Most Useful/Favorite Teacher Gift

Personal notes. Gift cards. Hand sanitizer.

Right now, I'd be so excited if someone went to the dollar store and bought ten boxes of colored pencils. We're midyear and I'm down to nubs.

Please no mugs or notepads.

Handwritten notes of appreciation and how the teacher impacted a student's life.

Gift cards. One of the cutest things I saw last year was a handmade tree with branches and the "leaves" were an assortment of gift cards. No one has to know how much is on each card and who each card is from.

Many teachers spend their own money getting the classroom ready for the school year, replenishing supplies, keeping extra snacks available for those who forget to bring one and many more expenses.

We gave a money tree once and had bills in all different denominations attached to the tree.

In the past, classroom gifts have been some sort of artsy project made by all of the students.... quilt, fingerprint trees with signed names and so on.

Teacher have lotion, soaps, candles and much growing out their ears.

Just do something that shows true appreciation.

My Mother was a teacher and she loved chrismas ornaments from the kids. She still has them. She also liked items she could use for the class.

She hated homemade food times. They were instantly trashed when the kids left. She wasn't a teacher when gift cards were popular but wished she had been.

At Christmas I asked all my teacher friends what I should give my children's teachers. They all said wine.

A framed pix with me and students

I have several friends that are teachers.

Gift cards are hands down the favorite gift. Our school will have the teachers fill out a questionnaire at the beginning of the school year listing favorite resturants, sports teams, stores, etc.

Movie passes are also good.

The neat thing about gift cards is that the recipient is thrilled when they open the gift and then again when they go out for a free meal.

M

Oooh, so many! From the kids, hugs! From the parents:

A beach bag, filled with a beach towel, lotion and water bottle.
A letter to my superintendent, filled with specific praise.
A photo book of the class and each child's favorite activity.
A lovely serving plate.
Gift certificates to restaurants and book stores.
A donation to my favorite charity.

And the most remarkable was a broach a parent was wearing that I complimented. It was a unique piece tha she tried to find again, couldn't, and decided to give me her own. We had shared several school years together and she trusted I would appreciate the generosity of her gift. I did and I do!

I like to give gift cards. Either Target for them to purchase classroom supplies or personal items at their discretion, Barnes and Noble or a favorite coffee store. We have a coffee shop very close to our middle school and high school that both the students and the teachers like to frequent. I've also donated requested books and educational toys to their classroom, but I get their input on which ones they want.

Edited to add: After thinking about the suggestion about giving wine I decided to add a comment. Unless you have specifically asked the teacher if wine would be an appreciated gift, I wouldn't suggest it. I know a lot of teachers who don't drink for a lot of reasons--religious, medical, and even in one case a recovering alcholic. If you do decide to give wine DO NOT give it to the teacher on school property. There could be some pretty serious consequences for a teacher or even a parent who has alcohol on school property. We had an incident at one school where I taught. The teacher had brought in a box of books that she had purchased at a yard sale. The box sat there for a couple of days. One of her students commented to his parents about the Budweiser box that was sitting in his classroom. The parents raised a stink about it. The teacher didn't get in trouble, but that box sure opened a big can of worms! A gift card to a local wine bar, winery, or nice restaurant would be a safer gift.

Other than 1-2 Christmas ornaments I have kept, the only gifts from students that I have kept are kids' books for my classroom. I guess I did also keep a pillowcase that my 3rd grade class decorated for me the last year I taught in one school. But that was an exception for very personal reasons. I haven't had any other situation where I would keep something like that.

Although I am always grateful for gifts, I don't keep much. I don't like scented lotions/soaps/candles because I'm sensitive to scents and think a lot of scented items just stink. I don't like homemade food items because I can't afford to pick up an illness and I'm a little OCD when it comes to germs. Purchased food items usually end up in the teachers' lounge because I am trying to eat healthier. I don't like personalized items because I just can't keep every personalized item that I have gotten. I have limited space in my classroom and even less space at home. We have about 25 flashlights (no kidding) in our house and garage.

