A lot of things this year have been difficult, to say the least, but one thing that’s emerged stronger than ever is gratitude. We are thankful for our loved ones and our health. We are thankful for the essential workers, our villages, and, of course, our teachers.
This year, we’ve seen the role of “teacher” pushed to new heights — we have classroom teachers and remote-learning teachers, tutors and nannies monitoring distance learning, private school teachers, and homeschool moms who never really go off the clock. “Teaching” doesn’t end when a child leaves the classroom or the Zoom meeting. Our school teachers put in long hours after school to plan lessons, think about children’s needs, and grade their work.
As a former homeschooled child (from second to fifth grade), I know firsthand that when you have a parent as a teacher, “class dismissed” doesn’t always happen. I give my mom credit for dealing with me from elementary to almost middle school. On top of that, my father was deployed on a submarine, so it was just the two of us, meaning there was no escape for either of us. I’m thankful for those years and for my mom, but looking at how we give teacher gifts to say “thank you” now, I realize there were no thank you gifts or teacher appreciation days for her!
No matter who the teachers are in your child’s life, this year it feels more important than ever to show gratitude! But it can be a challenge to find a gift that says “thank you!” for all you do when we might not know a lot about them. My first year buying gifts for teachers, I got bottles of bubbly and personalized tumblers only to learn last minute that one didn’t drink and the other wasn’t old enough to drink yet!
I found some Pinterest questionnaire examples that I’ll definitely use when my son changes classrooms again. If you don’t have one of these handy teacher FAQ sheets, here are some ideas for teacher gifts from some real teachers I polled. Whether you love or loathe shopping, you can easily get any of these online (if you’re not shopping in stores).
Gift cards
Gift cards are always appreciated, whether it’s for a specific store or simply a cash card. Being able to buy what they want (even if it’s for school supplies) is always a good option.
Caffeine is king
Coffee gift cards were the top response from teachers I polled!
Donations
Donate to local charities or food pantries in honor of your favorite teacher.
Candles
You can’t go wrong with a candle!
Personalized items
Who wouldn’t love a water bottle with their name or initials on it?
Treats
This was a little surprising, but there are so many nice gift packages available with treats and other goodies during the holidays.
Gifts to avoid?
While every teacher relationship is different, if you’re flying a little blind, steer clear from baked goods and personal items like perfume. And the number one gift to avoid? Mugs. Almost every teacher I polled said mugs are nice, but they tend to build up over time.
