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Just because I left the field of teaching doesn’t mean I think teachers don’t deserve a lot of praise. And what’s slightly better than praise is real, live gifts.
Here’s a little-known-truth: your child’s teacher would never straight-up ask you for a gift, but there isn’t a teacher in the world who wouldn’t love to see something small and thoughtful with his or her name on it on the desk at the end of the day. It’s the little things, you know?
Free or Low Cost Gifts for Teachers
- A sincere note from the parent or student goes a long, long way. Almost free! And it doesn’t have to be specific or kiss-up-y, a simple “You did great today, thank you!” will bring a big smile to your child’s favorite teacher’s face
- A sincere note about the teacher given to the teacher’s administrator
- A coupon for before or after school help
- Food such as cookies or cakes
- Mixed CD
- Photos of students present, past, or combined
- Drawings of nice things like flowers, sunsets, or the school
- Number Two Socks
$5-10 Gifts for Teachers
- Gift cards to bookstores, coffee, and juice shops are always welcome
- Fancy soap
- Chocolate
- Flowers or plants
- A nice pen and a small pad of paper.
- A book with an inscription (shop yard-sale or used for a good deal)
Classroom Gifts for Teachers
A box of pencils, pens, or markers can be a reasonably priced gift from a parent. But a teacher trying to stock his or her classroom has to multiply that number by fifteen or twenty students! Here are a few standard classroom items that any teacher would appreciate:
- Pencils, pens, markers, highlighters, erasers
- Tissues, paper towels, cleaning supplies
- Classroom snacks (if applicable)
- Rulers, simple calculators, protractors
- Blank or lined paper for drawing or printing
- Dry-erase markers, chalk, or board erasers
- Tape, glue, scissors, paper clips
Do you have a go-to teacher gift?
[Sarah Greesonbach writes and curates the lifestyle and personal finance blog Life [Comma] Etc. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter for commentary and hot links, as well as pictures of her husband and cat (both are super-cute). She releases her first eBook this month, Life After Teaching: The Hands-On Guide for Transitioning Out of Teaching and Into a New Career.]
