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“What in the hell does my kid’s teacher/s really want for the holidays, and what are they going to politely accept only to dump into the trashcan the second they get home from school or re-gift?” It’s a question that stresses me out every year as a parent. That’s usually when I turn to Amazon and rage-scroll for “teacher gifts,” or Pinterest for ideas that will dub me thee coolest parent that my kid’s teacher gushes about in the break room over my amazingly awesome gift of choice. But the things recommended to me by Amazon are always a huge let-down. So, I decided to ask any teachers who follow me on Instagram to give me their honest, unfiltered answers, and over 40 chimed in with what teachers really want, and what they don’t.
Grab a tissue, because one of their absolute top favorite gifts made me want to ugly cry.
First, let’s cover what teachers said they don’t want so you can knock that shit off of your list ASAP. While every single teacher told me that they are truly appreciative for any gift they receive, there were some running themes for shit they could do without. Number one on their list of”thanks, but no thanks” items is: coffee mugs.
“Dear God NOT another coffee mug!” – imom.iteach.iwine
“I really don’t need yet another coffee mug. I’ve taught for 5 years and have 467 mugs already.” -gotmyteacherfaceon
An exception to this rule, however, seems to be those larger, fancy tumbler-style mugs from Starbucks. The reason teachers don’t want coffee mugs is because they simply get too many of them as gifts throughout the years.
Other things to steer clear of are sweets and baked goods. “We get so much, it probably gets thrown away,especially sweets,” says teacher Kristina Smith.
“I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t need more sugary food.”- literacy_and_lattes
“I know the baked goods one seems weird but if we have weird dietary preferences, then the they’ll likely end up in the trash.” –Anonymous
Also on teachers’ shit list are scented gifts. Unless you are certain of their favorite scents, keep that stank to yourself. Not everyone loves your favorite scent “Romantic Linen Jasmine Lavender Mystical Apple Orchard Stick Your Dick in a Pumpkin Pie,” Linda.Settle down. Teachers are also likely to toss or donate things with cheesy teacher slogans on them, stuffed animals, Pinterest crafts (sorry, Pinterest moms [shit, I’m a Pinterest mom…sort of]) like crayons glued to a card in the shape of a heart or the weird throw-blanket you knitted with your kid’s face on it, bath stuff, plants, and jewelry.
Now that you know what not to gift your kid’s teacher, let’s get to the good stuff. The part of this blog post you’ve been waiting for all along, “Dear God, just tell us already, we’ve read your rambling on like a food blogger for what feels like centuries now. You’re insufferable!” Okay, okay! Jesus.
When asked what teachers really wanted for the holidays,their number one answer was a surprise, although it shouldn’t have been.
Wine
Teachers want wine, y’all! And why wouldn’t they? They’re surrounded by kids all day, and not just any kids – OUR fucking kids.
“Wine. Wine. And more wine.”-Anonymous
“Booze is honestly a top pick for teacher gifts!” -Anonymous
A word of caution, however, many schools don’t allow alcohol on the school premises, so you need to be sneaky, sneaky about it. Like a stealth alcohol gifting ninja in leggings. One teacher said a parent hinted at the welcome contraband in a card so the teacher knew to not take the alcohol out of the gift bag. Now that’s one smart cookie.
Gift Cards
Another workaround for gifting alcohol is to give a gift card to a grocery store, liquor store, or restaurant which was probably tied with wine and booze for number one gifts teachers like to receive. Seriously, according to all the teachers I’ve talked to, you can’t go wrong with a gift card, and their favorites in addition to grocery stores or restaurants were Target, Amazon, Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts(whichever one is more popular in your area), the movie theater, a spa, or even a Visa gift card so they can spend it however they’d like. And don’t feel pressured to put a ton of money on a gift card, teachers will be thrilled if they can use a gift card to just pay for some of their tab. Some teachers also talked about awesome times that classroom parents have all chipped in to purchase things that are a little pricier like a gift card to the spa, funds for a summer vacation, and even season passes to places like the zoo.
“We’re all scraping by so no one should worry about a gift card seeming impersonal – it will be a big help for home or classroom things.”
Anti-germ shit
One thing that showed up in a few of my responses that I wasn’t expecting: hand sanitizer, cough drops, and a good hand soap. Because they’re trapped in a snot-being-wiped-on-everything germy cesspool all day because our kids are freaking disgusting and think everything is a tissue!
