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A couple weeks ago I reached out to friends on Facebook to help me with a podcast segment about holiday gifts for teachers. Man did they come through with tons of suggestions! I wasn’t able to use them all in the podcast so I wanted to put more of them here. Most private schools seem to be out for the year already, but here in NYC there’s public school all the way through Friday – plenty of time to get gifts for your kids’ teachers!
There was a bit of disagreement among my friends about personalized/personal gifts versus gift card-type gifts. When my kids were in elementary school I didn’t usually give gifts that were designed for a particular person – they all got the same thing, mostly: some homemade cookies and a Target gift card. But that was out of laziness more than anything. I do tend to think that teachers probably get too many mugs and plaques and cute little things to put on their desks, but I could be wrong.
Thanks to all of my friends who responded!
Gift Cards & Certificates
My cousin Deneen said that out of all the teachers she’s talked to over the years, almost all of them prefer gift cards. And if you just don’t know a teacher well enough, a gift card to a place like Target, Wal-Mart, or Amazon is a safe bet. You can even gift someone Amazon Prime, for either 3 months or a full year. If they have it already, the gift will extend their membership, saving them money.
One suggestion was movie tickets. “All of my teachers LOVE having something to do over break that is no cost to them.”
Regal Cinemas and AMC Theatres offer gift cards, and if you don’t know what theater the teacher prefers, Fandango also sells gift cards.
Another person said that yes, teachers love getting gift cards, but that all of the teachers she spoke to said they’d also love to get a handwritten note from a student, no purchased gift needed. I say, have the kid write a note but then stick a gift card in there with it. :-)
Cups & Bottles – the good ones!
Another parent likes to get teachers a Kleen Kanteen water bottle (one with a nicer spout, not a chinzty one) and stuff it with a Target gift card and some candy. Or, if you know the teacher prefers hot drinks, my podcast co-host Rebecca swears by the Zojirushi stainless steel mug, which reportedly keeps drinks piping hot for an insanely long time.
This is a great solution if you want to get a teacher a gift card while still getting something more personal. You could also put the gift card into a cute little change purse or pencil case.
Tailored to a Teacher
Another friend had her child decorate mugs for preschool teachers and fill them with herbal teas or coffee, depending on the teacher. She said a couple of them were moved to tears by the thoughtfulness! You can buy paint markers and porcelain mugs and once the design is dry, the mug can be baked in an oven to make it dishwasher-proof.
But how do you get to know teachers when you don’t really get a chance to talk to them? I know when my kids were little there was just too much happening at drop off and pick up to really chat. Well, my genius friend Destiny of Suburban Wife, City Life came up with a free printable that you can give to teachers to get some basic info about them. It’s nothing intrusive, and will take them only a minute to fill out.
Teachers Helping Other Teachers
A lot of teachers spend their own money on supplies and their private time on prep. Teachers Pay Teachers is a site that lets teachers buy resources from other teachers, so when you give a gift card from there you’re not just helping your teacher save some time, you’re helping another teacher make some extra money! Big thanks to my friend Jessica for this suggestion.
Fun Items
Another friend gives fun, colorful office supplies, things that might be a bit of a splurge but will brighten a teacher’s day as she uses them up.
I’ll add that if you know for sure that the teacher has a good sense of humor, a funny teacher gift might be appropriate.
The last word, from a teacher
I’ll leave the last word to my high-school classmate Leslie, who grew up to become a teacher: “The best gift is a thoughtful note or card from you or your child telling me how I have been a positive part of your child’s educational experience. We keep these notes in boxes and read them again and again on the bad days. Gift cards are so nice as well as small luxuries. Nice tea, quality hand lotion, good chocolate. Not big gifts. I have a holiday tree full of ornaments from former students that make me smile every year!”