Thoughtful Gift Ideas for Teachers
Your child spends more than 1,200 hours in school each year. That is a lot of time for your child to be influenced by someone other than you! We take our sweet babies to Kindergarten and hand them over. It may break our hearts, but it makes it less painful to know that our littles are with a teacher who loves and cares for them!
I have worked in a school setting for more than 15 years and I have seen firsthand the love, concern and support teachers have for their students. So often, teachers pay out of their own pocket for a child’s field trip, cry over a student’s home life and pour their whole hearts into the lives of their students. Sometimes, all they get in return is an angry note, email, or phone call from a parent.
Anyone whose work involves other people knows that it can be difficult! However, teachers are in a unique position to truly shape and form our future leaders! So, as the school year is coming to a close, let’s take a minute to show our children’s teachers how much we appreciate their sacrifice for our children. Sometimes just a little appreciation can help turn a teacher’s day, or maybe even year, around!
When we stop to think about what a blessing teachers are, and how they patiently correct our little angels when they say, “H,I, J, K elemno P” for the 50th time, you will see that they deserve a little recognition & appreciation!
So, I have gathered a few teacher gift ideas that I hope will inspire you to find the perfect gift for your child’s teacher this year!
Personal Gift Ideas for Teachers
I have heard it said that many young children are surprised to find out that their teacher leaves school at the end of the day and goes home! For a child, it’s so easy just to think of your teacher as well…., a teacher! But they have homes, families, meals to cook, chores to do, etc. So, sometimes it is nice to do something that is a treat for them, and that allows them to take a break from some of their many roles!
Remember, when getting gifts for teachers, it doesn’t always have to be in the shape of an apple!!
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A Home-Cooked Meal
Take your child’s teacher a pan of chicken spaghetti that can be warmed along with a big colorful salad, homemade Ranch dressing, warm garlic bread and these Caramelitas for dessert! You’ll get an A for effort for sure!! And it doesn’t have to be super time consuming! Make a double batch of everything and your supper will be done for the night too! WOOHOO!!!
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A Gift Card to a Restaurant
Give Ms. Smith a reason to put on her red dress and go out with her husband to a fancy meal! After all, we all know that she deserves it!
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A Gift Certificate for a Manicure or Pedicure
Teachers need pampering too! A candle and lotion are nice, but did you know many people are highly sensitive to strong fragrances? I know 2 teachers right in my school! As a result, many of those gift can’t even be used, but I bet Mrs. Jones would really enjoy an afternoon of relaxation & pampering before she and her family head off for their annual beach vacation!
Classroom Gift Ideas
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A gift card to Amazon!
Amazon truly does sell almost EVERYTHING anyone could ever need, even supplies for a classroom! Teachers use Amazon to order decorations for their rooms, party supplies, and classroom supplies (often out of their own pockets). An Amazon gift card would for sure be a win!
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A gift card to Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s
Many teachers use this site, just take a peak and you’ll see why! It has some awesome worksheets, classroom décor and just about anything a teacher could dream up! A gift card from TPT would make many teachers VERY happy!!
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A Specific Classroom Need
Usually teacher’s get the basic necessities (i.e. pencils, tissues, Expo markers, etc.) with their beginning of the year supply list or fee. However, ask your child’s teacher if they have a special need or want. Maybe you can get together with other parents and finally get that big set of Keva planks or Magnatiles that your son’s Kindergarten teacher has wanted for years!
DIY Teacher Gift Ideas
There are SO MANY amazing DIY ideas for teacher’s gifts! These are some of my favorites!!!
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A Photobook of the School Year
Ms. Green will be blown away when she opens this book full memories from her 3rd grade class! If you are super organized and/or maybe connected to other parent’s you could gather pics from throughout the year (some schools even have a school facebook page that you might be able to find photos on!) Planning ahead would definitely give you an advantage on this, but it can still be done if you haven’t!
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Fingerprint Art
I love fingerprint art!!! Find your idea (peruse Pinterest for LOTS of them) and then have all of the kids in your child’s classroom put their fingerprints on a canvas or a piece of wood! It is such a sweet memory. This is one of my favorites!!!
