Remember in elementary school when your mom would take you to Target and get a super big gift for your teacher? Maybe a basket full of their favorite things, nice gift cards or maybe some decor for their classroom? It was a lot easier to get a big gift for one teacher, but in high school, not so much. Now each student has at least 7 teachers and getting each one of them a gift can be too much and too expensive. But showing a teacher you care about them doesn’t take a lot of effort and can be very simple, while staying within a reasonable budget. Here’s the Trojan Top 5 Gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week, which will be held May 4th–8th.
School Supplies
Yes, teachers love school supplies, and yes, teachers need school supplies for their students to use. But, even more importantly, teachers love school supplies for themselves. Post-It notes, colored pens, Flairs, aesthetic highlighters – you know, all the things we love to buy in August, but then forget about within the first two weeks of school? Teachers want these items, and they rarely buy them for themselves. Do you have a teacher who has cups of colored pens on their desk? Grab a pack of Flair pens at Target and attach a cute tag like “Thanks for bringing some color to CGHS” and drop it on their desk next week. Is your math teacher down to just black dry erase markers? Grab a pack of Expos, jot a short thank you on a Post-It note and slap it on their desk. For less than $5, you’ve given your teacher a gift that they’ll use and appreciate.
Favorite Treat
Have you ever walked into your first period class and noticed that your teacher always has the same grande iced coffee from Starbucks? Or maybe you always see that one teacher eating a bag of Doritos or snacking on some chocolate during class. Lucky for us, there are grocery stores on every street corner. Stop by Target or Kroger and pick up a sweet treat or salty snack for a teacher. Write a short note on the packaging and hand it to them before class. Not only have you only spent $3 on a gift, you’ve shown a teacher that you care and pay attention. Another thought is picking up one of your teachers a coffee during your Friday morning Seven Brew run. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to ask a teacher (or the teacher in the classroom next door) what their go-to order is. It also doesn’t cost a lot to pick up that extra drink for them. It’s something you know they’ll enjoy and appreciate.
Flowers
Let’s face it– teachers are not going to put up that apple shaped sign that says “Number One Teacher.” It is very likely that they have received the same sign ten or more times over the course of their career. It’s time to move on to something more practical, visually appealing, and thoughtful. Picking up a bouquet of flowers at Kroger doesn’t cost more than $15. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or extravagant. It’s also something that looks presentable for a classroom or a home. Flowers could also be in pots like ones that sit outside of Home Depot or Menards in the spring. Surely you have a teacher who has a garden that they like to tend to in the summer. Getting them a set of annual flowers doesn’t cost more than $12 and it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Now you’ve saved both you and your teacher an embarrassing gift exchange of yet another coffee mug that they will donate within the next week.
Handwritten Note
It may seem cheesy, but a handwritten note is always a good gift idea. Plus, it doesn’t have to be given during Teacher Appreciation week and costs nothing. And there’s no need to make it super pretty or buy a $6 card that they won’t keep. Just grab a piece of paper, maybe fold it into a card shape, and thank your teacher for all their hard work over the years. Because in reality, our teachers deserve some extra appreciation. I guarantee that it will mean more to them than you think.
A Gift from an Amazon Wish List
If you feel so inclined to splurge on the teacher that has made the biggest impact on your high school career, try checking out the Amazon Wish Lists. Maybe you’re really stuck on ideas for a good gift that will mean a lot to a staff member. Do a quick search for your teacher and take a look at what they have in mind for their classroom. Lots of teachers are in desperate need for an update to their class library, or maybe they need something to help brighten up their classroom. Pick an item or two from their list and surprise them with a gift you know they have been wanting. Purchasing a book or a festive poster for their classroom won’t cost much. And if you want to spend more money, think about purchasing multiple items to show your appreciation for teachers this school year. Or, collect donations from your STaR class, and go in together to grab an item from all of you.
