Teachers, like most people, often have too much clutter. So when considering what teacher gifts to purchase at the end of the year, think toward purchasing something useful, helpful, or geared toward a teacher’s hobbies.

Gift certificates make great teacher gifts. These can be for a local educational supply store, an office supply store, or for companies that offer a number of choices like Amazon.com. Since teachers frequently need to dip into their own pockets to fund supplies for classrooms, such gift certificates are both useful and helpful.

Another type of gift certificate that makes for great teacher gifts is one that will help a teacher pursue his or her hobbies. A teacher who is an avid golfer might like a gift certificate to a local pro-shop. Conversely, one could offer teacher gifts that will promote relaxation like a day spa gift certificate, or gift certificates to the local cinema or a nice restaurant.

Teachers usually also have a class library, and frequently cannot afford to stock that library with the latest books. A set of popular books like the Harry Potter series or the Narnia series may make perfect teacher gifts if they are age appropriate for the classroom.

Some parents like to give gifts to teachers that have a more personal touch. These teacher gifts can still be useful. A well-bound collection of poems written for the teacher by the students can also make for classroom reading and inspiration for future students, as well as providing memories of a particular class.

Gift baskets are welcome teacher gifts. A gift basket could reflect the summer months and be themed. Perhaps a “day at the beach” theme with sunscreen, sunglasses, a sand bucket, and a nicely made beach towel could be used. As well one could include a season pass to national or state parks that could be used year round.

Another type of gift basket that many teachers welcome is the Ice Cream Sundae emergency kit. One puts together a gift basket with a couple of nice ice cream cups, an ice cream scoop, several toppings for ice cream, and a gift certificate for a local ice cream store. To personalize this gift, ice cream cups could be substituted with mugs bearing the class name.

When teachers have been teaching for a long time, they may prefer teacher gifts that will benefit the school. Such teacher gifts could include donations to the school library of popular or more expensive books in the teacher’s name, or a piece of necessary furniture for a classroom or school office.

When considering teacher gifts, especially if the class plans to contribute to a gift as a whole, remember that not all can afford to make equal donations. It is fantastic if a few people want to donate quite a bit, but consider the economic status of the parents. If parents can only afford a few dollars, a gift can still be a 50 or 60 US dollar (USD) value. Never set a minimum contribution on teacher gifts as this may keep some parents from contributing what they can.