3 Gifts a Teacher Would Love

My mother teaches third grade and every year, she comes home with flowers, balloons, lotions, and chocolate. All gifts, which are super sweet gestures from her students and their parents. However, throughout the years, I've seen the balloons wither in the living room, lotions pile up, and the chocolate devoured by my kids (and myself). It got me to thinking, "What do teachers really want as gifts?"

Last night, I asked all my friends who are educators what they would like to receive as gift from their students. Thank you SO much to all my buddies who chimed in on this topic! Isn't Facebook awesome?

Now parents, if you are still wondering on how to thank your kid's teachers, here's a handy little list!

3 Steps to the Best Teacher Gift by cozyreverie on Polyvore

1. gIFT cARDS

Let's get real - people LOVE gift cards! I secretly wish I was a teacher just to be able to collect tons of Target gift cards. You can never go wrong with this method. Just be sure you know the teacher's interests. A Starbucks gift card wouldn't really work for someone that doesn't like coffee. If you aren't sure, ask your kid! Chances are they have noticed a few things about their educator the past ten months. ;)

2. a hANDWRITTEN tHANK yOU nOTE

More specifically, a note from the child and the parents. Teachers work super hard for their students all year round and a heartfelt thank you note is the least we can do. It is lso a wonderful way to personalize the gift and create a fond memory for both the student and the teacher. We used this card here.

3. rEUSABLE pACKAGING

Gift bags are great, but they are usually discarded. I am a big fan of giving reuseable items and since we are heading into summer, we chose this VACATION tote (I almost kept it for myself!) and added a few treats and tissue paper. The best part? Since the teacher is probably getting a ton of gifts from other students as well, they can put them all in the tote bag, making it a much easier walk to the car on the last day of school.

I hope this helps you on the hunt for the perfect thank you gift! Of course, not all teachers are the same, but the majority ​seemed to really love the gift cards. If you are an educator, what would you add to the list?