# What's a useful teacher gift on a $10 budget? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768 "2011-12-02T00:46:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/1 "2011-12-02T00:46:11Z")
I have always given my kids’ elementary school teachers a $50 gift card for the holidays. But now my oldest is in middle school and has 5 different teachers. I can’t afford to give all of them $50, so I’ve been trying to come up with something in the $10 range that a teacher would appreciate. At first I toyed with the thought of giving them some small inexpensive but personal gift that they would appreciate…but unfortunately I know very little about any of them (and my kid is no help), so it would have to be something generic like a candle…but I don’t want to give them something they think is useless. Then I thought about a Starbucks card, but I know that not everyone enjoys coffee. So then I thought about a gift card to the grocery store or Target…something I should think anyone could use…but who gives a $10 gift card for groceries? For some reason, that seems so cheap. Any brilliant ideas? ---
**Author:** ![missinformation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@missinformation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missinformation)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/2 "2011-12-02T00:49:39Z")
Might sound dumb, but how about a nice Cross-type pen with their name engraved on it? Something personalized, they can always use a pen…and it has their name on it so no one can call dibs… ---
**Author:** ![Seren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@Seren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seren)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/3 "2011-12-02T01:14:05Z")
As a middle school teacher (well, last year I was anyway), the gifts I appreciated most were in one of two categories - either gift cards (and Target was a great choice since they carry so much stuff) or something that was personal from the child (like a copy of the book a child’s grandfather had written or the little nativity scene a student had carved). If I had to choose one type, I’d pick the personal ones. It’s really cool to have something special that your student made just for you. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/4 "2011-12-02T01:14:18Z")
There’s plenty to eat or drink at Starbucks that doesn’t involve coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/5 "2011-12-02T01:19:28Z")
I know people here aren’t fans of Wal-Mart, but the cash sometimes goes further than Target. But yeah, do Target. You’re not cheap, and if they are EXPECTING anything/anything more, they’re jerks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/6 "2011-12-02T01:52:00Z")
Mug Cake 1 box of Angel Food cake mix. 1 box any other flavor cake mix. Mix together and put in ziploc bags. Add nuts or choc chips or whatever other sort of yummy things you have handy. Mix 1/3 cup of cake mixture and 3 tablespoons of water in a coffee cup. Microwave 1 minute. Print out the recipe, tuck it and a bag of the cake mixture into a coffee cup. They get sweets, a coffee cup and a nice cheap idea for their Christmas party. For **CitizenPained** , give her enough to feed to her hungry students. Somehow, I think that would impress her more than the fancy mug. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/7 "2011-12-02T02:36:51Z")
**flatlined** , that’s very sweet–but I suspect a lot of teachers would, like me, throw that away (maybe keeping the mug). A gift that includes sugar and requires work, at a time of year when we’re inundated with sugar and work, isn’t the best. Homemade foods are risky. Personally, I love them: I figure I’m exposed to so many little germ factories through the day that the risk from food isn’t much of an addition. But other teachers throw them away as soon as the kids are gone, having seen what orifices those fingers go in and not wanting to eat food made with those fingers. Homemade cards and such are very cute. But you want the truth? I love gift cards. Sure, they’re generic. That’s what I love. If a handful of kids give me a $10 Barnes and Noble card (or a $5 card or whatever), bingo, I get a little shopping trip for myself. A possibility for a cheap gift is a potted plant, especially a low-maintenance one. They’re good for the classroom in a lot of cases. As for what’s expected: nothing, of course. I usually get a Christmas gift from 1/3-1/2 of my students, and anything I get receives oral and written thanks, but nobody is obligated to get me jack. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/8 "2011-12-02T03:18:04Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Homemade foods are risky. Personally, I love them: I figure I’m exposed to so many little germ factories through the day that the risk from food isn’t much of an addition. But other teachers throw them away as soon as the kids are gone, having seen what orifices those fingers go in and not wanting to eat food made with those fingers. :eek::eek::eek: Not having kids, I never thought about that. I guess I just figured that the parents would make the food. