One of the most common questions I get asked by just about everyone I know is - What should I get my child's teacher for Christmas? (Or Teacher Appreciation Day)
Everyone wants to know, what are the best gifts I’ve ever received, what are the worst, and are teachers sick of getting chocolate and wine, or do they really like it?
So I am going to spill the tea and let you know what are some of the best gifts I’ve ever received, some great gift ideas, and I even have a FREE gift for you!
So to answer the first question, the best gifts are always the most thoughtful ones! This isn’t usually the answer my friends want to hear though as they want something quick and easy to organise that their child’s teacher will love.
Some of the best gifts I have ever received are:
A card, with a 2-page (YES TWO WHOLE PAGES) expressing how thankful they were that I taught their child that year, and what a great job I had done. Definitely the number one gift in my eyes.
Another awesome gift was a cute plant in a pot, with a sign that said “Thanks for helping me grow”. I have actually received a couple of these and even managed to keep them alive!! (I don’t have a green thumb). These gifts really meant a lot to me.
One thoughtful gift I received was a framed photograph of me when I was dressed up for book week. The frame also had “Best teacher ever” written on it.
As you can probably tell, sentimental gifts are the most important to me. But some other great gifts have been; a lanyard (even better it was my favourite colour), a teapot from T2, candles, ornaments, a Dome Cafe gift voucher and so many more.
Are teachers sick of receiving chocolates, wine and coffee mugs?
Short answer? No!
It really depends on the person, but I was always appreciative of any gift a student and their family gave me. Did I need 15 boxes of chocolates? Definitely not! Did I love it! Yes!!
My husband was always excited in December. Every day after work he’d ask if I got any nice presents from school, hoping for chocolate!
I shared the chocolates with our family for Christmas, taking them with us to events over December.
The same goes for mugs! All teachers will tell you that they have SO MANY mugs. But I bet they’d love another World’s Best Teacher mug from their student this year!
Now wine is a tricky one - I know lots of teachers LOVE getting wine as a gift, personally, I am not much of a wine drinker so it was probably my least favourite gift but it's the thought that counts!
So now you know my thoughts here are some of my top cheap/easy gifts for teachers in 2022
1. A Lanyard
Teachers have a lot of keys .. it's a fact. Lanyards make great gifts because they are useful and also generally not too expensive. I like that you can find all sorts of different colours and types, making it a great gift for female and male teachers alike.
Evelyn Paige is an Australian retailer who makes gorgeous lanyards and other gifts that teachers would love.
They have a discount code WISEOWL and you will receive 15% off. Click the link here.2. Stationery
Teachers freaking LOVE stationery! Some cute pens and a notebook or a 2023 planner or diary will definitely be loved. While we all know teachers deserve the best school supplies available, and unfortunately sometimes foot the bill themselves, it might be more thoughtful to gift something for the teacher and not for their classroom. Keep the gift personable and not too practical.
3. Christmas Decoration
Many teachers say they enjoy receiving Christmas decorations as gifts and when they set up their Christmas tree enjoy thinking about the students who gave them the ornaments. A Christmas ornament for their Christmas tree is always a nice keepsake, you could even get one personalised like this one:
4. Water bottle
You might not know but teachers don’t get many breaks during the day, so they need water bottles, especially for those days they just can’t get to the staff room! Again you could also get this one personalised.
5. A gift card
A quick and easy option is a gift card to a local cafe, the movies, bunnings, nail spa, salon, or even a shop like Coles/Myers. You can easily pair this with a card and write a heartfelt thank you.
My free gift to you are these FREE printable poems there are 7 different versions, so you can choose the one your teacher will like best. You can print this out in any size you want and put it in a frame. Easy peasy gift, that won’t break the bank.
Click here to download your copy!
Lastly, I want to add that if you are REALLY, TRULY grateful for everything your teacher has done this year, and think they are the bee’s knees, don’t just tell them, tell the school principal too!
Write your teacher a beautiful note, or letter, then take a photo, or send a copy to the Principal or Deputy Principal to let them know what a great job they've done.
School administrators deal with lots of negatives, so not only will it be a wonderful thank you to your child’s classroom teacher but it will also brighten their day too.
Or you could even go one step further and also send an email to the Director General of the Education Department Lisa Rodgers: lisa.rodgers@education.wa.edu.
If you enjoyed this post you might like:
https://www.wiseowltuition.com/post/the-5-best-free-educational-apps-to-boost-your-child-s-learning
https://www.wiseowltuition.com/post/how-to-help-your-child-with-their-homework-without-any-arguments
https://www.wiseowltuition.com/post/what-is-dyslexia-and-does-my-child-have-it