Now here’s the part that’s gonna bitch slap you right in the feels. Out of the 40+ teachers polled, most said they like receiving wine or alcohol and gift cards, but there was one gift mentioned above all that wins and melts the hearts of teachers across the board, and that’s handwritten letters from students and their parents. How fucking sweet is that!?
Here’s a master list of all the suggestions teachers gave for what they really want for the holidays, and at the end I’ll include all of the actual responses I received.
- Gift cards to Amazon, Target, Starbucks, grocery stores, gas stations, the liquor store, restaurants, the movie theater, a spa, coffee shops.
- Alcohol or a gift card to a liquor store, grocery store, or restaurant so they can choose their own booze or have a drink.
- Handwritten letters or cards from students and/or their parents.
- Coffee gift cards
- Large traveler tumblers like the fancy shmancy ones from Starbucks
- School supplies they need for the classroom like dry-erase markers and cleaner
- Flair pens
- Hand sanitizer
And don’t forget to get gifts, even small ones, for the other staff members and teachers who help, care for, and take your kids off of your hands EVERY DAY like their music and P.E. teachers, the office staff, Principal, the cafeteria staff, janitor, Librarian, recess supervisors, and last but certainly not least, the bus driver. They all need a little love.
Seriously, teachers, thank you so much for everything that you do, you are valued and appreciated so much than you can ever know, thank you for being a crucial part in our kids’ lives, for helping to form their minds, and for taking them off of my hands for a bit so they can do something besides stare at an iPad [insert embarrassed emoji]. Thank you so much. Below are all the responses I received for this post. Happy Holidays!
“We want COFFEE GIFT CARDS. MAKE IT RAIN all the coffee gift cards.” -cmbatiz13
“What teachers want-gift cards, flair pens or other nice pens, personalized items. I have also had a parent email me one morning asking what I wanted from Chick-Fil-A for lunch and she got it that day. That was awesome. What teachers don’t want are candles or mugs. Also, one year my classroom parents all chipped in and got my family a membership to the zoo!”
“Teachers want wine! And fountain drinks in the middle of the day. And money for the classroom. Lol No coffee mugs. No stuffed animals. I had a mom buy me shots once and I loved it!”
“As a teacher- I love Visa gift cards or Amazon, coffee, a casual dining place like Chipotle. Honestly any gift card is great. Seriously it’s not impersonal, especially if it’s for something you know the teacher will use. Gifts we don’t love… scarfs, bags that say cheesy teacher sayings, mugs that say cheesy teacher sayings, jewelry, baked goods. I know the baked goods one seems weird but if we have weird dietary preferences then the thoughtful baked goods will likely end up in the trash.”
“I’m not teaching right now but when I am the things I like to get for Christmas from students are: handmade cards or things made by your kid (seriously always my favourite)-wine, beer, anything alcohol really (especially if your kid is the reason I drink) -coffee (I mom and I teach I need all the help I can get) beans, ground, piping hot in a cup I love it all!-gift cards for: office supplies stores, Amazon, books, department stores like Walmart or I guess Target is a thing in the US because I spend a lot of my own money in these places to give your kid a better classroom. Winter accessories: mittens, scarves etc because I leave them at school for yard duty and lend them to kids to stay warm and they get lost. Things I don’t want: If I never receive another coffee cup again it will be too soon!
Stuffed animals (I teach children I’m not one myself)”
“Teacher here! One tip- Nothing scented unless you know what the person likes.”
“Dear God NOT another coffee mug! But truly I would enjoy a gift card to a restaurant or Target!” -imom.iteach.iwine
“I don’t want jewelry I feel obligated to wear (Christmas ornament earrings? Ugly bracelet) No Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards -their coffee is too weak for me. What I want is Dark chocolate, a gift card to a local restaurant, and like 100 pre-sharpened pencils with my name on them. A handmade card or just a card saying thanks and Merry Christmas is nice too! I’m an elementary art teacher so gifts are rare but welcome!! Don’t forget everyone that helps students learn! Secretary, special area teachers, librarian, bus driver/crossing guard, RTI Math/reading, speech, custodians, nurse!! There are so many!!! But seriously a card with a Hershey kiss glued to it would make my heart melt and not cost an arm and leg!”
“I’d like Costco sized hand sanitizer bottles and sore throat medicine.”
