When I told my friend Kathy that I needed her input on an article about best/worst gifts to give a teacher, her knee-jerk response was to assume the persona of a high school cheerleader and belt out the following chant:
“GIFT CARD!!!*clapclapclap* GIFT CARD!!!*clapclapclap*”
So, there you have it.
But, on the other hand, there you don’t have it. There was, no doubt, a grain of truth in Kathy’s improvised cheer, but in reality she has been happy to receive a variety of teacher gifts throughout the years. And, not everyone is a happy gift card giver; many of you reading this may very well be the personal-touch kind of shopper. I can certainly appreciate that.
As a former classroom teacher myself, I can add that teachers are also relatively easy to please. Generally speaking, generic gifts work great. That mug from the drugstore filled with a packet of “gourmet” cocoa? Perfect. From the teacher’s perspective, it truly is the thought that counts. Truly.
Having said that, there are a few pitfalls to avoid when it comes to giving a teacher a gift. Number one: clearly phoning it in. This happened one year when Kathy was given a wallet. With receipts in it. From purchases the wallet’s previous owner had made.
Another is to give a gift that is undoubtedly going to be a repeat of something the teacher already has many, MANY of. “Try to get something off the beaten path, but still in the forest,” Kathy advises.
Think of those trinkets that read “#1 Teacher” and the like. Every teacher loves getting them–up to a point. As a new teacher, Kathy really enjoyed teacher-specific knick-knacks to either sit on her desk or hang on her Christmas tree. Ten years into the profession, “My desk is full, and my tree has very few free branches,” Kathy reports.
Keep in mind, though, that my teacher friend Marla LOVES getting ornaments as gifts. “Every year when I take them out I am reminded of the students who gave them to me,” she said. When it comes to ornaments, Marla especially appreciates the cute and quirky–all the easier to remember which student was the giver.
Again, the driving force behind this is the idea that it’s the thought that counts. “Gifts that come from the heart are always truly loved and appreciated,” Kathy adds.
One way to show a teacher some love is to think outside the classroom. Kids tend to forget (or just plain not realize) that teachers do in fact live in homes, eat in restaurants, shop at the mall, and so on. One of Kathy’s favorite gifts in recent years was a gift certificate to go to the movies, which she felt showed an appreciation for the fact that teachers need some R&R.
But above all, when shopping for the teacher, keep the end game in mind. It’s all about what happens when your little one beamingly presents her gift.
Kathy offers this perspective: “Receiving gifts is really not about me at all. It is truly about the giver and making her feel as if she’s given the best gift ever. And, I am happy to say that all of my students are the best gift givers…ever.”
Readers: What is your go-to holiday gift for teachers?