Teachers are often overlooked when it comes to gift giving, but they deserve special attention during the holidays. A thoughtful gift can help teachers feel appreciated and show how much you care about their success.
Here are some ideas for unique teacher gifts:
In my children's school, the room parents give the teachers a survey so they can have some ideas of what they like. This helps families have ideas of what type of gifts they want to give teachers so they don't have to figure it out for themselves.
1. Personalized Items: Etsy has a lovely collection of personalized items you can give to teachers. A fellow maker makes these lovely personalized keychain that I bought for my son's teacher.
2. Damn-It Doll: Ok so this was by far the best gift I was ever given. It is a little doll/poppit that is literally designed for you to bang on a table when you are frustrated. A parent gave this to me and I absolutely loved it. I had it for many years until my students destroyed it.
3. Gift Card Tree: A fellow instragrammer mentioned that a parent gave her a little Christmas tree with gift cards as ornaments. The gift cards were to their favorite places and they can use whenever they need it.
4. Teacher Survival Kit: This one you can make all on your own! It's a kit including all the things a teacher needs to help survive the day. Mostly snacks, candy, and perhaps coins for soda. You can also include little notes of motivation. Here is an example of what you can do.
5. Teacher Coloring Book: I have the mother version of this coloring book and its hilarious. The quotes are perfect and when I feel the need to color.. then it's right there.
6. Gift Card to Teachers Pay Teachers: Listen, there are some days you do not want to recreate the wheel for lessons. So a gift card to Teachers Pay Teachers is helpful because then you can purchase materials AND help another teacher at the same time. It's a win-win.
7. A Coffee/Tea/Drink Warmer: Do you know how many times I've let my tea or coffee get cold. There are plenty of drink warmers to choose from, but here is an example.
8. Pencils..lots and lots of pencils: When I say pencils, I mean the good kind. Ticonderoga but if that is too much, I would suggest this case of pencils. I bought 2 cases for the year, I am almost through my first case and it's close to December break. Students go through about 1000-2000 pencils a year. You will be saving your favorite teacher lots of money.
9. Flair pens by Papermate: I don't know why, they are beautiful to work with and they come in so many colors. They are expensive so when you get Flair pens, you try your best to hold on to it like Golum and his precious ring.
10. Notes from your students: Seriously... I've received various types of notes from students I hold on to them. Like genuine notes about how they felt in my class. It's so sweet definitely worth any other gift.