OK, people, it’s that time again. This winter, how are you thanking a teacher in YOUR life?
The Together Group has assembled a Great Gifts for Teachers List. Whether you’re a parent giving to your kid’s teacher, a teacher looking to shower love upon your grade level, or a principal thanking your teachers, we hope this guide can help you out. Or maybe you’re a teacher hoping to drop some not-so-subtle hints to the non-teachers in your life . . . Hey, it can work for that, too!
The gifts below range from the inexpensive to the more lavish. There are a variety of personalized gifts that require advanced planning, but others that are more “last minute” friendly.
Here goes!
Classroom Touches
- Succulent plants can sit on a teacher’s desk, don’t require a lot of maintenance, and are usually very cheap. Anna reports, “Jade plants are traditional good luck New Year’s gifts, so this is a good one for principals looking for a staff gift before winter break!”
- A small, low light desk lamp to keep the sunshine close.
- Framed, personalized photos for a teacher’s desk.
Health + Wellness
- A rockin’ water bottle! Valerie says, “It keeps my water cold ALL DAY!!! Which means I’m not drinking enough if the same water is in there over the course of 10 hours!”
- Emily confessed her love affair with her mini-crockpot (safety rules permitting): “With this little beauty, I fill it up with leftovers, plug it in next to my desk when I get to school, and have a hot lunch waiting for me at noon! I’m able to eat in my classroom and not waste time in line for the microwave!”
- Teacher care pack: Ibuprofen/Tylenol, Band-Aids, mints, plus a favorite soda or candy.
- A coffee subscription (a must for many!).
Get Personal
- Personalized pencils or pens – kids are always borrowing these, and it’s great to have some sort of marker to prevent them from walking away . . . .
- Personalized stamps for grading, especially if they’re funny or goofy.
- Personalized stationary! Kate confides, “I still have my ‘A note from Ms. McCabe’ notepad on my desk! I am down to low numbers so I use it very sparingly!”
Supplies + Gear
- A poster bag to transport anchor charts without having to roll them up.
- If paper supply is in short stock, a ream of paper with a bow stuck on top.
- There’s nothing like a clipboard with everything you need handy at your fingertips!!
- Magnets! Meghan says, “I was obsessed with magnets because I had 30 different charts on my board at any given moment!”
- And of course, flair pens in a teacher’s color of choice (my husband always grades in purple!).
Technology
- This site has tripods for cameras and electronic devices. Really great if you’re trying to get video of your classroom.
- A small set of inexpensive speakers is always welcome.
- A cheap, personal printer is great for the teacher who doesn’t want to wait in a long line before school.
- A document camera is a great tool, especially for ELA teachers teaching close-reading strategies in this age of Common Core Instruction.
- A desk holder to keep that smartphone in full view.
Thanks to Emily Letourneau, Anna Weiss, Pamela Bookbinder Clarke, Valerie Evans, Emily Schneider-Kryz, Kate McCabe, Kendra Rowe Salas, Meghan Pierce, and Taylor Rifkin for their contributions to this super list.
What would you add? Teachers, any wishes?