The end of the school year is fast upon us and many parents are already looking for gifts for teachers in order to express their appreciation of their care and patience throughout the year. Before you continue reading, it might be good to consider if your child’s teacher deserves a gift at all. For example, as many of the Dubai’s educators often do not take their jobs seriously enough and disappoint parents. Despite of any hesitations you may have, gifts for teachers don’t need to be expensive or one-of-a-kind. Giving something little, but meaningful won’t look cheap and ungrateful. It might be even a smarter way to express your gratitude.
Forget about personalized gifts, such as mugs, and scented candles and soaps. You probably don’t know your kid’s teachers so well to buy them perfumes and personal care products. And scented soaps and candles, as well as coffee mugs and glasses are the most common presents for this occasion, so your children’s teacher has probably thousands of them. Another item you should avoid – baked goods. Home-made cakes and pies are really great, but after all, we are all trying to get rid of a few pounds and get ready for the summer beach holiday. So instead, be smarter and think what the teacher would really love to receive. Here are some ideas for smart end-of-the-year gifts for teachers.
School supplies
Surprisingly, teachers always hope to find trivial school-related items in the gift box. Why? It’s simple – usually they have to pay for all kinds of supplies throughout the academic year. Small items such as pens, makers, tape, glue sticks, sharpened pencils, etc., may be cheap, but just imagine the teacher’s endless trips to the store. A smart and long-lasting gift is a stylish personal agenda organizer.
Gift cards
This is probably the ultimate end-of-the-year gift. Gift cards from school supply stores, big chains and supermarkets will be much appreciated. But an Amazon gift card for classroom books for example will really make a difference. In fact, the teacher can choose from millions of items from Amazon, so this will be a killer gift. Gift cards from SpaFinder are also a good option, if you are certain the receiver will actually use them.
Beach accessories or hobby-related items
Summer is all about vacation, so anything for spending great beach time will be perfect – hats, sunglasses, beach towels, bags, sunscreen, and so on. However, some people simply don’t like sunbathing, so beach accessories won’t work for them. Look at their hobbies – camping, fishing, tango dancing or something as simple as listening to music, and choose a suitable present. For example, buy a vinyl record of their favourite music album, a fishing accessories set, or a BBQ cook book.
Hand-made items
Teachers love everything hand-made by their students, no matter what it is or does it look nice or not so much. Paintings, school projects, and any kind of artwork will remind them of a particular child and particular time.
Thank-you notes and letters
A well-written thank-you note will touch everyone’s heart, so it’s important to choose the right words. Make it personal, say how this person has helped your child, and express your gratitude. It doesn’t have to be formal – usually teachers keep these notes and cards to cheer themselves up, to remember, and sometimes just to show off. It’s always nice to know that your work and everyday efforts are appreciated.
When choosing the gift for your child’s school teacher, don’t just buy some nice-looking item. Those often turn into space wasters, so getting something practical will be the smarter choice. And of course, if you don’t think the teacher actually deserves an appreciation gift, don’t buy one!