“My husband is a middle school math teacher (and I’m a former teacher) and we talked about it and came up with some ideas:Amazon gift cards are the best gift cards because most teachers use amazon prime personally (because they’re human) and for school supplies. Starbucks is good but that’s the most common gift (we get so many it takes all year to use them). Most memorable are personal gifts like cards, home made treats or thoughtful gifts (one kid got my husband a book of math puzzles and he loved the thought behind it).” -Leah Schilling
“Ideally we would all love wine! However admin frowns upon that 🤣 so gift cards are always what I love most! One parent wrote in the card “something special at the bottom for after school hours” with a wink face so I knew not to open it in front of the kids. One time a parent gave me a gift card for a massage #bestparentever We do not need any more coffee mugs!”
“Teacher here: I want – my favorite snacks and drinks, gift cards for places I actually go like Target or a local gas station. K-Cups or coffee but I really don’t need yet another coffee mug. I’ve taught for 5 years and have 467 mugs already. I do not need any more Pinterest crafts. Thank you. They are adorable and cute but I’d rather get a nice handwritten letter from a student or parent about why I am appreciated than yet another capital A made out of crayons glued to a canvas. The absolute BEST gifts are the ones I know students were a part of choosing because they KNOW me and they are excited that they KNOW I’ll like what they picked.” -gotmyteacherfaceon
“What Teachers Don’t Want for Christmas, candles ( we might or might not like the scent), food of any kind ( we get so much, probably gets thrown away, especially sweets) mugs ( I love them, but I’ve only been teaching for 5 years and I have to get rid of them every year) What my school does that EVERYONE loves, money. They collect money from all the classes and then give it to the teachers on Christmas. You can always use money around the holidays especially if you are a teacher.” – Kristina Smith
“If you don’t know them well, gift cards to generic stores like Amazon. If you do, think about spa, restaurants, themed gift baskets, etc. Most established teachers do not want mugs, chocolate/candy, etc. some newer ones might. Teachers deserve all the good goodies!! It’s also always okay to ask teachers to fill out a get to know you page (look online/Pinterest for teacher interest survey). We have one our home and school club/PTA gives to teachers each year.” -merryteacher
“As a junior high teacher, I like practical gifts the best- whiteboard markers in pretty colors, whiteboard cleaner, gift cards to target or amazon. I have to buy everything in my classroom (and by the middle of the year, things are starting to get low) so it’s nice to have some help with that! As for what I don’t want…. candy, food, lotions and other scented bath stuff. I appreciate the gesture but I don’t need more sugary food and, even if I like the scent, I don’t want shower stuff from a student. That’s weird.” – literacy_and_lattes
“@teachermisery has some interesting posts on this – I’ve gotten rando weird shit in my 12 yrs of teaching but this is some info for you. ***You can’t give alcohol on campus, they could lose their job. *** So any type of gift card or sweet note about how much the teacher has helped your kid is appreciated. We get more complaints than anything nice.”
“️As a teacher our top gifts are 1. Target gift cards2. Starbucks gift cards3. Nail salon mani/pedi gift cards.”
“I teach 4th in Ontario and I honestly prefer that my students don’t get me gifts at all for Christmas. It can be quite overwhelming because we end up with so many gifts and sometimes (depending on what it is) we don’t know what to do with them! With that being said, I know that parents like to give gifts. The best ones that I have received have been things that are useful in the classroom! Books, craft supplies, activities for indoor recess, organizational baskets, gift cards for teacher supply stores, etc.”
“What elementary teachers want: restaurant or fast food gift cards, (any amount is fine, I don’t want the entire meal paid for, I’ll just be happy with a free drink); anti-bacterial hand soap or moisturizing hand soap cuz we’re tired of catching colds; moisturizing hand lotion, cuz my skin cracks from washing them so many damn times a day. What we don’t want: strong scented lotions (stick with tea tree oil or lavender, more natural scents); no more damn plants, I always kill mine!”
“I’m a HS teacher, and we rarely get anything. Last year I got a jar of homemade applesauce from a student, so there’s that. BUT, I’d love a Target/Amazon/BevMo/Total Wine/Starbucks/pedi gift card. I honestly feel like I’ll get the cries when people send a note that’s positive. That alone really makes a world of difference.”
“As a teacher I did not like getting gifts like crayons put together to make my name, cookies, or half-eaten chocolates. I liked gift cards and nice candles, cute jewelry and actual gifts you would give a friend. I know homemade cookies are all some people can afford but if we have a choice of cookies or $5 at Starbucks?…”
“Wine! Gift card to a grocery store! Gift card for a mani! I’ve gotten all of these. The gift cards were for like $10 a piece.”
