Gifts for Teachers and Tutors
We are not supposed to give a gift to our teachers at our public elementary school but, shh!, I always do. Discretion is important as is a low-key but thoughtful gift. Capability:Mom has more ideas for teacher and tutor gifts too!
Felix Doolittle pocket mirror for purse, $12
The perfect little gift for a teacher or tutor. It is available in many other designs but this playful frog is my favorite!
Wooden Pen and Pencil Set, $15
I love this tactile pen set that displays so nicely on a desk.
Picture Books as Teacher Gifts
My picture book as a gift for teachers or principals is heavily Patricia Polacco oriented but I have more picture book lists for teachers and librarians.
Perfect Picture Book for a Teacher Who Changes Lives
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
In real life, Mr. Falker helped Patricia when she was a child overcome her dyslexia to learn to read. All teachers of any grade deserve to have this book in their collection. My kids loved hearing it read aloud to them in 5th grade.
Art Teacher Picture Book Present
The Art of Miss Chew by Patricia Polacco
If you need a present for an art teacher, this would be the perfect picture book!
A Present for a Principal
Mr. Lincoln’s Way by Patricia Polacco
Mr. Lincoln has a special gift with kids and, in this case, finds a way to reach and transform a bully.
Mr. Tanen’s Ties by Maryanne Cocca-Leffler
A principal’s job is not an easy one! Give this book to your principal. It was inspired by a real principal who must have a pretty awesome tie collection!
Picture Book for Teachers About to Get Married
Lily’s Big Day by Kevin Henkes
If your child’s teacher is getting married and your kid talks about going to the wedding (invited or otherwise), this is the perfect picture book! Lily’s beloved teacher is getting married and she hopes she will be the flower girl. Alas, the bridal couple has a little niece to do that but Lily and her class are invited to the wedding. When the little flower girl freezes at the ceremony, Lily knows just what to do! (She’s been practicing for a long, long time!).
The 12 Days of Shopping
Saturday, December 1: Make Your Own Gifts with granola two ways. Hers and Mine.
Sunday, December 2: Kids Make Gifts Craft, Clove Fruit and Crafts.
Monday, December 3: Personalized Gifts, Hers and Mine.
Tuesday, December 4: Father-in-Law/Dad and Mother-in-Law/Mom
Wednesday, December 5: Tutors/Teachers
Thursday, December 6: High Tech/Low Tech
Friday, December 7: Hostess/Doing Good
Saturday, December 8: Sanitation Engineers, Mail Carriers, Hairdresser, Delivery People, Babysitter, Cleaning People, Dog Walker/Dog Trainer
Sunday, December 9: Husband, Me (Our Own List), CapabilityMom’s List
Monday, December 10: Cats/Dogs
Tuesday, December 11: Quick Gifts from Whole Foods and Gourmet Food Store
Wednesday, December 12: ’Cause I Am So Together, Last Minute Home Made Gifts, Homemade Ornament Crafts for Kids and Capability:Mom’s Homemade Gift
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My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
I love the teacher gift ideas. I can not believe that teachers are not allowed to get gifts. Children love to give their teacher a little gift they picked out. They should set a limit to the amount that you can spend but not allowing not good. I love that you came up with some ideas that are small.
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
Our school district policy is more strict than the state law. Our state allows gifts to teachers up to $50. I’m glad you liked the list! Thank you for your comment!
These are great ideas. I love the little mirror! I so boringly always resort to the Starbucks gift cards, but I think I’ll be more creative this year.
Hi Artchoo!,
I do the Starbucks or iTunes cards too. This year I went to two book events so I (finally) remembered to get a book signed as a teacher gift. I’m giving two teachers signed copies of Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin but I think I misspelled on of the teacher’s names. Oops. Complicated last name. I might do gift cards for assistant teachers and gift cards for the specialist teachers unless I can up my game.
Both of my kids are in preschool and the moms all go in on a joint gift together. It makes our lives easier and we can get something really nice that the teachers will enjoy – win/win!
Hi Dollops of Diane,
I think a shared gift is such a great idea. Kudos to you moms for coordinating it! That’s the tough part!
I can’t believe you aren’t allowed to give gifts. That seems a bit scrooge-ish.
Hi MaryAnne,
I went to our PTO meeting and got clarification. We are allowed to gift the teacher “items for the classroom.” So books, markers, etc are officially ok. If a child were to make a gift, that isn’t a crime punishable by death and while it’s not officially allowed, the powers that be would look away. Our school district policy is stricter than the state policy which states gifts of $50 are permitted. Our policy is a little wacky.
oops! i sent in a small gift with my daughter for her teacher since it is our last day before exodus….a small vase, maybe 3 dollars, with origami flowers we folded. hope it was allowed! love your ideas and thanks for the tip! i need to look up our policy!!!!
Hi Tricia,
I think you are fine. It’s just our school that is funny about teacher gifts.
Love your ideas – and agree that it is a rule I sometimes break. Glad to know they clarified the rule, though!
Hi Nancy,
I think I am doing gifts for teachers that benefit the classroom It’s a win//win that way!
I’m a big fan of Patricia Polacco!
Also really love the Felix Doolittle mirror, what a sweet gift!
These will surely guarantee some A’s ; )
Hi Ann,
Me too!!! Love, love, love her! And I feel like I know her after reading piles of her books since they are so autobiographical. We should meet her someday…you and I!!
I am a teacher and a mom and work really hard on little personal teacher gifts. This year, we put together cocoa kits (http://the-room-mom.com/2012/11/26/christmas-cocoa-kit/), but I have also made little teacher emergency kits, ice cream sundae kits, and a few other consumable ideas. I know when I receive items like this as a teacher, I love them!
Hi Caitlin,
Thanks for sharing your kit ideas. I love them! I wonder if we can pull off for this year or if we need to realistically stock up and plan for end of the year gifts. What do you put in teacher emergency kits?
Here are the teacher emergency kits http://the-room-mom.com/back-to-school-teacher-emergency-kits/. Contents are things like chapstick, Tums, Advil, Tide to Go pen, quarters for the soda machine…
Hi Caitlin,
Thanks so much! Great items and a wonderful holiday gift idea for teachers!