Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

This might be a bit odd for a homeschool blogger to write about, but if you have kids in extracurricular activities, your student has other teachers besides you. Some you might not have even thought about. With a few exceptions, the end of the academic year is when I start thinking of teacher appreciation gift ideas. In this post, I share some ideas for making that other teacher in your student’s life feel extra special.

Why Teacher Appreciation Gifts are Treasured

If you’re reading this, you’re most likely a homeschool mother. So you already know that teaching is draining. It takes so much out of you. Teaching takes so much preparation, both physically and mentally, that nobody ever sees. It’s such a difficult job to “clock out” from. And usually, the only thing keeping you going is how much you care about your student(s). After all, it’s certainly not about the pay cheque. If there even is one.

As a former classroom teacher and professional tutor, I’ve gotten many teacher appreciation gifts over the years. They have included everything from a custom hoodie with my French Club students’ names on the back to a bottle of wine from the parents of a private tutoring client. From heart-felt notes scribbled on the back page of a final exam to hand-drawn posters. I can honestly say that the thought behind a teacher appreciation gift, if not the gift itself, is always treasured. Especially since such gifts are never expected. Having someone, whether it’s the student himself or his parent, acknowledge your effort means so much. Even something as simple as saying “thank you”.

Whom to Remember for Teacher Appreciation

Obviously, everyone’s activities will be different. But if you’re wondering who would appreciate a thank you gift, here are some people for homeschoolers to consider….

• Music Teachers
• Private Tutors
• Dance Instructors
• Sports Coaches
• Sunday School Teachers
• Club Leaders (AWANA, co-op, etc)
• Boss / Mentor at a Volunteer Job or Internship

When to Give Teacher Appreciation Gifts

In the United States, as the academic year winds down at the end of May, this is a great time to start thinking about teacher appreciation gifts. However, if the relationship with the teacher, coach or mentor doesn’t follow the academic calendar, don’t forget those people! Here are some times to consider giving teacher appreciation gifts:

• End-of-Year Recitals (eg, music and dance instructors, etc)
• End of an Experience (eg, volunteering, internship, etc)
• Christmas (for those year-round things like Sunday school or martial arts)

Are Gifts from the Parent or the Student?

The short answer is, it depends. It depends on your child’s age, your relationship with the teacher, etc. If your student is old enough to write the words “thank you” or just sign his name, then a teacher appreciation card should probably be a joint effort.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Gift-giving will always be personally and culturally subjective. It is also heavily dependent upon the relationship between the teacher and student or student’s parent(s). But I have never felt comfortable receiving large or expensive gifts from students or their parents. There’s a blurry line where a teacher appreciation gift can go too far and it can just make the teacher feel awkward and inadvertently insulted (or bribed).

Here are some simple, inexpensive ideas for teacher appreciation gifts:

• Hand-Written Thank You Note – Don’t underestimate this classic. Especially from a young child for whom writing is still quite a laborious task.
• Something your teacher uses in class but obviously buys herself (consumables like stickers, post-it notes, fun pens, etc)
• Something specific you know your teacher enjoys (Starbucks coffee, a potted plant, book on a favourite topic, etc)
• Baked Goods (like cookies or brownies – IF you know the teacher well enough)
• Chocolates – QUALITY over quantity
• Flowers
• Something Handmade (eg., bookmark made with pressed flowers, handmade photo frame (popsicle sticks?) of student and teacher)
• Photo (framed or not) of Teacher and Student (if your student is moving on or reached some sort of milestone with the teacher’s help)

Teacher Appreciation Gifts to Avoid

• Coffee Mugs / Teacups
• Anything Overly Expensive or Elaborate
• Generic Gift Cards
• Food / Drinks (if you don’t know anything about their preferences and/or allergies)

At the end of the day, a teacher appreciation gift should be simple and just needs to communicate: “Hey, I see the effort you put into teaching my child. It’s making a difference. Thank you.”

What did I forget? Do you have a go-to gift to express teacher appreciation that is always a hit? What’s the best teacher appreciation note or gift you have received? Do you still have it?

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