“Booze is honestly a top pick for teacher gifts! Other good (cheaper/safer) options are: flair pens, coffee and coffee accessories (like a thermos), gift cards, and chocolate.”
️”A sweet card is the best part of the present for many teachers though. Just reminding them that they’re appreciated and doing a good job means so much.”
“Wine. Wine. And more wine. Period.”
“Starbucks gift cards all the way!!! And I love their travel mugs too!”
“Money, gift cards, and something good she can re-gift to her aunt Margaret, bc teachers don’t make nearly enough money!”
“All gifts are kind but teachers definitely don’t need sweets or sugar. School is full of that stuff leading up to the holidays as it is. Wine is totally nice. Gift cards are awesome. The kind note that thanks you for your work – either from parents or students – is the best part of any gift. And we’re all scraping by so no one should worry about a gift card seeming impersonal – it will be a big help for home or classroom things & again, a thoughtful note is something I’ll keep, legit, forever in my desk drawer so I can look at it when I have a tough day. Also no hokey teacher crap like mugs with slogans. But … tea and coffee is also really nice.”
“I’m on year 3 of teaching but I’ve been a mom of 5 and have given countless gifts to teachers! I’m practical and give gift cards to real places like Target and Starbucks. I want the same from students.”
“Target gift card!”
“I’m sure you’ve already gotten this answer 1000x but every teacher I know -myself included – will always be super excited about gift cards to Amazon and Target. Oh and wine…or tequila!”
“Gift cards”
“As a Middle School teacher I’m going to go with a gift card to an establishment that sells alcohol”
“🥃🥂 One of my favorite gifts. A card that was digitally made (I’m a graphic design and math teacher) homemade cookies, and a gift card to the alcohol superstore in our city.”
“Teachers pay teachers gift cards. Awesome things on there that match up with our curriculum like multiplying decimals bingo. Target gift cards, flair pens, card stock colored paper, Starbucks, memberships to websites like mystery science, flocabulary, etc (those get expensive and we pay for it on our own)”
“I’m sure you’ve heard this about 1,000 times already, but you can’t go wrong with wine and/or a Target gift card”
“Pre-K teacher here. I love Target gift cards. I can use them to get my own children gifts.”
“A really cute travel coffee mug🤷🏽♀️ or printer ink!”
“Teacher here: we want a handwritten thank you note, telling us that you appreciate all of our hard work. A gift card would be the icing on the cake too.”
“GIFT CARDS. Target, Starbucks, grocery stores, Amazon, Visa. Anything consumable is also great, specifically chocolate and alcohol. I do not want anything to sit around, I don’t need any more Christmas ornaments, please do not give me another fucking mug unless it’s full of wine.”
“I am a teacher and I love to get Amazon or Target gift cards. Thank you!”
“Kindergarten Teacher here: A note is always the sweetest! And honestly Sbux is the best!!!! We need so much caffeine to do our job!”
“Gift cards!!!!!! Restaurants especially good for date nights with my husband…. favorite shopping places/Target/Amazon- I personally like ones to places I love bc I never really spend anything on myself…. usually would buy for my family or classroom.”
“Starbucks and wine!!!”
“Teacher/Mom here… the best Xmas gifts are gift cards for coffee/booze/bookstores/restaurants/staples. (We all know teachers spend their hard earned money on books for their classrooms and school supplies, so those gift cards will be LOVED!)”
“We do not need more coffee mugs, trinkets, “teacher” ornaments, candles, or bath and body works crap. I appreciate all the love sent with every gift, but I have enough of that stuff. For my kids’ teachers, I always get liquor store gift cards (if they drink, which, let’s be honest, I don’t know how some people don’t?) or restaurant gift cards.” -winebooksandweekends
“I’ve been a teacher for 12 years now. We love gift cards! Target, Starbucks, nail salons, etc. There’s also a website called teacherspayteachers.com that MANY teachers buy resources from. Electronic gift cards are available for that website too. Most teachers also like edible treats. I do not love apple crap- stereotypical teacher/apple randomness like ornaments or paperweights. Regardless of what the gift is though, your child’s teacher will be very thankful because we are very often forgotten.
Teacher gifts: gift cards for local shops, coffee shops, spa! Gifts I’m not fond of: homemade hot glue art, glass blocks made into art…(you get the trend here 🤭)
