As the school year comes to an end, it is customary for students and parents to offer a gift of appreciation to teachers who have helped them throughout the year. Although, one should never feel obligated to give a teacher gift, if you were happy with their work, a gift is a nice gesture.

Knick knack and ornamental items with labels professing “Number 1 teacher” and “Best Teacher” are often chosen as teacher gifts particularly by students in earlier grade levels.

These types of gifts are adorable and carry the intended sentiment; however, if you consider the number of students a teacher will have throughout their career, you may appreciate how many similar items a good teacher is likely to receive and opt for a more practical gift.

When choosing a gift for teachers, consider their interests and preferences and choose something that they would find useful. Some ideas include:

• A gift card for a coffee shop or book store
• A nice flowering plant for the garden (unscented incase of allergies)
• A gift certificate for a restaurant
• A gift certificate for a manicure or pedicure

For a particularly helpful teacher who had a positive influence on many students in the class, you may want to organize a gift collection and offer a single large gift from the group rather than each family giving their own small item.