Yes, of course the best gifts for teachers are the ones that come from the heart – the carefully-penciled poems, the hand-crafted teacher paraphernalia, the not-quite-edible brownies. Yes, we as teachers love those kinds of gifts, (not that we're eating the brownies, what with the prevalence and availability of chocolate-flavored laxatives these days.) But we do appreciate the thought!
If craftiness isn't your thing, and you're fresh out of ideas for poetry, then consider one of these gifts for teachers when you head out into the cold for some holiday shopping. Trust me, your teacher will love it!
1. Starbucks Gift Card
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We teachers like our hot beverages, especially when we're staring at a pack of students at 7:25 in the morning. Coffee is definitely the gift that gives back. We can't teach if we're still asleep.
2. Movie Tickets
Getty Images | Dimitri Vervitsiotis
Teachers like a good movie as much as the rest of the world, and often, when they're spending their cash on things like supplies for the students and the latest class to maintain their teaching certificate, things like movie tickets can go by the wayside. So give them a night out with a friend/spouse with a couple movie tickets.
3. A Donation
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One of the best gifts for teachers comes in a box you don't have to wrap. Find out your teachers' favorite charities, and make a donation in their names. Then, make them a card telling them exactly what you've done and you'll be sure to give them a happy holiday.
4. A Magazine Subscription
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Teachers are readers. They have to be to stay current in their topics. Want to impress your teachers? Ask them for their addresses and sign them up for a magazine in the field they're teaching. They'll thank you for the easy research accessibility.
5. Something Personal
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6. iTunes Gift Card
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When teachers are grading the latest stack of quizzes, we're typically jamming to some Rolling Stones on the old iPod. One of the gifts for teachers that can go a long way toward making the season bright is an iTunes gift card. Music is proven to make teachers happy, and you definitely want your teachers happy when they're grading your quizzes, right? Right.
7. Pilot Dr. Grip Gel Pen
PilotPen.us
8. A Christmas Ornament
Getty Images | Ian McKinnell
Sure, not every teacher has a Christmas tree, but for those who do, a Christmas ornament is a great gift. I've received plenty over the years, and it's fun to take a moment to go back through the memories of the kids who gave them to me as I'm setting up my Christmas tree each season. Brings a little tear to my eye. Bonus? Christmas ornaments are inexpensive, which is perfect if you're gifting more than one or two teachers.
9. Altoids
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Teachers talk all day long. What does that mean? By 6th period, we're dying for an Altoid, and our students are wishing we had one, too. Hook up your teachers with that little box of mints, and don't be sad if they're mildly offended. We'll mostly be grateful. Nothing disappears faster from a teacher's stash of goodies than the Altoids, and you'll benefit yourself, too. Halitosis during Shakespeare? Not pretty.
10. A Memory Book
Getty Images | Paul Burns
If you really want to knock the socks right off your teacher, get your whole class involved. Have everyone in class send you a photo, and make a memory book on Kodak.com or Snapfish.com or another memory-book site. Nothing will express your gratitude for his or her hard work more than the memory of your bright and shining faces.
