Tomorrow, May 8th is Teacher Appreciation Day! And let me tell you, this day is one more people should pay attention to. Being a teacher is hard. Like, really hard. Unless you are a teacher or work closely with one, I don’t think you even understand what it means to be a teacher. I used to think my teacher friends had the sweetest deal - summers off, holidays off, a work day that ends before the 5pm corporate positions. HA! Was I wrong.
After the first month of teacher, four years ago, I had a whole new appreciation for every teacher I ever had. They are seriously amazing human beings. After three years, of teaching full time I knew I was NOT cut out to be a full-time teacher and those that are are really impressive. Now, as a part-time teacher, part-time marketer, I’m constantly wearing both the teaching hat and the community outreach hat. That shifting role, has me uniquely positioned this year to offer some suggestions on what to really get for that teacher in your life.
6 Teacher Appreciation Gifts Teachers Actually Want:
Gift card to Target. Let’s be honest, everyone loves Target. Everyone can find something they want/need to purchase when walking the aisles. And teachers are often spending their own hard earned income to purchase classroom supplies.
Coffee. Whether you give them a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts gift card, or a huge box of K-cups and a large coffee mug, almost every teacher I know would swoon at such a gift. And this time of the year, as the year is winding down, coffee consumption rises dramatically. And skip the coffee mug that has some cheesy teacher saying or classroom slogan, although if it is puny that works. My favorite coffee mug I’ve been gifted is a large white mug with a gold handle and an image of a crown hovering over a bee - Queen Bee, is right!
A pack of fancy pens. I’m not talking the classic BIC pens. Opt instead for a colorful pack of Stabilos or Sharpies. I don’t know a single teacher who doesn’t love pricey, pretty marking pens. And since there are exams to grade and final papers to edit, this is a time of the year in which teachers are going through pens quickly.
Alcohol. Okay, maybe that is a little awkward to send your kid to school with a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer, but it is a gift that is not often given and certainly appreciated. Know your school before doing this or hand it off to the teacher yourself. Personally, I’d take the 6-pack.
Breakfast. Send breakfast in for the teachers to enjoy this week. You’d be surprised at how a collection of bagels, cream cheese and some Joe in a box can bring a day-long smile to a teacher’s face. Lunch is also a great option, if that’s more your speed. Chiptole catering is a favorite among the teachers I work with. (hint hint)
A hand-written note. To be honest, teaching is often a really thankless job. You work hard, you care a lot for the students, but often you hear more complaints and concerns than words of affirmation and thanks. A simple hand-written note illustrating one thing you are really thankful for when it comes to that teacher, will be a piece of paper they cherish for years.
