What teachers really want

Teacher appreciation is celebrated annually in May. It began in 1953 when Eleanor Roosevelt convinced members of Congress to set aside an official date to honor our educators.

In 1984, the National Parent Teacher Association designated the entire first week of May as Teacher Appreciation week.

Finding the perfect teacher gift can be maddening. Is this the color they would want? Is it something they already have? Is it so last year? The best teacher gifts aren’t the knickknacks or desk objects shaped like pencils or apples. The best gifts are heartfelt, practical or gifts that make a teacher’s already difficult job a little nicer. Think relaxing things.

As a mother of two, I find myself wandering through the aisles of stores anxiously deliberating what type of gift to get for my kiddos’ teachers to express my gratitude for the work they do every day to mold these tiny humans into the best versions of themselves. This year I decided to seek out the opinions of those directly in the trenches. I began interviewing a few of my friends who teach to find out some of the more memorable gifts they’ve received.

With teacher appreciation just around the corner, what do teachers really want? “Anything WITHOUT apples!” one elementary teacher told me.

Many shared with me some of their favorite things were as simple as receiving flowers in a cute vase, personalized stationary, fun pens or monogram drinkware. However, all teacher’s across the board tell me their favorite items to receive are gift cards for fun stuff. One friend who teaches at a local elementary school said, “A $5 gift card to Subway means so much.” Others tell me they treasure the handwritten notes from their students and former students, and love hearing positive feedback from parents.

Our children’s educators are some of the most influential people in their lives, make sure you take the time to thank them this May.

~Nikki Burton is the owner of Blackbird Monogram & Gift.