Teacher Appreciation Gifts
Christmas, Thank You and Special Occasion Gifts for School Teachers
Gifts of appreciation don't have to be expensive. There are many simple ways to show gratitude to an excellent teacher.
While many people like to give a small gift of recognition to their child’s teacher for Christmas, it is not always easy to find something useful or practical when looking for appreciation gifts on a budget. Inexpensive generic gifts abound, but there are only so many coffee mugs with ‘World’s best teacher’ that any one person can usefully own.
Children may be a source of information to assist in the gift selection. Depending on the child's age(primary school children are often more aware of the personal likes and dislikes of their teachers), you may be able to gain such useful facts as favourite colours, foods, hobbies or interests. While buying toiletry items such as hand creams and body lotions might seem like an easy option, it is best to avoid these items unless the brands and/or perfumes the teacher particularly likes are known. Chocolates are also an easy option, but if the teacher is on a diet or has food allergies, they may not be useful or helpful. Even without the diet or allergy issues, even the most devout chocoholic might baulk at receiving 25 boxes of Cadbury Roses chocolates in one day.
It is possible to give a gift that shows appreciation without overspending or adding to the teacher’s collection of well meant but impractical gifts.
Teacher Gift Suggestions
Why not consider the following:
- Vouchers for movie tickets – always popular with teachers of all ages
- Home-made biscuits – packaged nicely they look festive and they are quick and easy to make. This gift is ideal, especially if there are several teachers to buy for. Let children help ice the biscuits to add a personal touch
- Christmas tree ornaments – a safe seasonal gift that doesn’t require extra dusting
- Bookmarks – homemade is a great option. Children can create their own, not forgetting their name and the year, which when laminated will last.
- Stationery – attractive notebooks, note paper, pens and pencils are all useful for teachers.
Picture Books for Teachers
Books also make great gifts for teachers. For infants school teachers, buy a book that they will be able to use with their students in the future. Keep in mind any particular themes might have been studied throughout the year such as the environment, customs and celebrations, transport, weather etc. There are several authors whose books are particularly good for this:
- Dr Seuss: The Lorax (Collins, 1971), I had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew (Collins, 1965), Oh the Thinks you can Think (Random House,1975), Hooray for Diffendoofer Day (Alfred A. Knopf, 1998)
- Graham Base: Uno’s Garden (Penguin, 2006), Animalia (Harry N. Abrams, 1997), The Waterhole (Puffin, 2001), Jungle Drums (Harry N. Abrams, 2004)
- Mem Fox: Tough Boris (Voyager Books, 1998), Shoes from Grandpa (Orchard Books (NY), 1992), Whoever You Are (Hachette, 1997)
- Alison Lester: Magic Beach (Allen & Unwin, 1990), Imagine (Houghton Mifflin, 1993), Are we there yet? (Penguin, 2004)
With some thought it is possible to find a gift that will be not only a sign of appreciation, but also a practical and enjoyable reminder of a wonderful year.
