Teacher Gift Ideas - Two Gifts for Teachers that Never Go Out of Style

We have teachers and mentors all through life. Some of them we get to know very personally with their particular likes and dislikes. For those special instances, gift giving can be a bit easier.

What about the teachers whose personal likes and dislikes we do not know?

Here are two VERY simple ideas for gifts that show you appreciate your child’s teacher.

A SINCERE NOTE OF THANKS AND APPRECIATION WITH SPECIFICS

Talk about affordable--and very easy to store! These do not take a lot of time. They do not take a lot of money,  but they really mean something to teachers!

I have a HAPPY FILE that I’ve had several years. I used to keep it in my desk at school and read it on those tough days that we know all teachers have (sometimes very stressful days).

To start off, this can be written by you or your child. This one was written on notebook paper by a student, and I still have it more than 10 years later.

“Dear Miss Knox, I think you are the nicest and prettiest teacher in the school. You’re the best teacher I’ve ever had.
-P. S. Don’t tell the other teachers.”

So, who wouldn’t like a note like that? It makes me smile, even to this day!

Another note I have is very simple. It was written on an index card by a parent. She included a picture of her child so I can remember him. Maybe she didn’t have time to get a cute note on stationary, but she did make sure to write a note to show me her appreciation

Another parent writes on a thank you card and includes specifically what she is thankful for. At the end of the day,  I know that my hard work was appreciated when I read her note.

GIFT CARDS

Sadly, I’ve seen gift cards sometimes listed as a tacky idea for a teacher. No, no, no. All teachers enjoy gift cards. The great thing about them is there are endless amounts you can spend on a gift card and endless places where you can spend a gift card.

So, if you know your child’s teacher a little bit better and, for instance, they like to go fishing, you can get them an outdoor store gift card. But if you don’t know them very well, maybe you can just get them a gift card for a department store where they can buy some school supplies.

One year I got a Dollar Tree gift card for my son’s pre-K teacher, and I received a thank you card in return saying that was her favorite store! She just loved to buy things for her classroom, as many teachers do. Buying teachers a gift card to do that really helps relieve financial pressure that they have on spending so much.

Even a $5 gift card for a coffee shop can show your appreciation to a teacher. They can use that at the end of a rough day.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you have a younger child, they like to see the teacher actually open a more tangible gift. So, if you need to pair the gift card  with some small token that your child has picked out, that is perfectly fine.

What if my child has more than one teacher?

First of all, if your child is in middle school, know that it is rare the teachers get gifts from every child. They just don’t get the gifts that elementary teachers do.

It is perfectly ok if you can’t afford to get every teacher a gift. Whatever money you have budgeted, you can divide it amongst the teachers. For example, you can buy them all a $5 gift card somewhere. Or, if you want to apply all of the money toward one specific teacher,  that has been great for your child, that is perfectly acceptable.

The Rule of 20

Teachers have lots of former students, current students, and they will continue to have students in the future.

So, ask yourself, “Would my child’s teacher like 20 of this same gift?”   

Teachers get repeat gifts very often, and you can’t guarantee that you know what other children are going to give that teacher. At the end of the day, would your child’s teacher like 20 different coffee cups? Would they need 20 different coffee cups?

On the other hand, will a teacher say, “That’s enough. I don’t want 20 different gift cards.”

Will a teacher say, “That’s enough. I can’t accept anymore notes of thanks and appreciation.”

Of course not! You can never have too many of these very practical and simple gift!