A Guide to Giving Your Teacher the Right Gift

Gift giving to a teacher can be hit or miss and can sometimes seem impossible. But with a little forethought and work, you can get the perfect gift, or at least one that is appreciated more.

Some of the things that have occurred to me over the last twenty years of being with my wife who is a teacher is how much she has spent on the classroom of her own money. She is constantly spending part of her paycheck to go right back into the class.

She has gobs of books and those little pamphlets that are so fond of winding up all over the house. She buys all kinds of things even though she has to spend her own money. That is the first thing that came to her mind when I asked her about this topic. Money, or more appropriately to gift giving a gift card.

It may not seem like a very personal gift, but over the years my wife has received all kinds of things. We have a couple of boxes of knickknacks in the basement. The little figurines of apples and worms and all the little things she has gotten that has become a little too much to have out all the time. She appreciates them all but they get to be too many and too much.

And the candles, we have a buffet full of candles because we just do not use them. About the only time we use candles is holidays and when my sons want to melt the end of a rope for Boy Scouts or a 4-H project.

She would love to have a shopping spree at her favorite little teachers supply store and wander the small rooms of the refurbished house picking out more stuff for the classroom. This may sound odd but she loves to be able to get more things for the class.

She has gobs of books and those little pamphlets with helpful topics and ideas for teachers but she still buys more all the time. Times are changing and the books she buys are changing with them.

It helps her out to be able to get updated and new things. Books, arts and crafts supplies and even computer programs are all things she is constantly having to buy each year.

She has said that she would appreciate a gift card to any of the stores where she can buy supplies for the classroom. A teachers supply, an arts and crafts store or even Walmart or Target. There are many things such as computer programs that they can obtain at the big chain stores.

She has also said that many times the gifts she appreciates are the thoughtful ones where the parents have taken the time to find out what she likes and buys accordingly. She has enjoyed the gifts like the 3 Musketeers candy bars that she loves.

It is the personal touch of the child or parent getting to know the teacher enough to find out what hobbies or things they enjoy and would appreciate gifts related to that. That is one way to give the teacher something that will be appreciated. Give the gift that you know they are going to use and enjoy because they have said they are into that hobby, sport or recreation.

And some of the things like inspirational calendars and notebooks would be another thing that is appreciated. Ones with uplifting thoughts or ideas that can be referred to with the check of the days activities and notes written on the pages. These are things that are not only useful but can be a spirit lifting gift on a continuing basis.

That is one thing that is more appreciated, things that are useful and that get used by people. The knickknacks and candles are appreciated, but more so the gifts that the teacher can use and get use out of. Things like new notebooks or notepads that have cute sayings or inspirational thoughts on them are not only helpful and useful but have that gift quality of caring.

I think that is one of the things that shows that you care. The thought of the gift, but more so that you have taken the time to think about the teacher and buy something that they can really use.

My wife has received many gifts over the years, and appreciated all of them. But the ones she has remembered that family and child for the most are not the ones that have cost more money, but the ones that are more personal.

She appreciates when a gift is given with her and her hobbies and interests in mind. She likes the ones that are more personal and she can use more than the ones that sit on the shelf. But especially she likes the ones that don’t cost much money but have her in mind.

The simple thank you for choosing to spend her time and effort to help out your child is thanks enough for her.

Just the simple little note to the teacher in the child’s backpack or handed to the teacher before school saying that they are appreciated. The card slipped to the teacher at the conference that you would like to thank them for the help and time they have spent on your child is the best gift of all.

And a couple of candy bars wouldn’t hurt.