But, I literally have hundreds of notes, pictures, and letters that I have gotten from students, parents, and colleagues all the way back to my student teaching 21 years ago.

For me, a note from the child and/or parent means more to me than any item you can give me. A second best would be a children's book for my classroom. I also appreciate gift cards to teacher supply stores or craft stores for things that I can use in the classroom. And I enjoy gift cards that let me spoil myself a little--Barnes and Noble, a coffee shop, a local greenhouse, etc. But, anything over about $10-15 does make a little uncomfortable.

Hand sanitizer and board markers!

Updated

Hand sanitizer and board markers!

A long time ago, when my child was little...I decided to become the room Mom.

I sat with the teacher in Sept to plan out the holiday parties. I asked her some additional questions...She told me that was was a huge gardener, where she liked to eat out and that she spent the summers in her backyard.

A poster from me telling her what a wonderful teacher she was ...and why! All the kids added their ideas...and signed their names !
All the kids signed their names. And...

When May arrived, I collected money from the other 17 parents. I purchased a gift card to her favorite restaurant and a beautiful birdhouse for her garden.

She was thrilled that I had remembered...

Not a teacher, but my mom was one. She would take all the mugs, candles, stationary, planters, etc to the charity shop. She didn't care for that whatsoever. She hated having booby traps in her cupboards of cups that didn't nest. tea towels, oven mits, lotion sets, picture frames would all get off loaded too.

My suggestion- ask, you never know what is going to resonate with someone.

The two most used wedding gifts we received were a GPS from my brother (wasn't even on our radar but proved and is proving awesome), and a set of cutlery from my aunt, which again we hadn't asked for but love love love.

I give chocolate to all the teachers in my kid's life. a few bars of lindt, godiva, or toblerone.

Best,
F. B.

Honestly, my favorite gifts are letters from my students. It's even better if it includes a picture of them. I keep them in a 'treasure box' and pull them out when I need a lift or want to quit teaching. These notes remind me of why I love this job and keep me going.

What I don't like are homemade food gifts, especially if you tell me that your child helped. I've seen where his hands have been during the day and the visual just grosses me out. All homemade food is usually thrown directly into the trash by almost every teacher I know.

Gift cards are the most appreciated. I do spend at least a few hundred dollars a year for supplies, laminating, snacks and curriculum supplements. I like gift cards to teaching stores and Target.

Hope this helps to answer your question!

Candles
Flashlights
Starbucks gift cards
My Mom taught 6th grade in public school for 30 years.
She had to throw so much stuff out it wasn't funny.
Utilitarian things or things that can be easily re-gifted are the best gifts.

I stole one of the ideas from mom in mamapedia that was a donation to organization on teachers behalf ...it was excellent idea and worth every money and teacher was so touched .

I have several good friends who are teachers. One has about 10 storage containers in her basement full of mugs/ornaments/frames/candles/etc., from students over the years. She wants to dump it all but feels guilty about it. So it sits in her basement unused. Her favorite gifts were restaurant gift cards, or gift certificates to educational stores so she could replenish her supplies. She really did appreciate those gift cards. She always was able to get a coffee or a quick meal courtesy of one of her students.

gift cards always to their favorite stores/restaurants.

I liked gift certificates to teacher supply stores or things I could use in my classroom. Like every year the kids broke the pencil sharpener and I would have to spend my own money on it. so maybe a big industrial strength pencil sharpener or just gift cards to eat out. One kid gave me a big cool ice cream scoop one year with a cute tag that said Thanks for giving me the scoop this year. That was creative and I still have it and use it. Another mom gave me one of those plug in mini fountains that trickles water inside and said it was to calm my nerves after having her wild son. That was really funny. I just hated all the apple stuff because after 5 years of teaching you have a closet full of that stuff. I also do not like scented stuff and would drive by the nursing home on my way home and donate all the smelly candles and lotions. That is just me.