Ask a Teacher: What Are the Best Holiday Gifts to Give a Teacher?

Q: What are the best holiday/end-of-the-semester gifts to give a teacher?

A: What a wonderful question! I can tell you that teachers work very hard to be good at their jobs and don’t often feel appreciated. Teachers may seem like sub-human strangers that have no lives outside of school, but I promise you, we do! Teachers really do appreciate gifts during the holidays, so if you want to get them a gift they will really like, here are some gift ideas as well as stealth tactics you can use to get the information you need to get a present they will really enjoy!

• Candy—Everyone loves candy. Tell your teacher you need some gift ideas for your Mom (if the teacher is female) or Dad (if your teacher is male), and you’re thinking candy would be a good idea. Ask the teacher what their favorite candy is! That way you know what the teacher prefers. If you can’t get this information, stick with chocolate and  stay away from candies that have peanuts since many people have allergies.
• Office supplies—I personally love pens! Take note of the daily office supplies your gift-recipient uses: stickers, stamps, personalized post-its, notebooks, journals, pencils, or pens. If all else fails, a gift card to your local supply store will suffice.
• Coffee or tea gift cards—You can never go wrong with a gift card. Check out the brand of coffee or tea on the cup your teacher uses. If the cup is non-descript, ask the teacher where you can get a good cup of coffee or tea on the way to school. If this doesn’t work, choose a local coffee shop and by a gift card.
• Book gift cards—I can pretty much guarantee that teachers would love a gift card to Barnes and Noble. If you want to give a more personal gift, choose a book yourself. Ask English teachers who their favorite author is. Ask history teachers what their favorite time period or historical event is, and choose a book that is informative or fictionally takes place in the country or during the time period.
• Hand-written letters and cards—Gift don’t necessarily have to be bought. The best gifts come from the heart. I strongly recommend that you write a note of thanks on loose leaf or in a holiday card. Tell the teacher exactly why you appreciate them!
• Art work—Another gift that takes time and effort to create but can be made with limited resources. Draw or paint a picture of a scene, person, landscape, object, etc. that represents an emotion you want your teacher to feel. You could also write a story or a poem if you prefer the written word over visual expression. Either way, hand-crafted gifts are always a good idea.

I hope these ideas help! If none of them landed for you, hopefully they stirred the creativity within you. Personalize your gift idea to give your teacher something you know they will love and appreciate. Happy Holidays!

Did you get any of your teachers a holiday gift?

Related post: Steal These Celebrity Gift Ideas