Teacher Appreciation Week

 Teacher Appreciation Week is just a little less than one month away , so now would be a good time to think about a gift for your child's teacher if you haven't already . Educators spend an average of 6 hours a day helping us educate our children , so I think it is an nice gesture to show them our gratitude . But what would be a good teacher's gift ? You may think that googling "best teachers gifts" or looking at the "top sellers" of an online shop would give you a hint . But you may want to rethink that . Best sellers are not necessary what teachers wants ! 🤔 So now what ? Here , let me help you by giving you a list of some of the better and worst gift ideas .

BEST GIFTS IDEAS :

Here are some great suggestions that will delight you child's teacher . 

(1)  Gifts do not need to be expensive . In fact one of the most appreciated gift from teachers are students handwritten notes or drawing (that can then be display on the classroom wall or on a bulletin board ) . 

(2) A card with a handwritten note from the student .

         

 

After a gift from the heart , the next best thing to offer teachers are any kind of school supplies . Those can include the following :

(3) A gift card from your child's teacher favorite store or online shop to help them buy the supplies they actually need . 

(4) Personalized notepads or sticky notes . Either one come very handy as teachers , just like us , write things down all the time . You can never have too many of them .

Here are some example of personalized notepads : 

Blue owl notepads blank or ruled 

                                        

Felt Pens Notepads

More Owl Notepads

 

Generic Notepads

 Sticky notes are awesome to jolt something down in a hurry and stick it on a desk , on a planner , etc . , to remind us for later use . Here are some example of them :

 

                                      

Teachers and Librarians Sticky Notes

 

Sticky Notes with Cute Cartoon Cows

 

Random Sticky Notes

(5) Classroom pencils with the teachers name and room number . Classroom pencils are known to constantly disappear ! That's a fact . Because they all look the same , students often inadvertently take them home . So one way to prevent that is to buy a bunch of pencils with the teacher's name and classroom number , so they become easily recognizable and everyone know they have to stay in the classroom, saving teachers money :) 

Example of Classroom Pencils

(6)  Personalized teacher pens . Teachers use pens a lot and can never have too many of them . So another idea is a couple of custom pens just like those ones . 

Personalized Teacher Pens

MORE TEACHER GIFTS IDEAS ;

Here are additional gift suggestions for educators . I would say they are neither best or worst . They are simply ideas that your child's teacher might like . You will probably know this if you're a volunteer in your child's classroom .

Laptop Stickers : they're always fun and give personality to one's computer , notebooks or planners .

                                       

Fun Teacher Laptop Stickers

Classroom Desk Mats : maybe your child's classroom could use some new desk mat as they can get wear out very quickly . Consult with your child's teacher before buying one . 

Classroom Desk Mats

Apparel : for this I guess , you really need to know you child's teacher pretty well . Avoid apple motif and typography that says they are teachers (believe me , they know !) . Instead look for something they enjoy like reading , dogs , cats , fishing , etc.  T-shirts and sweaters as well as caps can be good ideas . 

Tops for books and coffee lovers

Teacher Cap

WORST TEACHER GIFTS ;

These ones are often the most popular on any online shops , but they are also the ones you want to avoid:

(1) Mugs :they have too many . Imagine if every single kid in the class would bring a mug....every single year...

(2) Candles :they get too many and some have fragrance that an educator might not really appreciate . 

(3) Door signs : while you might find some really nice handmade ones , you may not have the same taste than the person you're trying to buy if for .

(4) Tote bags : while they are nice and very useful , again , they get too many of them . And they may not want one that say they are a ... teacher !!! 

(5) A gift with your child's picture on it . You are very proud of your children (and you should be ) , but this is a great gift for family members , not for educators . I would say instead have a drawing from your child . 

(6) Bar of soap or body lotion : they might seem tempting and perfect for a relaxation moment . However some teachers have allergies . It might as well be a little bit too personal.

(7) Things with apples on it . While an apple is a symbol for education , chances are teachers would likely prefer something with a floral pattern on it . 

I hope you found this blogpost somehow useful . Remember , a gift doesn't have to be expensive , the best ones come from the heart . 

ⓒArianeC Illustrations - All rights reserved

Disclaimer : The gifts shown in this post are items that I design and that are available in my online shop . But of course , you could find similar gifts in other stores .