Put the coffee mug down! Seriously. I know it’s cute, I know it says just the right thing, but I promise your child’s teacher has 529 coffee mugs in the cabinet right now. As a former teacher I got at least one coffee mug (usually more) each first day of school, Christmas, Valentine’s, Teacher Appreciation or end of school event. They were all pretty and said some very sweet things but I don’t need that many mugs! Instead, let’s talk about Teacher Gift ideas teachers actually want.
- Pens – I know, this seems simple but trust me, teachers LOVE certain pens! I love these pens because they write smooth, have bright colors, and don’t bleed. These pens are great for grading and correcting papers because they come in beautiful colors and write a little heavier making the corrections easier to see.
- Skin & Lip Care – Teachers do a lot of talking and hand washing which leads to chapped lips and hands. I love this gift pack of lip balms and lotions to soothe them.
- Personalized Stationary – Teachers are always writing notes, whether it’s a note to a parent or other teacher, thank you notes, Birthday cards, or encouraging someone. Personalized Stationary works great for all occasions and there are so many cute options to choose from.
- Teacher T-Shirts – Almost all teachers love a cute Teacher T-Shirt! There are lots of designs for all grades and subjects from cute to funny to sweet.
- Lunch Bag – Most teachers bring their lunch to school, either because they want to be healthy or because they don’t have time to go to the cafeteria. These lunch bags look nice and help keep your favorite teacher’s lunch cold until they have time to sneak in a bite or two.
- Nail Set – This is something I use all the time! It’s still in my desk drawer and gets used almost everyday. A nail set is a necessity when you get a hang nail, broken nail, or splinter.
- Heating and Cooling – Teachers spend A LOT of time outside, often in not-so-great weather. Between morning drop-off duty, playground duty, bus duty, and afternoon pick-up duty teachers are out in the cold and the heat. These hand warmers are great for cold days and what’s perfect is that they’re reusable so no more throwing away one-time use hand warmers. This fan is perfect for hot days. It can be held, worn around the neck, or stood on a desk.
- Planner – Teachers love to be organized and this planner will help your favorite teacher keep all things where they should be. With a calendar, lesson plans, sub plans, schedule and communication logs this planner keeps everything in one place.
- Tumbler – If you must give your child’s teacher a cup, get one of these tumblers instead of a coffee mug. It holds MUCH more, keeps drinks hot or cold and keeps coughs and sneezes out!
- Gift Card – You can NEVER go wrong with a gift card! This way your teacher can use it for classroom or personal needs. And gift cards are always the right color and size!
Check out this post about journaling for some other great gift ideas.
I know this time of year can get emotional. Your child is crossing another milestone, they’re another year older. You have trusted this teacher with your most precious thing for a whole year. Show your teacher how much he / she means to you and your child and how thankful you are to them for helping shape your child into the amazing person they are! Teachers are tired and wonder if they do enough, if they made a difference. Show them they did with these teacher gift ideas.
I would love to hear your questions and comments so please leave them below. Please share this post with your friends! Until next time…I’m praying for you, please pray for me!