10 Best Gifts for Teachers in 2022 (Education Specialist-Reviewed)

Minori Nagatomo is a licensed teacher and school counselor with 16 years of experience in various countries. She's worked with pre-school-aged children all the way up to university students. Minori has also helped to train teachers and manage schools around the globe.

She gave us some great advice and ideas about what kind of gifts teachers truly appreciate! Read the buying guide below to see her insight.

We considered the following points in choosing these great gifts for teachers:

• What subject, grade or age group they teach
• Where they can use the gift, in the classroom or their everyday life
• Whether it matches their interests or would be appreciated by any teacher

Here are the 10 best gifts for teachers available online. We made our choices based on the points listed in the buying guide below, as well as reviewer comments when available.

*Please note that these products were chosen after extensive research by mybest writers. The choices are not necessarily affiliated with or recommended by Minori Nagatomo.

Here are some factors you can think about to help you find the perfect gift for the teacher you have in mind. Take a look at our handy buying guide below! 

There are many types of teachers, but generally, you can group them based on the grades they teach. If you’re looking for a practical gift, choosing one based on their grade is helpful.

Whether they work at a big school or run their own homeschool service, classroom aids make an excellent gift for preschool and elementary teachers.

Try getting alphabet flashcards, animal puzzles, or packs of creative supplies like crayons or glue sticks. Another great gift idea for these teachers is a book. Preschool and elementary students spend quite a lot of time each week reading stories, so adding to the classroom library is always a solid choice! 

Keep in mind that preschool and elementary school teachers tend to get a lot of gifts. While they will appreciate any gift, they might not need any more common gift items like mugs. If you want to treat them, consider getting them something useful, like a gift card. You can always pair it with a note or greeting card for a personal touch.

For middle and high school teachers, consider school supplies. Look for pens, desk supplies, markers, and anything practical a teacher could use. If you want to step things up, you can even make a personalized gift bag filled with school supplies and notebooks! 

It's a fairly safe bet that if someone teaches a subject like music or art or coaches a sport, they might have a strong interest in it! Consider a themed gift that matches their specialty.

A piano teacher would likely be happy with anything that has a piano on it, whether it's a paperweight, tumbler, or set of potholders for their kitchen. The same goes for a math teacher, soccer coach, drama teacher, dance teacher and so on.

You can combine our other gift ideas with the appropriate theme for something that's a little more personal and that they'll enjoy in their classroom or everyday life.

Teachers have lives outside of the classroom! Consider things you might get for anyone: decorative items, products they can pamper themselves with, or accessories anyone would use.

They might enjoy something like hand lotion or fancy soap bars for their home. Many teachers spend a lot of time on their feet and may appreciate a spa set. Accessories like tote bags could be a safe choice, but if you want to get them something that varies by individual taste and style, such as clothing items, make sure it suits their personality.

Presents that have appreciative quotes and sayings about teaching are also great gifts. These gifts include keychains, socks, shirts, notebooks, mugs, memo pads, and tote bags. 

Not only will you brighten up their day, but they will be reminded that people are thankful for their profession whenever they see your gift. 

If your gift is meant to coincide with a holiday like Christmas or Teacher Appreciation Week, you can go for something related to the occasion. But, you might want to check if they celebrate Christmas before getting something with Santa on it. Since that holiday is also usually the end of a semester, a more general gift would still be appropriate.

For a new teacher or someone who's retiring, there are gifts with messages that will suit the circumstances. New teachers would probably appreciate something they can use in their job, while retirees might like something that reminds them of good times with their students, like a picture frame with a class photo.

Minori says, "If you know the teacher is a coffee or tea drinker, consider looking into a drink-themed gift. There are teas and coffees in every price range, and this kind of present is sure to keep your teacher fueled for the day. 

You could gift a glass or mug in addition to the drink. I recently received peach earl gray along with a beautiful mug. It was the perfect gift because it was definitely more special than what I'd usually purchase for myself."

She goes on to say, "You also can't go wrong with food gifts! A box of reasonably priced chocolates or cookies means your teacher friend can also share with their family or with other teachers. Another often-appreciated gift is something like a smaller box of high-end chocolates. 

Another bonus of food-themed presents is that it's easy to find the quantity and the quality you need. They can also be ordered online, so I could send them to my professors after the semester is already finished. Cookies also work the same way, and both cookies and chocolates keep for a good period of time."

You can also talk to their colleagues to see if they have any favorite items, snacks, drinks, or characters.

Still at a loss as to what to get a teacher? When in doubt, go for gift cards. Gift cards give the person the freedom to get what they like on their own time.

If your teacher likes to purchase things from Amazon, get them an Amazon gift card! Other popular gift cards you can get are Google Play, Netflix, and Starbucks. 

We've tried to help you out with one of the most commonly asked and slightly sensitive questions about giving gifts to teachers- how much?

First, make sure the school doesn't have a policy specifying amounts for gifts! Then, there are a few ways to decide.

You can take into account what the gift card is for. If it's a card for a restaurant, you probably want to make sure the amount at least covers a meal for the teacher and their guest, for example.

Consider the occasion, as well. A teacher at a small school may have been with your child over several grades, and deserve a bigger gift. The end of the school year might call for more than a gift before winter break.

What do other parents do? It varies widely, from 15 to 100 dollars, but it seems most people spend about 20 to 50 dollars for gift cards.

Do you need a present for someone else in your life? Check out the links below for some other specific gift ideas! 

In addition to reviewing our buying guide, Minori was kind enough to offer her recommended gift for teachers. 

Want to see what kinds of gift cards others have bought? Some of Amazon's most popular thank you gift cards could be the perfect match for your teacher.

• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more mybest recommendations! For questions or comments, leave us feedback via a Google Form on our Contact Us page.