Teachers have had a rough couple of years with managing all the curve balls that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown their way. It’s likely your child’s teacher has put in more time at home to prepare both in-person and distance learning lessons. If there’s one thing teachers get all the time as an appreciation gift, it’s a coffee mug. Teachers don’t have enough room in their cabinets for 50 coffee mugs! Whether it’s the beginning of a new school year, Christmas time, or Teacher Appreciation Week, here are 30 ways you can thank your child’s teacher in a way he or she will really appreciate!
A Gift Subscription to Amazon Prime
Almost all teachers use Amazon Prime for both their classrooms and personal use. When it comes to getting supplies, teachers often have to reach into their own pockets and Amazon is the go-to source for classroom materials that aren’t supplied by the school (if any are supplied at all.) With a gift membership to Prime, you can help offset the cost your child’s teacher bears for creating a wonderful classroom AND give them something they can use outside of school.
Gift Card for Teachers Pay Teachers
Teachers Pay Teachers is an online marketplace where teachers can buy lessons and classroom resources designed by other teachers. They offer gift cards as low as $5. You can find them here. Getting a teacher a TpT gift card means he or she can buy something that would normally take several hours to prepare from scratch. Think of this gift card as a way to give your child’s teacher a night off from the extra work that comes with being a teacher!
Monogrammed Tote Bag
Give your teacher a stylish, personalized gift they can use to carry all that work they have to bring home each day. There are tons of options for cute, personalized tote bags. Find the black and gold one in the picture here.
A Personal Laminator and Laminating Sheets
Teachers love (and need) to laminate everything. While most schools have a big laminator available for their staff, it can take a lot of time if a teacher wants to get something small done quickly. Having a small laminator right in the classroom is a HUGE perk, especially if your teacher is one that loves to decorate. You can find personal laminators with laminating sheets for very reasonable prices on Amazon. To make the gift even better, pick up and extra pack of laminating pouches that fit the model you decide on.
Hand Written Notes or Artwork from Students
Notes and art from students are actually one of the best gifts a teacher can receive. Our students are the reason we teachers stick out the rough days, so getting a note or drawing is guaranteed to make us smile. I’ve saved all the notes, drawings, paintings, and even one really strange ceramics project I’ve gotten from students over the years. They are really special mementos of the best part of teaching.
Starbucks Gift Cards
These are *almost* always a hit with teachers. Just make sure your teacher is a coffee drinker first. I have always loved getting Starbucks gift cards but I also often get them passed on to me from other teachers that don’t drink coffee.
Gift Subscription to Audible
This one is great for English teachers specifically. Many teachers love to integrate audiobooks into their English classes during novel units. It can really help get students into whatever they might be reading. It’s also a nice gift for any teacher that loves to read. Access the Audible Gift Memberships Audible gift page here. Gifts come in 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, and 12 month subscriptions.
Nice and Stylish Pens
A student actually got these pens for me this year because she knew how much I love Pilot pens. These ones are a little fancy, so they’re ones I would have never bought for myself. They remind me of the “milk pens” fad from when I was a kid. It’s something really small, but I LOVE them. You can get them on Amazon for under $7 and I’ve seen them in Target for the same price.
Colored Sticky Notes
Sticky notes aren’t just for writing down reminders. If a teacher can get a big pile of sticky notes, they make for really great hands-on activities with students. Having them in different colors opens up a lot of possibilities for creative and collaborative assignments- something teachers are always looking for. Click the image below for a look a big pack for little money.
Funny Band-aids
This is another one for English teachers! Band-aids are a must-have item in every teacher’s desk so they might as well match the content of the classroom. Any English would love to have these Shakespeare Insult Bandages on hand for his or her students. Here’s some solar system themed band-aids for science teachers, too!
Small Dry Erase Boards for Student Use
These are really great for elementary and middle school classrooms. A class set of individual dry erase boards gives teachers a way to have students answer questions in a really fun way. A lot of students who wouldn’t normally raise their hands to verbalize an answer will write on a white board and hold it up. This is one of those tools that a lot of teachers could benefit from having but ends up being a little too pricey to personally invest in. Find a set of 30 double sided white boards here.
Presidents Socks for Your History Teacher
These are perfect for that history teacher that likes to kick his feet up on the desk occasionally. Find them here!
A Beaker Mug for Chemistry Teachers
I know I mentioned earlier that teachers get too many mugs as gifts, but this one is just really cool for a chemistry teacher.
Really Neat Ties for Teachers
If I were a math teacher, I would definitely want this tie.
And here’s one for science teachers:
And another for your history teacher:
Stickers for that Teacher Who is Obsessed with Harry Potter
A lot of teachers are the right age to have grown up with the magic of Harry Potter. These Harry Potter stickers are a great gift for any teacher that is a big Harry potter fan.
The Unraveled Teacher 