Hi, I am B from bbeingcool.com. I write about fashion, food, home and life. I spend most of my time being a stay at home mum, but my ‘grown up proper job’ is a primary school teacher. I do love being a teacher, I love planning and teaching lessons and getting to know children. I love seeing students learn things and I love seeing them grow and mature. It really is a rewarding job.
I asked Kelly if I could write some tips on buying gifts for teachers for the end of the year. We all love our classroom teachers and it is nice to be able to show that gratitude in the form of gifts. I have given some suggestions for Under $10 and Under $20 as well as ideas for group gifts and ideas for male teachers.
Now, teachers don’t demand gifts, they really don’t expect them. All my teacher friends just love seeing children succeed, so this is not a wish list from teachers, rather, these are things that either I have recieved or some of my teacher friends have received that were just plain lovely. As a teacher, I wouldn’t expect parents to spend more than $20 on a gift, but… if you want to spend more – go for it!
There are lots of lovely little things around under $10. Because the Australian school year finishes in December, Christmas themed gifts can be a sweet little idea.
- Christmas decorations – handmade is a lovely touch
- Coffee mugs – personalised or inspirational
- Ornamental apples – always cute to have an apple on the desk
- Chocolates – always popular
- Pot Plant – a Ponsietta is a nice touch
Group Gifts
- If you are super organised, you can get some other parents in the class to pool some money to buy a more expensive gift. Day spa vouchers, store vouchers or jewellery vouchers are beautiful ideas.
Male Teachers
- You may want to think outside of the box for male teachers… Mr Cool {Physics teacher} once got an English Premier League Soccer jersey from a class – which he thought was pretty cool.
- Sporting gear; soccer ball, cricket ball, hat, zinc cream, if your teacher is sporty
- Coffee/Tea packs
- iTunes vouchers, movie money
- Photo frames, key rings, mugs or wine {if appropriate for your school *wink*}.
Notes on handmade
- Handmade ornaments and other pretty things are lovely. I love the thought behind the gift and appreciate that it took someone {probably a hard working and tired mum or grandma} precious time to make.
- Some thoughts on home cooking; I have taught in some ‘interesting’ schools and I have had to have a ‘I do not eat home-made’ policy. Having said that, I have made shortbread stars for my children’s teachers. I included a little note saying that we all used clean hands and made sure all the equipment was clean and hygienic – not everyone is as clean as you think!
Finally, some tips to remember…
1) Keep the gift small {when you get 30 gifts it can be overwhelming}.
2) Instead of thinking of a big gift and a small message in a card, buy something smaller and write a heart felt card.
3) Let your child be involved in picking out the gift, or the wrapping or the card writing. They have built a relationship with their teacher all year and I know I love getting cards from my students.
Just for a bit of fun {and not sound ungrateful} here are some gifts that got Mr Cool and I chuckling over the years…
- Non-alcoholic wine – Mr Cool made a bottle into Sangria, he added proper red wine and fruit juice to it.
- Ties, socks, handkerchiefs – just a little awkies…
- Re-gifted things – check that cards are not left in gifts people!
- I was given a gorgeous silver necklace from a student, I am pretty sure it was stolen. True. The student is now quite possibly in the clink {nothing to do with my teaching}.
Have I missed anything? What are some great ideas you have had?
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Thanks for having me Kelly! So nice to be here! Really…
beafunmum
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post! I especially like that you popped in for the male agenda as well. I find that usually the most difficult!
Thanks for sharing : )
Thanks lovely, I am married to a male teacher, so I kinda know what things that they LIKE getting… And yes, he has received socks and hankies – eek!
Thanks B, for such a helpful post!
really targeted tips, you really know how to provide value to a gift for teachers…
would you mind if our website create a portuguese version of your article linking back to the original, in this case, yours?
our website is http://ideiadepresente.com
anyways, congratulations, really great tips for professionals on the art of teaching
I love the awkward gifts! Hehe
My failsafe teacher gift option is Envirosax. You can never have too many. They come in awesome colours and designs. And at least once a year, they have a 50% off option. That said, my Preppie son has given Star Wars gifts for the past two years.
You are such a clever poppet!
Love that idea – teachers love nice things to carry things around in too!
I’m a teacher too. The other day I pulled out a vase to put some little flowers in and remembered that it was from a student I taught in year 2 (and she graduated last week). I used to keep it on my school desk and put flowers in when children brought them in. I was inspired and this morning I had one very excited little boy take his teacher and teacher’s aide vases full of hand picked flowers from the garden.
Awwww, that is so nice!
I remember bringing flowers in for my teacher with the wet cotton wool and all wrapped in alfoil…. I am glad that some kids are still doing that!
The vase is a lovely gift idea – wish I had thought of that!
Love it, B!
Right, well, I’m crossing socks and jocks of Mr W’s list – since you mentioned it – and leaning instead towards handmade pencil case…
Tell me though: if Mr 6 has two teachers this year, should I be getting them both the same thing in case they compare notes?
Pencil cases would be cool…
Regarding the two teachers…. hmmmm…. I think it would be fine to give them the same gifts – perhaps different fabrics though ;-P
Anything home made is lovely…. I am jealously watching my kids ‘play’ with the lovely pencil cases of yours I bought…. Might have to get one for myself!
Wonderful ideas! I asked some teacher friends for their low-down on preferred gifts lately – many also urged no-handmade, and no chocolate – one received 15 boxes last year! Coffee vouchers also ranked high on their wish lists!
I have already recieved some fudge. I don’t eat sugar! That will certainly be brought along for our Christmas camping trip for someone else to eat!
Handmade CAN be nice, but… I always check the state of the child’s school bag before I would eat it…
As a teacher I have loved getting handmade cards from students, especially the one a student drew with a picture of his vacuum cleaner and after asking his mum how to spell it, he proudly wrote each letter by himself (pre school student).
Just a note though: be careful with smelly things. I got a beautiful present one year I had to pass on to a friend as the smell from it gave me a migraine.
Oh, yes to the smelly things! I have been given some truly overpowering things too! That is one of those things that may require a bit of research before purchasing…
I got a beautiful handmade box for World Teachers Day this year. Unfortunately there was so much glue involved that the lid was glued shut and I have no idea what was in the box!
Oh dear! That is cute though…
Great ideas! Last year I got my kids to describe their teachers – and using their words, I made up an A4 poster on Wordle and framed it. The teachers loved it. It hardly cost me anything, but it was something different and something personal.
I LOVE that idea! Personal, effective and heart felt. You clever chook! I am gonna steal that idea! A+ and top of the class for you!
Great list – thank you. Do you think wine is appropriate?
Wine is hard because it depends 1. On if the teacher drinks, and 2. You will probably not end up getting them one they like…
I love things the children have picked out themselves. When I taught kindy, I had a little boy give me a jar of spices…and I still remember it (and him) 15 years later because it was so individual and from the heart. His mother just let him choose what he wanted, and that was what he chose.
The best gift for a teacher: Help a kid to read – “donate a book to a school in a developing country” My school has a wish list but https://www.baptistworldaid.org.au/get-involved/be-generous/the-little-book-of-big-gift-ideas/gifts-under-30/books-online-only/ is another great way to give a gift that really makes a difference.
I like your suggestions
. One of the loveliest presents I saw that was given to a teacher, was a canvas painting done by a young child (who had additional needs). If your child is interested in art, you could buy an inexpensive canvas and acrylic paints from a store like kmart, then have your child do a painting.
Also, you wrote: “it is there job” instead of “their”.
Thanks so much for the teachers perspective on gifts!!
yea nice gift ideas for teachers