As we all know, teachers work hard every day to shape our children into the people they will become. That’s why it’s important to show them some gratitude during Teacher Appreciation Week, at the end of the school year, or on special occasions like birthdays or holidays. The question is, how can we do it in the best way possible?

To find out what teachers really want as gifts, we surveyed more than 40 current and former educators from different grade levels and locations across the country. We promised to keep their anonymity, so they could tell us what they really think about end-of-year trinkets. And they did, in no uncertain terms.

After analysing their responses, we found that gift cards are the best teacher gifts to give in 2023, according to actual teachers. They appreciate versatile cards like Amazon gift cards. However, we understand that some parents may not feel comfortable giving gift cards alone. In this case, handwritten notes, letters, handmade items, or home-baked goodies are also valued.

Moreover, teachers emphasized the importance of getting to know their preferences personally. While some teachers love candy, others don’t want to see another Godiva box. Food, coffee, mugs, candles, and wine were the most divisive gifts, appearing on both the “most wanted” and “least wanted” lists, so it’s best to check their preferences first. Teachers warned against buying anything that requires personal taste, like jewellery or fragrances, and preferred personalised teacher gifts with their names on them instead of generic “teacher” gifts.

In summary, these are the gifts that our panel of teachers agreed are most likely to make them happy: gift cards, handwritten notes, letters, handmade items, or home-baked goodies, and personalised gifts.

View all of our Teacher Gifts Here