Teacher Appreciation Week is always at the beginning of May. During that time, teachers are working tirelessly to start wrapping up the school year, celebrating each student for their accomplishments, holding onto the goodness the year has brought. They are also trying to fit in all they are required to teach, assessing their students, and juggling multiple end of the year celebrations. Plus, we all know kids in the late spring just want to be outside! This time of year is perfect for showing teachers a little extra love. They, selflessly and gracefully, take care of our most precious little humans. Here are some great gift ideas I know the teachers in your life would love!
A Handwritten Card or Drawing
In my fifteen years of teaching, getting a nice note, card, or email from a parent filled with appreciation has always been among my most treasured gifts. Knowing a family is grateful for the extra effort I put in or describing a fun project or experience their child had in my class meant everything. Truly. You may be surprised (or not), but teachers don’t always hear positive praise. Now that I am a parent of school-aged children, I use teacher appreciation as a great excuse to email all my kids’ teachers and just let them know that I support them, back them up, and am beyond grateful for all that they do.
In addition, having your children draw a picture or write a nice note of gratitude to their teachers will brighten any teacher’s week. There isn’t much more magical than a kid drawing. Those are so special.
Fun Pens
At Lansing Mom we always recommend our tried and true favorites, while these are some of our favorite items in our home, this post does contain some Amazon affiliate links! Hoppy Shopping Mamas!
Teachers do a lot of assessing, progress monitoring, and give lots of feedback to their students. They write a lot! Having a great set of pens (especially ones with fun colors) brings joy into some of the more mundane parts of teaching. Any teacher will definitely feel appreciated when they can add some new pens to their collection Here are a few favorites I know teachers love:
As a sidebar, I must include the holy grail of pencil sharpeners. If your child’s classroom doesn’t have this yet, it would be the best way to make a teacher feel appreciated! This pencil sharpener can handle the wear and tear that sharpeners go through in a classroom and last for many years!
Gift Cards
During Teacher Appreciation Week, giving a teacher a gift card for a coffee, treat, or to be able to buy whatever they want from Amazon or Target is such a thoughtful gift! Teachers historically spend hundreds of their own dollars on their classroom and students and it feels like a beautiful luxury to be able to spoil themselves. In addition, it is so nice to have money to put towards their classroom from a family.
Unique Supplies For Their Classroom
Think outside the box for this category! Most classrooms have a steady supply of markers, glue, and pencils. Teachers often ask and receive a lot of those types of supplies at the beginning of the year. What are some things you could bring into the classroom that your child’s teacher likely DOESN’T have?
One time of day to think about is recess time. Maybe your child’s classroom would love a new kickball, jump ropes, or chalk. A second idea to consider is independent play. Many teachers have “busy bins,” warm up activities first thing in the morning, or areas where the students can explore if they finish work early. Consider buying a board game, a deck of cards, puzzles, fine motor activities, or a set of blocks or Magna Tiles. Any teacher would love these and put them right to use in their classrooms.
Finally, teachers always love new additions to their art supplies. Think beyond crayons, markers, and colored pencils. Maybe a few watercolor sets would be amazing! Paint sticks are beloved by all the students I’ve ever worked with. Other ideas might include stickers, bright colored or patterned construction paper, pipe cleaners, canvases, paint brushes, colored tissue paper, card stock paper. The possibilities are endless here!
ALL THE BOOKS
One of the things I spent the most money on as a teacher was books for my classroom library. Having access to all kinds of books is such an important piece of every teacher’s classroom. Representation matters. Diverse book choices matter. Books of all kinds and all reading levels matter. Going to a local bookstore with your children and having them pick out a beloved picture book or a favorite chapter book or graphic novel to give to their teacher is such a special gift. Students love books for years and years. Grabbing a great book will certainly help a teacher feel appreciated.
Whatever you decide to do, please make sure to give your child’s teacher some love during Teacher Appreciation Week. Teachers are incredibly important and their hard work and dedication deserve to be noticed and acknowledged! Thank you teachers, for all you do!!