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/9 "2011-12-02T03:47:52Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > There’s plenty to eat or drink at Starbucks that doesn’t involve coffee. My first thought. I HATE coffee and I am a total Starbucks whore. They have tea, hot chocolate, juices, and all manner of baked goods. Some even have breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/10 "2011-12-02T04:17:38Z")
I post this every year in these threads. A heart-felt hand written note from the student is more than enough. You want to give more? Write a note to the principal. You could CC the super and the school board, but the principal is enough. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/11 "2011-12-02T04:19:42Z")
Notecards. Teachers use them for all types of notes throughout the year. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/12 "2011-12-02T05:57:16Z")
Cigarettes? ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/13 "2011-12-02T08:20:13Z")
Are these public or private schools? Or both? I ask as, I never gave teachers presents and neither have any of my children. Outside of a few old time TV shows, like "Leave It To Beaver,"I have never seen or heard of this. ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/14 "2011-12-02T10:22:50Z")
A Starbucks card is my first choice-- it’s a nice little luxury my teacher’s salary usually won’t let me indulge. It might not work everywhere, but my school’s secretary knows what’s in short supply and would share the typical teacher’s wish list. Otherwise, regular pens, pencils, erasers, white board markers, etc. disappear into the ether and the teacher has to shell out for replacements most of the time. At my school, copier paper is more valuable than gold. Almost forgot-- flash drives. Nearly as prized as copier paper. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/15 "2011-12-02T11:53:02Z")
My daughter teaches 5th grade, and I know she’s always thrilled to get gift cards. She spends hundreds of dollars out of her own pocket buying stuff for the classroom, so any relief from that is great. Dry erase markers and copier paper are definitely biggies with her. One gift I remember that she was not impressed with - a framed photo of the student. It seemed a little weird and personal. I’m thinking someone had a crush on his teacher… Really, you can hardly go wrong with classroom supplies or gift cards. You \*can \*go wrong with “World’s Greatest Teacher” plaques or other knicky-knack items. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/16 "2011-12-02T11:57:20Z")
A dime bag stapled to a photo of your child? ---
**Author:** ![Seamack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@Seamack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seamack)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/17 "2011-12-02T13:36:37Z")
How about $10 charitable donations on the teachers behalf. If you’re willing to up your spend to $12 you could give each teacher a pile of shit. [It’s the shit](http://www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com/Manure-charitable-gift.html) ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/18 "2011-12-02T14:41:49Z")
> [@Seamack](#): > > How about $10 charitable donations on the teachers behalf. To celebrate the holiday season, a donation has been made in your name to [The Human Fund](http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-2/festivus%2005.htm). Money for people. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/19 "2011-12-02T15:05:42Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > I post this every year in these threads. > > A heart-felt hand written note from the student is more than enough. > > You want to give more? Write a note to the principal. You could CC the super and the school board, but the principal is enough. As a teacher, I have to admit that the note to the principal and superintendent would be an amazing gift. > [@BeaMyra](#): > > Are these public or private schools? Or both? I ask as, I never gave teachers presents and neither have any of my children. Outside of a few old time TV shows, like "Leave It To Beaver,"I have never seen or heard of this. It’s done in both kinds of schools by tons of kids. I’m 33 and did this growing up. Now that I’m a teacher(middle school), I’ve seen that it is still done. I went to private and did it and I teach in public and it is done. Michigan, if you are curious. Gift ideas from a teacher: - Gift Card - pre-bought food thingy, like mixed nuts or a bottle of wine - tasteful Christmas ornament(nothing tacky) - a nice mug for school or home ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768/20 "2011-12-02T15:08:49Z")
Since gift cards have been mentioned, I’ll say that you can never own too many jump drives. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-useful-teacher-gift-on-a-10-budget/604768.md?page=2)