With spring comes the countdown until summer. It’s crazy to think we’re already rounding out another school year! Spring also means the celebration of teachers with Teacher Appreciation Week. For the year 2023, Teacher Appreciation Week will be May 8th to the 12th. Our elementary school PTA has a theme set for each day of the week to help us come up with creative ways to share our appreciation.
I have been putting together teacher gifts for back to school, holidays, Teacher Appreciation Week, and end of school since before the kids entered elementary school. Here you can find my Teacher Appreciation Week post from last year! This means that I have come up with quite a few ideas along the way. I’m sharing with you in preparation for the upcoming celebration!
handwritten notes/pictures
I know what you’re thinking – don’t they get enough notes and pictures everyday. Though I’m certain our little ones shower their teachers with drawings and notes all day – make it a point to let them know how important this one is. Help them sound/write out how they feel about their teacher. Use craft supplies to create a keepsake drawing, painting, project, etc.
With mostly materials we had at home, we made a flower bouquet for Lily’s teacher. The wooden flowers and leaves were a Dollar Tree find, paint from our stash, shredded paper, and a $5 flower pot from Walmart. She was able to paint them how she wanted and put them together as a faux bouquet.
healthy/sweet treats
Depending on the teacher, you can send in their favorite treats. For some this could be sweet or salty snacks and for others it could be a go-to drink mix or gift card to a coffee shop. Our PTA asks the teachers to fill out a spreadsheet with their favorite things. If your school doesn’t provide this, you can always print one out (like this one from Occasions by Shakira) and send it in.
We used the list of favorites to provide our teachers with a basket of their preferred goodies. This included cookies, candy, a reusable cup, and a Starbucks gift card. For the special teachers (physical education, art, music, library, etc.) I picked up bundtlets from Nothing Bundt Cakes.
gently used/new books
The PTA has a fun idea of having each student bring in a gently used (easy to part with) book from their home library to gift the classroom. I usually pick up a new book to have the students sign and send it to be placed in the classroom library too. Some great books for this are Our Class is a Family, Dear Teacher, and a Letter from your Teacher on the First Day of School.
We have gifted all of the books that I previously mentioned over the years. There are always new ones coming out, but these are tried and true. If you’re able to, having the students sign it is super special. If not, you can always sign it from the classroom. Wrap it I some pretty ribbon with a special tag and you’re done! It is both thoughtful and useful.
classroom/school supplies
There is no amount of classroom and/or school supplies that will ever be sufficient. Students will run through everything that they have quicker than you realize. Our teachers have always kept us in the loop when they’re running low of things, need a few additions, want to give something new a try, etc. I also tend to gift more teacher related things like notepads, pens, permanent markers, and such to the teachers throughout the year.
I always use a reusable container instead of a gift bag/box for something like this. This allows for the container to be reused later, whether at home or in the classroom. The wicker basket was HomeGoods find, but the other two wire containers were both a Target Dollar Spot pick up. I then fill them with a variety of pens, markers, highlighters, notepads/post-its, stickers, push pins, paperclips, white out, and so much more. Add a pennant flag, personalized tag, ribbon, or however you’d like to jazz it up.
gift cards
Giving someone a gift card is literally ALWAYS a win. They can then do with it whatever they decide. Often times you’re giving them the ability to buy what they need, pick up something they want, take their family out to dinner, or treat themselves to something delicious. However often times giving a gift card can feel bland and lack personality. That is why I don’t gift just a gift card. I give them life.
With a flower pot, flowers (fresh or faux), and some filler.. you can place a gift card onto a plant stake and create a cute way to gift the card. For Christmas I created a gift card tree with a small faux tree from the Target Dollar Spot, festive clothes pins, and a few inexpensive ornaments. You could use the same concept to create a gift card bouquet (think gift cards on skewers, with shredded paper, wrapped in kraft paper like a bouquet) or maybe a smaller gift card tree placed into a coffee mug. The possibilities are endless.
misc. options
There are a few gifting ideas I have used but that don’t fit into the categories above. Depending on the interests and seasons that you’re gifting – you can always make it a more personalized gift. Obviously we’re talking about Teacher Appreciation Week which is nestled into the spring, but isn’t summer just around the corner? Consider a basket of summer essentials. Does your teacher love the pamper herself? Create a spa day in a jar with all of the necessary items for self care.
We all know that the ’20-21 school year as a doozy. With the word ‘essential’ being tossed around so much it become a primary word in our vocabulary here. I decided that this puzzle piece cutting board with a clever pun was a perfect gift. Whether the teachers decide to use them or just display them, it was something special and meaningful from us. The following year we celebrated all that the warm weather brings and put together a summer essential bag. This includes a cooler bag, handheld fan, wet/dry bag, beach cup holders, towel clips, and ton more goodies. All things that I’m certain they used throughout the summer.
I’d love to be see how you shower your teachers with appreciation next month. Be sure to tag me if you use any of the fun ideas above!
