Though the thought matters, your child’s teacher already has a cabinet full of “World’s Best Teacher” mugs, ceramic polished apples, and Christmas ornaments hand-made by her students. These end-of-year and holiday appreciate gifts are warmly received, but soon find their way to a box or a drawer with similar items from past classrooms.
How much better it would be to give your student’s teacher what he or she really wants or needs. This year, consider one of these fabulous teacher appreciation gift options.
Gift Cards Galore
It’s a disturbing fact that many educators spend their own money in order to stock their classrooms with the supplies they need to get their job done right. There’s even a line in the federal tax code that allows teachers to deduct no more than $250 for these expenses. Any parent with multiple kids knows that this barely covers an academic year’s worth of crayons, protractors, notebooks, and tissues. For a teacher facing a 30-kid classroom, that’s a real hit to the wallet.
Parents can help defray those costs by offering up gift cards to major retailers, such as Target, Walmart, Kmart, and any number of office supply stores. If the whole classroom is involved, those gift cards might even add up to more than she needs to spend. Then the teacher who just spent a year putting up with your child might have enough left over to buy something for herself.
Something From Their Wish List
You and your fellow parents have a full academic year to get to know the teacher who is spending so much time with your child. Brainstorm with other parents to see if the teacher has mentioned any special interests. Perhaps he follows a band that’s coming to town in a few months, or she has admired one parent’s designer handbag—a luxury that she’s unlikely to be able to afford for herself. Is he getting married soon? Is she expecting a baby? Is he or she buying a house? Pooling resources for a gift that the teacher yearns for, but wouldn’t be able to buy, is sure to bring a tear to the eye.
A Note From Your Child
You don’t have to pool money or spend a fortune to make your child’s teacher become emotional with gratitude. A heartfelt, deeply personal thank-you note written by your child is one of the most-loved teacher appreciation gifts. We all know that teachers don’t venture into this career in the hopes of great financial gain. They do it in order to make a change in the world. Soulful, written proof that their efforts have made a real difference is a gift that has a price beyond rubies. Pair it with a gift card to their favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or clothing store and you’ve made their day.
While you’re thinking about the perfect teacher appreciation gift, don’t forget middle school and high school teachers. These upper-grade teachers rarely get the same attention as those in younger grades, but they’re still making a world of difference.
