When it comes to buying gifts for teachers, we may all look fondly back with rose-tinted glasses to the times of yesteryear, when all it took to thank a teacher was a homemade card and a rosy red apple (okay, okay, so maybe not quite yesteryear, but certainly within living memory!).
Nowadays, buying
teacher gifts is a far more competitive business. Alpha mums frantically text each other to ensure their gifts do not clash (and also using their texts as a great way to show off what they have bought!), whilst the Stay at Home Dads compare hemp seed cookie recipes and casually throw in a bottle of home brewed organic cider (carefully presented in recycled wrapping paper and sustainably forested straw with a carbon footprint seal of approval!)!
Yes, indeed, the competition has certainly hotted up! If, however baking cookies is not your forte and you are in need of some inspiration when it comes to gift ideas for your teacher, then rest at ease because there are some truly original and unique gift ideas that can ensure your present can face off the fiercest competition and stand out from all the rest!
Before you dive head first into purchasing one of the many unique and original
teacher gifts available on the market today, you should consider the teacher themselves, perhaps the subject they teach and whether you know anything about their personality that can be reflected in the gift. If you teacher is football mad, talks for hours about the glory of golf, or is fanatical about F1, then choose a gift along those themes. However, remember that gifts for teachers have boundaries that should be respected, so it is best to steer clear of risqué humour and anything that could be deemed inappropriate.
When it comes to gifts for teachers, the easiest way to make something original and unique is to personalise it. Anyone can go to Clinton's or Tesco's and buy an off the shelf "Best Teacher in The World" cup, mug or card. But to actually go further and have " Mr Jones, best teacher eva, thnks 4 the early lunches, sir!" shows a lot more initiative. Also, a personalised gift is certainly something that a teacher can proudly show off, allow pride of place on their desk and wave under the nose of the next Ofsted inspector! You can take personalised gifts for teachers, to the next level, with calendar, coasters, golf clubs, etc. but the idea is the same. Sticking someone's name on a gift really does show extra consideration.
You should also beware not to be too quick to dismiss chocolates, or sweets when considering gifts for teachers. The key to buying a gift such as chocolates, biscuits or sweets is not to source them locally. So, avoid your nearest supermarket or local corner shop, unless you want to turn up with the same box of half price Celebrations that at least ten other people in the class have bought! Instead, either go posh, go to specialist chocolatiers which will sell tiny boxes of delicate handmade chocolates (which are surprisingly affordable), or go retro.
Being old enough to have qualified as a teacher (well, one would hope so...though these days you can never be so sure!), the teacher in question should be just about the right age to appreciate a jar or box of Retro Sweets. Retro Sweets, make ideal gifts for teachers and are made up of all the old tooth decaying favourites which were, to steal a well known song, "acceptable in the Eighties", although now, no doubt all the E numbers have gone. However, what is left is sure to be a close enough approximation to raise a smile from even the grumpiest of teachers. Watch as pure childish enthusiasm and delight spreads across your teacher's face, as they fondly recall Love Hearts, Refreshers and Black Jacks, from their childhood! A gift guaranteed to get you off detention for at least a few months!
If you are still stuck for inspiration for
teacher gifts, then you can always fall back on good old 'staples' that come straight from the stationary cupboard. Engraved pens, funky hole punches, colourful Post-It notes, stand out from the crowd staplers – that sort of thing! Stuff that teachers actually use, but in designs, that will stop people from being able to steal their stationary. And, whilst a single Granny Smith may not cut it when it comes to gifts for teachers in this modern era, an Organic fruit and vegetable box, would certainly make a unique gift!
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