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A Delicious Treat
I love to bake & I especially love to share something yummy with others as a token of my thanks! A cute jar of Cowboy Cookies or a box of my Lemon Meltaways (with an adorable matching gift tag), would make a lovely gift from your kitchen!
Favorite Gift Ideas for Teachers from Etsy
I LOVE Etsy, this will not be a surprise to many of you who follow me here at The Sweetest Part! I am an Etsy affiliate (which means that I will make a small percentage off of a sale at no extra cost to you!), but I actually didn’t even know about that program until I was already recommending their products… because I love so many of the shops!!!
I think that it is so awesome that you can find a truly unique, lovely gift sent right to your doorstep…. sometime, from across the world! For a girl who grew up where everybody shopped at the same Walmart & JCPenney’s, this is AMAZING!!! So, check out some of these ideas from a few of my favorite shops!
Teacher T-shirts
I don’t know if you are aware of this, but you are required as a teacher (or school employee) to own a t-shirt for every holiday, big or small, (including Pi day, a.k.a. March 14th/3.14)! Ok, so maybe it isn’t a requirement, but you might think it is if you walk into most schools on Valentine’s day or the 100th day of school!
I personally love T-shirts that have a little wit or special message of inspirations, and these shirts from Classroom SuperHero are perfect! You can tell that they know school culture by the cute phrases on each shirt! Teachers will LOVE these!!
And the gracious folks at Classroom SuperHero have a special discount code for The Sweetest Part readers! They are offering 10% off of your order with code: SWEETEST1. This offer is good until April 22, 2020. Have fun shopping!!!
This t-shirt from Popular Teez is so funny! Any teacher, but especially 3rd & 4th grade will get a kick out of this one!
Inspirational Keychain
My Beaded Butterfly is an Etsy shop that has LOTS of beautiful jewlery & other unique gifts! But this keychain really caught my eye! I love the sweet message. And the art around it is so pretty! Any teacher would be very touched to receive this gift!
Personalized Sign
Prince Wood Signs have an amazing collection of customized wood signs that would be a perfect gift for any occasion! Check out these adorable teacher signs & find many other great gift ideas as well!
Keepsake Printable
My oldest son had a first-year teacher for 1st grade, and she was WONDERFUL!!! I really wanted her to have something that would help her remember her very first class, so I came up with something!
Oh how I wish that I had found FingerPrintz Store back then!! They create lovely art prints with the names of each child on them, this “It Take A Big Heart…” one is adorable! But this “Thanks For Helping Us Grow” one may actually be my favorite!!
String Art Signs
Last year when my twins were in Kindergarten, I found a teacher gift that I really enjoyed giving!! This gift perfectly fit their teacher!!! And it came from The Honaker HomeMaker!
I love string art, and this string art is so beautiful!! I really want one of everything in Lauren’s shop!! You will love looking thru all of her goodies (including colorful felt ball garland… also a winner for teachers!), and you’ll find gifts galore for teachers… and many more!
It Takes A Staff
While your child’s teacher is very important in your child’s education, don’t forget there are many others that help make their school experience great! More than likely your child interacts each day with many different teachers, such as librarians, guidance, PE, art, and music teachers and teacher’s assistants.
Of course, these people do not expect gifts, but I know that anytime my sons have taken small gifts to their special teachers & helpers, those teachers are SO appreciative (and surprised)!
A few simple ideas for support staff & teachers assistants:
- A Bag of Cookies (You’ll LOVE these yummy Lemon Meltaways + printable gift tag)
- A Starbucks Gift Card
- A Thank You Note from your child
- A Small Vase With Flowers
Remember, it’s the thought that counts!!!
A Heartfelt Thank You
Teachers do their jobs because they love to teach, and they love the children (our children)! So, talk with your child about finding a gift for their teacher that would be meaningful to him or her! After all, your child will really know them well by the end of the year!!
Also, encourage your child to take a few minutes to let their teacher know who much they have enjoyed being in their class, & what they have learned! Check out my Thank A Teacher Printable post for a simple printable letter that your child can write.
The best gift of all for any teacher would be to know that the children that they pour their hearts & souls into each day, really do appreciate all that they’ve done for them! A Heartfelt thank you will mean more than anything to them!!!
If you are a teacher, what is the best gift you have ever received from a student? What made it so special? Parents, what is the best gift you have ever given a teacher?
