Teacher appreciation week usually lands on the first week in May. In 2024, that means it is May 6th-10th. You should be getting this before then…so that means you’ll have time to put together one of the gifts.

BUT – just in case you’re more of a last minute Lisa (sorry Lisa), all of these ideas can be completed pretty quickly and easily.

The main focus of this list is to provide ideas that teachers will ACTUALLY love…not just fake a smile at. Now, I am a middle school teacher, so by the time kids get to me we don’t get much. I’ll take ANY gift ;).

Before starting into the list, I want to suggest one thing: ASK THEM! Ask the teachers what they would like. If you don’t want to put them on the spot, give them a list and have them pick from the list. Things don’t have to be all mysterious. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather KNOW I’m getting something I want/need versus be surprised by something I don’t want/need.

Let’s jump into the list!

1 – Notes

NOTHING. I mean nothing I have ever received has pulled at my heartstrings more than a handwritten note. I have a collection of every single note a student has ever given me (which again, as a middle school teacher is huge). For most teachers, STUDENTS are the REASON they do what they do. Hearing directly from them, with their own words, takes the cake!

These notes also serve as a lifeline and motivator when the job gets tough. I’m not joking or exaggerating here. We all experience challenges and doubts, and being able to remind ourselves WHY we do what we do is TRULY A GIFT.

These do NOT have to be anything fancy either. I have notes on post-its, ripped out sheets of notebook paper, and literal scraps of colored paper that were left behind. I don’t care what the note comes on…it is the CONTENTS and MESSAGE of the note that matters!

Let your kiddos run with it! Have them steer the ship and choose what the note will look like. They’ll surprise you with their creativity and authenticity.

If that note doesn’t feel like its enough, combine it with the next item on the list!

2 – Gift Cards

I think gift cards gets a bad rap. Often they’re referred to as a “lazy” gift or something that’s not as thoughtful, but in my opinion a gift card is AWESOME! Plus, as a teacher myself who is friends with a lot of other teachers, I can tell you that a gift card is an EASY WIN!

The beautiful thing about a gift card is that you have SO MANY OPTIONS! Again, this is where reaching out the teacher you’re gifting can narrow your search. Just say, “Hey, I’d like to get you a gift card for Teacher Appreciation Week. Do you have a preference or location you’d like it for?” Or use the page I linked above and they can write it down for you!

If you’re not real keen on asking and you want to keep some mystery alive, Amazon and Visa gift cards are always a good fit. They provide so much flexibility that teachers will have NO PROBLEM finding ways to use them!

3 – Classroom Supplies

While item #2 was more what teachers might WANT, item #3 is what teachers NEED. Let’s be real here, teacher’s often end up paying out of THEIR OWN POCKETS for what the classroom needs because of how UNDERFUNDED our education system is.

So, again, ASK THEM. Ask the teacher what supplies or resources their classroom needs. Some suggestions that are ALWAYS NEEDED are kleenexes and pencils. I tell you what, there are some kiddos who NEVER have pencils…I swear the disappear into thin air. Every year I taught I was CONSTANTLY supplying pencils…and kleenexes pretty much have the same story. Pencils are necessary for learning, and kleenexes are necessary for living 🙂

Another idea for the classroom would be sharpies: all sorts of colors and sizes – especially the large ones for anchor charts. Books are another classroom supply that teachers are usually happy to receive too. I would either ask the teacher if there are specific books they’re looking for OR you can give them money to use at the Book Fair for their classroom. You could also provide them with a gift card to Barnes N Noble or Amazon to purchase books too!

4 – School Swag

Teachers can ALWAYS benefit from some school swag! I’m not sure how all districts run it, but often the school sends out links to purchase school swag. If you don’t have any of this information, reach out to the administration team for you school. All of that information should be only a simple google search away.

Normally schools have days where teachers can wear school gear (sometimes weekly and other times for school pride or homecoming). If you want to purchase clothing, just make sure to get size information first. Again, if you think the teacher would be uncomfortable talking about it, you can shoot them an email, leave them a note, or ask an administrator to help you get the information.

I would’ve LOVED this gift. Its practical but feels special at the same time. In my opinion, those are the best types of gifts!

5 – Personalized Gift

Give teachers a gift that has their name on it. I would like to suggest to REFRAIN FROM BUYING A MUG. Now, I personally LOVE a mug…but as a middle school teacher I don’t get that many gifts anyway. I hear from elementary teachers that this seems to be everyone’s go-to gift. Which just results in have an overflow of coffee cups everywhere. If you’re not sure, you can always ask.

Instead, you could buy a decoration for on their desk, outside their room, or to post on a bulletin board or wall. Totes or bags are a GREAT option too. Teachers are always hauling things places and having another bag around is NEVER a bad idea! Plus, if it has their name on it and they leave it in the teacher’s lounge or by the mail room (this happens more often than you think), everyone will know exactly who it belongs to!

Etsy and amazon are great places if you’re looking to buy something personalized…but if you’re crafty, this gift would be EASY for you!

6 – Plants

This one is last because I think its a 50/50 option because I think people are either plant people or their “can’t keep a plant alive to save my own life” people. This will not come as a shock by now, but you can always ASK the teacher. If you want to keep it a surprise and you’re not sure if they’re plant people, there are a couple of plants that are great “starter” plants.

Snake plants and pothos are super easy to take care of and VERY LOW MAINTENANCE. They don’t need a ton of light and they’re not sensitive to inconsistent watering. Another idea if you’re not sure would be to provide CARE INSTRUCTIONS for whatever plant it is that you’re gifting them.

I started adding plants to my room about five years ago and students LOVED it. They like keeping an eye on the plants and helping to take care of them too. Once I started adding plants to my room, students started gifting me plants on occasion as well. Talk about another gift that holds the power of memories! I still know exactly which student (or staff member) gifted me each plant.

That’s all she wrote folks!

If you gained only ONE thing from this post, I hope it was DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK TEACHERS WHAT THEY WOULD APPRECIATE. Not only does this ensure that the gift you give will be appreciated, but this shows teachers that THEIR VOICE MATTERS. You might be surprised how hard this is to remember as a teacher. Also, adding a handwritten note to whatever gift you give would be AMAZING.

Teachers need reminders that their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed and Teacher Appreciation Week is the perfect time to do it! If you want a print out of the little questionnaire from the top of the page, just click the button below!

Teacher friends – I’d love to hear about your favorite gifts! Send me an email or tag me on social.

Talk soon!