A little bit goes a long way in showing appreciation to your teacher! These free teacher appreciation gifts are great ideas to show you value everything your child’s teacher does for them.
Thank You Note
This week is all about appreciation, so why not send a note to your child’s teacher about why you truly appreciate all they do? You don’t have to write a novel (coming from an English Teacher), but a few words of positivity can brighten their day!
Praise
Teachers are constantly doing things that go unnoticed: letting that late homework assignment slide, staying after school to help your kid write an essay, and providing that lifeline for your student for 8+ hours a day. When you notice this, send a quick email letting them know you care. Bonus points: copy the principal on the email!
Food
Conference nights can be long and daunting! Put together a meal train or organize a potluck to have easy (non-messy) foods available for teachers! Favorite teacher foods: Diet Coke, coffee pods, granola bars for a quick protein pick me up, and healthy, handheld fruits like bananas and apples (I guess the stereotype is true!).
Offer Your Time
This is especially helpful in the lower grades, but high school teachers would love this too. Putting up bulletin boards, making copies, and cutting up task cards are all small tasks that add up. Help the teacher by volunteering your time so they can focus on the most important task: teaching!
Positive Mindset
I will never forget the first time a student walked out of my classroom and said, “Thank you for class today!” Behind every respectful student, a parent is behind them, teaching them a positive mindset. Teach your child small gestures of gratitude that can mean the world to those they encounter!
Of course, if you would like to give actual teacher appreciation gifts, those are always welcome too. Here is our list of ideas: Teacher Appreciation Week :: 25 Gift Ideas.
Teacher Appreciation Gifts Ideas from Ana, a PTA Parent
With years of experience in PTA, I am always actively looking for ways to spoil our teachers. For example, we have established a theme for the week in which we do a small appreciation gift that the kids can take to their teacher every day. In addition to that, we always try to give them a luncheon, a small gift, or even a special treat such as a massage or personalized gift. These are some of the cute ideas that we have used during Teacher Appreciation Week as a PTA member and parent:
Gift Cards
One of the most welcomed teacher appreciation gifts are gift cards! Teachers always enjoy them but may be too shy to ask for them. Whether it be their favorite restaurant, Target, or Amazon, our teachers love them as they can spend them as they wish and whenever they like.
Flowers
A good traditional flower bouquet or a small plant makes a nice gift. These are cute details that can be a sweet touch for our teachers. Succulents are trending, and orchids are always gorgeous.
Basket
Go to the farmers’ market or even Target and grab a basket with some essential items you think the teacher would appreciate. You can create a unique basket with a theme (school supplies, beauty supplies, cooking items, snacks, etc.). My favorite was making one with a ream of paper, highlighters, Tylenol, Diet Cokes, a Starbucks gift card, and chocolate–just a simple mix that can fit any the teacher’s needs for a bit.
Volunteer
As mentioned above, offering time is huge. Many of our teachers already have such tight schedules and are always on the go. Having some help from time to time can make a huge difference. So make sure to check in with the teacher. Volunteer to make copies for them or cut and paste activities. Or even help organize the classroom–that will save their sanity for the day.
Let’s make sure we thank our wonderful teachers this year!
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