Hello Everyone,
I hope everyone’s school year is starting out great. (Virtually, in-person, hybrid)
I’ve had several messages asking me what is a great gift for a teacher. So, I thought I’d share a few great gifts and a few over gifted items. ** You do NOT have to give teachers gifts. It’s SO appreciated but not a must.**
- Gift Cards
If anything else fails, teachers love gift cards. Not only are they easy to gift, they are practical. I always use coffee gift cards to treat myself or target gift cards to buy myself something nice. Always include a nice note. Those kind words go a LONG way.
2. Anything homemade from your student
In my classroom, I have a bookshelf dedicated to things students have gifted me that they have made. I have a plastic cat made from melted beads that one of my first year babies gave me and a pipe-cleaner bracelet that a student from this year mailed to me. These things mean so much to a teacher because they aren’t something you can buy at a store. Sometimes when things get tough, I just stare at that top shelf and it reminds me of why I keep going.
3. Personalized things
Personalized things are the bees knees (especially for teachers like me who are changing their last name and everything says “Ms. Hilburn” I have received so many personalized items over the years and they have always warmed my heart. A lot of these gifts were from the businesses of the families who gifted them to me. I always shout out those parents to give them more business.
4. FOOD of any kind
I can’t stress this enough, TEACHERS LOVE FOOD. Every time we receive an email about food in the break room, it looks like the entrance to a 1D concert in the early 2010s. I’ve had parents surprise me with donuts for breakfast, snacks, candy and even lunch. Those things go a long way! *Always ensure the teacher does not have food allergies first. My parents know about my recent food allergies but I would always ask!*
Things NOT to gift:
- Mugs. When I tell you I have 50 mugs, I mean it. BUT, I LOOOOOVE mugs. I will accept any mug that is given to me because I love collecting them. But, some of my teacher friends said that if they received another mug their husbands would divorce them. (HA!) It honestly just depends on the teacher. Personalized cups, rae dunn mugs, cat mugs ANY mugs are welcomed in my house.
- Things for us to cook… If only I had time to cook.
NO MATTER what you give a teacher, they will love it. Right now, the best gift you can give is support, kind words and patience. Those things do not cost a dime. I love receiving a random message about my teaching is impacting their student’s life. It really makes a difference!
If you are a teacher and you have some great gift suggestions, comment below!
Xoxo,
Ms. Hilburn
mshilburn 