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Article updated on July 17, 2023 at 11:58 AM PDT

8 Great Back-to-School Gifts for Your Teacher

Your teacher works hard to help you learn and is never really appreciated. Show them you care with a gift.

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Written by 
James Bricknell
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James Bricknell Senior Editor
James has been writing about technology for years but has loved it since the early 90s. While his main areas of expertise are maker tools -- 3D printers, vinyl cutters, paper printers, and laser cutters -- he also loves to play board games and tabletop RPGs.
Expertise 3D printers, maker tools such as Cricut style vinyl cutters and laser cutters, and traditional paper printers Credentials
  • 6 years working professionally in the 3D printing space / 4 years testing consumer electronics for large websites.
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Our Picks

$26 at Amazon
Orange day planner with organizer cards
Keep your teacher organized
Clever Fox Daily planner
View details
View details
$30 at Amazon
Blue tumbler on a green background
Keep them hydrated
Hydro Flask Tumbler
View details
View details
$29 at Amazon
a $25 dollar Visa card
Teachers need money
Visa gift card
View details
View details
$149 at Target
crijoyad.jpg
Make amazing things
Cricut Joy
View details
View details
$24 at Amazon
Small green oil diffuser with gold trim
A good-smelling classroom is a happy classroom
Oil diffuser
View details
View details
$25 at Target
White knitted throw rug
Keep your favorite teacher warm at home
Cable Knit Chenille Throw Blanket
View details
View details
$6 at Peach & Lilly
Pink packet face mask
Awake and refresh
Peach & Lilly Sheet Mask
View details
$35 at Amazon
A silver funnel with grey silicone
Single serving caffeine
Espro pour over coffee
View details
View details

There are few jobs as hard as a teacher's, let alone more important. These people work to educate the adults of the future, and they don't often get many thanks for the job, either. Some teachers can even imprint beautiful life lessons on their students, things that will be remembered for a lifetime. Teachers like these should be recognized, and there's nothing wrong with buying a special gift for that teacher who changed your life. A teacher appreciation gift doesn't have to be expensive either; it just needs to show you care.

We've put together a list of the best gifts you can give your teacher, either individually or as a whole class. Some of these appreciation gifts are simple things to make their days at school easier or more fun, and others will help them enjoy their time away from the chaos. Talk to your parents and classmates to see how you can be kind to your teacher when you go back to school.

What's the best gift for a teacher?

We think the best gift for your teacher is the Clever Fox Daily Planner. Keeping track of everything day-to-day will make your teacher's life 100 times easier, and isn't that what we all want? If your teacher is organized, your day will go much more smoothly.

Teacher gifts for school time

Your teacher spends most of their waking time thinking about how they can do a good job in the classroom. These great gifts will not only help them succeed but will make them happy, too.

$26 at Amazon

Keep your teacher organized

Clever Fox Daily planner

Your teacher needs to know exactly what they are doing every day of the week, but it can be hard to keep track. This planner has room for daily activities but doesn't have specific dates. This lets your child's teacher match the workflow to the school year, rather than missing big chunks of the planner over vacations.
It has a lot of useful tools inside to help organize everything, too. In fact, you should probably pick up one for yourself, to help you with organizing schoolwork.

$30 at Amazon

Keep them hydrated

Hydro Flask Tumbler

It's true what they say; hydration is key to an active mind. Your teacher needs to stay sharp all day, and the best way to do that is to drink plenty of water or coffee!
A good Hydro Flask will keep your teacher's drink nice and cool (or nice and hot) for hours, and the bright colors will look awesome on your teacher's desk.

$29 at Amazon

Teachers need money

Visa gift card

According to the National Education Association, teachers spend around $460 of their own money to purchase school supplies and fun things for kids to do in their class. A Visa gift card -- one that can be used anywhere -- is just the thing to help your favorite teacher buy supplies without having to dip into their own funds.

$149 at Target

Make amazing things

Cricut Joy

This is a little more expensive than most of the other gifts, but I think if the whole class got together they could make this purchase. A Cricut Joy is a tiny little vinyl cutter that would allow your teacher to make fun decals for class projects, stickers for a job well done, and many other awesome projects. 

$24 at Amazon

A good-smelling classroom is a happy classroom

Oil diffuser

While writing this article I asked several of my teacher friends what their favorite gifts would be, and a surprising number of them said an oil diffuser. Most of them said they wanted it because it creates a nice environment to work in -- one even adds eucalyptus to help kids breathe easier during the sniffles season -- but several others also mentioned that teenagers can get a trifle pungent in the warm air of school.
Remember, the gift you give your teacher could also be coming to school smelling clean. And that gift is free!

Teacher gifts for personal time

Giving your teacher a gift they can use at school is great, but giving them something that they can use at home is a nice thing to do as well. Your teacher works hard, and a thoughtful gift to help them unwind will be highly appreciated.

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$25 at Target

Keep your favorite teacher warm at home

Cable Knit Chenille Throw Blanket

After a long day of looking after you and your friends, all your tired teacher wants to do is relax. Help them do that with a super comfy, open-weave throw blanket. It's a wonderfully warm comforter they'll appreciate using when they are grading your papers, or making sure you have something cool to do the next day.

$6 at Peach & Lilly

Awake and refresh

Peach & Lilly Sheet Mask

Face masks are a classic way to destress and revitalize. Pick up some of these for your teacher and see the smile on their face, especially after they've used them.

$35 at Amazon

Single serving caffeine

Espro pour over coffee

Your teacher more than likely drinks a lot of coffee -- you need a lot of energy to keep yourself going when you teach dozens of students a day. This simple coffee system creates a single cup of delicious coffee that your teacher can enjoy at the start of their day. 
Your parent(s) will probably want one as well.

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