End-of-Year Teacher Gifts

When I was growing up, I honestly don’t remember getting much for my teachers except maybe a Christmas ornament here and there. But these days, teacher gifts seem to be a huge deal in this Pinterest world in which we live.

From being a middle school teacher and knowing other fellow teachers at all levels, I reached out to get their opinions on their favorite gifts to receive.

From pre-k to high school here is a list of 10 gifts any teacher will love!

#1. Personalized Notepads or Stationary: 

Teachers use lots of paper it is just a fact of life. Most of us also love to make lists. Little notepads, sticky notes, or stationary with our names on them are so great! Not only will they be appreciated, but also be useful!

notepads
I had a friend get me a set of these from www.papersource.com and I use them for everything!

#2. School Supplies:

Let’s just be honest, teachers love school supplies. It is no secret that most teachers purchase additional supplies for their rooms and their students but we also love them ourselves. You can get supplies at just about any store from HEB to Target to Office Max. Be creative with this one! It could be a bouquet of pencils or a rainbow of colored pens!

pencils
Photo by diaryoftwocraftygirls.blogspot.ca This bouquet of pencils from makes my heart happy! Get idea of how to do it here!

#3. A Nice Water Bottle or Yeti:

This depends on the teacher. If your teacher is always drinking water they can always use a nice water bottle. If they love coffee, Yetis are the best. Neither of these are extremely cheap, but both are much appreciated and will be used often.

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Feel free to add the boat in this picture with it! From www.yeticoolers.com.

#4. Plants:

For their classroom or home, plants brighten up any space. You can even get extra creative with the pot or actual plant. For example, if they teach Texas History get them a plant that is native to Texas or if they teach Science get them a really neat plant like a venus flytrap!

Photo by Sillypearl.com Seriously how much easier can this be! Burlap, sticker, and ribbon around the planter from the store. Get the tutorial on how to do it and printable tags here!

#5. Personalized Tote:

Teachers always need bags for supplies, grading, life. These totes are cute and something they can use for years to come!

You can get them personalized for teachers like this one from www.personalizationmall.com or simple ones with initials at www.landsend.com.

#6. Personalized Stamps: 

I won’t lie, I covet these!  We have two teachers on campus who have them and they are so cute and great. They make anything from hall passes to notes home easy and more personal. There are a ton of great sites you can find them on, just make sure you have the spelling right!

from_the_library_of_apple_stamp_large
Just awesome! There a ton of websites for these, but I found this one at www.simplystamps.com.

#7 Something related to their subject or teaching:

Many teachers have a passion for what they teach whether it be a specific subject or just teaching in general. Ask your students about this because by the end of the year they probably have a good idea of what their teacher likes or is passionate about!

math mug
I don’t even like math but this mug is awesome! This one was at www.uncommongoods.com.

#8 Decoration for the Classroom:

Sometimes these are seen as corny but I assure you they are awesome even for secondary teachers.  Our desks or walls can always use some decoration. This is another area where you can really use personalization and humor to take a gift from good to great! When I taught Texas History a friend painted me a sign that was the Texas state flag with my name on it. I have a great friend who has a sign referencing her flying monkeys behind her desk, which always makes me smile. These are great end of the year presents because you’ve had an entire year to get to know them.

Photo by amomwithalessonplan.com I love these pencil or crayon letters. Learn how to do it here!

 

#9. Gift Cards:

This is one seems obvious and even too easy or impersonal but let’s be real here, gift cards rock. In six years I have received two gift cards. One for Starbucks and one for Target, and they were literally the best things ever. They are something that will for sure get used and that the teacher will appreciate! I seriously dream of these gift card bouquets because WOW!

Photo by reallifemotherhoodof4.blogspot.com

#10. Student Notes: 

I have been teaching for six years and I have a folder that I intend on making into a scrapbook one day of every letter a student has ever written me over the years. They are cheap and seriously the most genuine, unique, and personal gifts a teacher can get. My favorite idea I saw for these in elementary was a room mom that had every child write a letter and she created a mini scrapbook of them all for the teacher.

letters
Photo by club.chicacircle.com Student note scrapbook. So sweet and inventive. See how these moms pulled it together here!

Just remember not to stress about this! Teachers will appreciate any gift you give them. But please don’t stop when elementary stops! There are misconceptions that we don’t work as hard to build relationships or that since you child has anywhere from six to nine teachers you would have to buy for everyone, but that is not the case. Secondary teachers work just as hard, and if your student wants to get a gift for just one or two, we aren’t going to get our feelings hurt!

What are your favorite gifts to give teachers?

1 COMMENT

  1. These ideas a really cute but I am going to save y’all the trouble of making something pinterest worthy and say just go for the gift card. We are packing up our classrooms and purging at the end of the year and a plant will probably not survive. Surface space on our desk is at a premium so a bouquet of pencils is totally impractical.
    A lovely photo of your child with me or a nice note is much appreciated. Even a simple thank you is beyond what many parents bother to do. A Target gift card or Starbucks gift card will be put to good use.

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