Teachers are out here doing the Lord’s Work every day, so it makes sense to want to show them appreciation. Whether you’re looking for a great gift for your favorite teacher for back to school, Christmas, Teacher Appreciation Week, end of the year, or just because, I’ve got your back with a list of gift ideas that teachers will actually use and love.
What teachers don’t need
While most teachers will appreciate the thought behind any gift-it means you thought of us-there are some things that we already have, don’t need, or probably won’t use.
- Coffee mugs-as a collective, teachers love our coffee. Mugs are one of the most gifted items, so if we have been teaching a while, we probably already have more than we know what to do with. Instead, pick up some gourmet coffee, a variety pack, and you can never go wrong with a Starbucks or local coffee shop gift card.
- Lotions, creams, soaps. Unless you know specifically what brand and scent your favorite teacher likes, I’d steer clear of this for several reasons. Some teachers are sensitive to smells or ingredients. Most people have smells that they love and some that they just don’t. Unless you know what scents that teacher loves, you’re risking a hated smell and a product that will sit in a closet for years to come.
- Favorite teacher items. While we love the idea behind the “Best Teacher Ever” gifts, we get so many of those and it’s hard to know what to do with them all. Instead, have your child write a note or draw a picture (include their name and the year) and frame it.
Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about some gift ideas that teachers will actually get excited about!
1. Things They Wouldn’t Splurge On For Themselves
A Stanley Mug -I know I said that teachers don’t need more coffee cups, but you really can’t go wrong with a Stanley. These are versatile, keep drinks hot or cold for hours, and we can use them both at school and at home.
Back Massager-teaching is hard on our bodies. We are on our feet a lot and often our bodies pay the price. A back or foot massager is a luxurious way to unwind at the end of the day.
2. Self Care Items-By nature, most teachers work hard and pour so much of themselves into their students. There’s a reason that the teacher burnout rate is so high, so encourage them to take some time for themselves by gifting them self care items that they will use and love.
Shower steamers-These are great for turning a basic shower session into a luxurious self care experience.
Self care basket-I know I said we don’t need lotions or soaps, but a cute self care basket like this one offers variety and comes in a cute package.
A Sleep Mask-The saying “ain’t no tired like teacher tired” is real. Help your favorite teacher get some extra rest with a nice sleep mask like this one. Gift as a standalone item or add it to a custom self care basket.
3. Organizational & Useful Items
Teachers love practical items that they may not splurge on for their classrooms or to help them stay organized. A gift that is practical and useful in the day to day life of a teacher is always a win. Add these to a basket or bag or gift them as standalone items.
Sharpies-teachers can never have enough sharpies in all sizes and colors. We use them a lot for so many different things! Grab a variety pack like this one and watch your teacher light up from the inside out.
Good Pens-there is really nothing that makes a teacher feel more like they have it together than writing with an amazing pen. The crowd favorite is the Flair Pen.
Planner/Calendar-teachers thrive on organization. Maybe because our brains have so many things to hold and remember. A good teacher planner is everything. This makes a great beginning of the year gift-or even an end of the year gift that we can use to start the next year on a great note. Something like this is both cute and functional.
Teacher stamps-these cute stamps make giving feedback to our students so much fun for us and for them!
Leather Bookmarks-Okay, while these aren’t an absolute necessity, they’re just too cute to resist and so much better than the sticky notes that I use as bookmarks.
4. Lunch Solutions
Teachers are busy and we often don’t get to have our full lunch during the break between lunch duty, interruptions, and multitasking. Believe me when I tell you that we CHERISH our lunch time. Often it’s the first time of the day we can use the bathroom, give our brain a break, and have adult interaction. We get to “turn off” for a few minutes. Here are some great ideas for teacher lunch solutions that will be guaranteed to move them to the top of their favorite people ever list.
Mini Crockpot This is GENIUS and a great way to get a break from boring sandwiches, freezer meals, and salads. The mini crockpot can be used for so many things-warm lunches, leftovers, soups, coffee, even hot chocolate for winter time! This one is sure to be a win.
Organizing Lunch Containers Having a variety of organizing containers and bento boxes makes prepping and keeping up with our lunch so much easier. Look for microwave and dishwasher safe options like these.
Lunch bag We can always a cute and functional bag to transport our lunches in! I love this one, but there are tons of options to browse to match your teacher’s style.
Electric Lunch Bag This one may be even better than the mini crockpot! We can use it at school to keep our lunches warm or in the car for busy evenings-especially if we have our own kids with busy evening schedules and sports weekends.
5. Gift Cards I have never met a teacher that didn’t love gift cards. Teachers don’t make millions and we are often working with a tight budget, so gift cards are a can’t-go-wrong solution. You can give a solo gift card or if you’re making a custom gift basket, add a few smaller ones. Here are some of our favorite gift cards to receive.
Fun drinks-we love our fun drinks, from fancy coffee to teas. A Starbucks or local coffee shop gift card will always go over well.
Treats. We also love our treats. Gift cards to places like Crumbl Cookies, Dairy Queen, Krispy Kreme will allow us to have a pick me up during a busy week.
Restaurants. We love to eat out, but we don’t always want to splurge because we tend to be too practical. Gift cards to fast food restaurants, sit down restaurants, or even Grub Hub, Uber Eats, or Door Dash will always be so appreciated.
6. Group Gifts
Thoughtful Class Gift-while you have to be a bit sneaky to pull this one off, gifting something that includes all students is such a sentimental and memorable gift. Some of the favorites I’ve received are a class book where each student decorates a page, t-shirt with every student’s name, massage, and a personalized wreath for my classroom door.
If you know several families that want to go in together on a teacher gift, this is a great way to ensure your teacher gets extra spoiled with gifts that one parent alone may not be able to afford. The times that I’ve been gifted group gifts have been some of my most remembered and appreciated gifts. Here are a few of my very favorite suggestions for group gifts.
Manicure/Pedicure
Massage or Spa Gift Card
Personalized gift with student names or pictures (t-shirts, framed picture, quilt, etc)
Teachers really do appreciate any gift from their students or student’s families. In a field where we are often criticized and stretched thin, a simple acknowledgment of appreciation really goes a long way and keeps us going. While gifts are really nice and we LOVE them, sometimes all we really need is just a simple “I see you” and “thank you.”