Mate gel pens, bullet journaling pens, or Sharpie markers. Including a cute journal like this or this would make a great gift!

*Does the teacher like coffee or tea? Consider a Starbucks gift card or a gift card for a local coffee shop.

*Does the teacher drink any particular brand of water or seltzer? My current favorite is San Pellegrino.

*Does the teacher ever say, “I really need . . . “ or “I really get tired of having to . . .” One of my favorite gifts ever was a customized rubber stamp so that I could put my name in my classroom library books. A student noticed that I mentioned how much I got tired of writing my name in all my books.

*Another favorite gift was a colorful clipboard from a student who noticed that I complained about never being able to find my clipboard!

*Flowers are always popular! Pick flowers from your yard, or buy them inexpensively at Trader Joe’s, Target or Walmart.

If your child is still stuck for ideas and there is no “teacher favorites” list, read on for what teachers love and appreciate:

OFFICE SUPPLIES

Teachers tend to love office supply products, especially if they are colorful or related to their interests in some way. Here are some suggestions:

*Personalized planner from Erin Condren

*Cute journal/notebooks

*Personal laminator or laminating pouches (if the teacher already has the laminator)

*Personalized clipboard

*Novelty office supplies, like this stapler, this pencil sharpener, this tape dispenser, this postit note dispenser, or this flash drive.

*Expo dry-erase markers. Teachers and students use them all the time, but they don’t last forever and can be a bit pricey for schools to replace.

PERSONAL ITEMS FOR RELAXING AT HOME:

*Bath supply gift sets like this or this. If you’re not sure about favorite scents, go with lavender. Lavender is calming and teachers can always use more of that!

*Candles

PERSONAL ITEMS TO USE AT SCHOOL:

*Nice water bottle, like a S’well bottle or Hydroflask

*Insulated coffee mug like Yeti.

*A nice lunch bag or a Scout lunch bag

*Monogrammed bag

*Cute tote bags. This is a tricky one because teachers often have a lot of these. However, if you see something that is particularly cute and it reminds you of the teacher somehow, it would probably make a good gift. Bonus points for including small, inexpensive gifts inside the bag! Some good options: Scout multi-pocket tote or this bag or maybe this cute bag.

SUMMERTIME ESSENTIALS:

*Tote bag for pool essentials like this or this

*Fun summertime books to read

*Cute plastic tumbler for cool drinks

*Key ring

*Or you could go for beach decor like this cute pillow, a mini sandbox, or a theme sign like this one.

*If the lake is their favorite place, how about some decor like this sign or some cute coasters.

*If the mountains are their happy place, you could go for this sign, this coaster set, or these pillows.

PERSONAL ITEMS FOR FUN:
*Anything related to a favorite “obsession” of theirs (my current obsession is the musical Hamilton, but other popular obsessions are Disney, Star Wars, and Harry Potter).

Hamilton favorites:
Hamilton: The Revolution

Hamilton calendar

Disney favorites:

Disney calendar

Mug warmer

BOOKS:
Teachers are readers. However, unless you know what type of fiction your teacher likes, it can be difficult to choose a specific title. It’s often easier to stick to non-fiction or “how-to” books. Here are some of my current favorites:

*Cookbooks

*Trending or bestselling books

*Daily desk calendars, especially if it’s related to a teacher’s interest.

GIFT CARDS FOR SERVICES:
*Do you sell something? Are you a fitness instructor, yoga instructor, personal trainer? A personal chef? A consultant for popular brands like Rodan & Fields or Stella & Dot? Give them something from your line of work or your line of products. And who knows? You might get a new customer!

*Consider giving prepared meals from a local restaurant or one free shipment from a meal delivery service such as Hello Fresh, Green Chef, Terra’s Kitchen, Blue Apron, Home Chef, Plated.

AND FINALLY — THE MOST POPULAR GIFT – GIFT CARDS!

*Try giving a gift certificate for a manicure, pedicure, massage, or some other spa treatment.

*Gift card to Etsy — to be used in any online shop.

*Chip in with other parents to get a Visa or Amex gift card.

*Any amount is appreciated. Favorite places are Target, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, wine shops, Starbucks, local restaurants, movie theater, car wash. That, combined with a heartfelt letter from you and your child, make the perfect gift. Which brings me to . . .

AND FINALLY — THE ULTIMATE FAVORITE GIFT THAT WILL BE KEPT FOREVER:

Have your child write a meaningful thank you letter to the teacher. Consider adding another one yourself. These will be the gifts that teachers will keep forever, long after they have eaten the fudge or shopped at Target. This gift is also a favorite because everyone can do it — budgets are not an issue. Have your child be specific about things the teacher does that they really like, things they love about the teacher, what they will always remember, how the teacher has helped them.

Please know that teachers appreciate any and every expression of gratitude. While gifts are certainly not necessary, some gifts are definitely more appreciated and needed than others. I hope this list has given you some ideas and options for Teacher Appreciation Week or for end of year gifts!