Go from class clown to teacher’s pet during Teacher Appreciation Week with this handy dandy gifting guide, featuring suggestions from Nevada teachers.
If you share late pop diva Whitney Houston’s belief that children are our future, you already know the value of teachers in Nevada.
They’re essential workers who take action every day to shape young minds in the Silver State.
When you think about it that way, you might reasonably argue that every week should be Teacher Appreciation Week. This year, the national observance falls the week of May 4 to 8. It’s the perfect opportunity for students and parents to show their favorite educators some extra love.
Wondering how to properly show appreciation for the teacher in your family’s life? We spoke with Nevada public and charter school teachers, preschool through high school, for insight about what they want (and don’t want).
Some of these teachers may privately wish for additional prep time, smaller classes, or “extra-great behavior” from students, but here are the tangible gift ideas they shared, from sentimental to practical.
Go all in on gift cards
A gift card with meaning or value to a teacher is pretty much as good as cash in hand. The teacher gets to splurge on Spinach-Artichoke Dip at Olive Garden or buy a Starbucks Matcha Latte on a Target run, whatever floats their boat (even a gift card for a boat store).
Alcohol seems to be a common theme amongst the teachers we talked with. One former teacher got a gift card for Total Wine, while another one received a gift card for her favorite local bar.
Pretty much every teacher agreed that gift cards are the way to go during Teacher Appreciation Week. They make teachers happy at whatever price point you can afford.
Teaching works up an appetite
Food was second to gift cards in popularity among teachers we contacted. Brandon Spector, a high school special education teacher in Henderson, suggests “food trucks for a week” with a different cuisine every day. Parents or administrators could chip in whatever they can afford to cover the cost.
Jessica Grant, a longtime middle school counselor on the east side of Las Vegas, agrees that “breakfasts/lunches for the staff are appreciated.”
While coffee and chocolate are always welcome, the teachers we talked with shared mixed opinions about homemade baked goods. Some think a sweet treat is both sweet and a treat, while others find it worrisome, for reasons ranging from food allergies to tummy issues.
Contrary to historical tradition, not one teacher wants an apple.
Teachers go gaga for handwritten letters, cards, and artwork
On the sentimental side, many teachers find deep meaning in handwritten notes, handmade cards, and student artwork. Not only do these gifts cost you nothing, but they can be used to decorate the classroom or kept in a desk drawer to be re-read or admired on a rough day.
Jennifer Northcutt, a preschool teacher in the Carson Valley, thinks “a thoughtful note from the parents is probably the best gift” because this ”personal expression of gratitude” affirms that she made a positive impact on the student.
“One year, [the administration] put a little box at the front door so parents/kids could leave a note,” she remembers. “I carry mine in my purse still.”
Las Vegas high school teacher Jennifer Rodis has a “Bad Day Box” in her classroom for “Days when I want to try selling feet pics on the Internet instead of grading another pile of essays.” These handwritten letters from students are her favorite gift.
Wish Read, a biology, forensic science, and African American Studies teacher in Las Vegas, says letters from students are her favorite part of Teacher Appreciation Week. Noting that students’ attention spans are more limited these days, she says it means a lot to her to know “they are still thinking about me…when I am not right in front of them.”
Kevin Fiddler, a high school multi-media communications teacher in Las Vegas, also prefers gifts that his students choose or create by hand, especially when they’re based on the student’s personal experience working with him.
“Gift cards and generic gifts come and go, but I generally keep every single thing I get that comes from the heart—a hand-painted Darth Maul picture, a video reel they edited of our time together, a copy of their college acceptance letter, or just a pic of us they framed,” says Fiddler, adding those are the gifts that “really get you in the feels” and “lead to a few happy tears.”
They’re “a constant reminder” of why he became a teacher.
The power of sentimental student gifts
Some of the most unforgettable gifts are those that matter to the students, such as a personal belonging or beloved object from home.
Kate Golodner-Harris, an elementary school music teacher in Southern Highlands, has been gifted everything from gift cards and expensive purses to show tickets and a Smart TV. She’s certainly not complaining, but admits the “best gift” was “a stuffed animal with a missing eye…because I knew that they wanted me to have it.”
Another teacher mentions receiving a small salt shaker from a first grader whose family was struggling. The student told her, “If you shake it back and forth, it looks like a snow globe.”
That’s the gift she remembers most.
Fill up the teacher’s tip jar
Who doesn’t love cold, hard cash? Teachers frequently incur extra expenses, such as the cost of earning advanced degrees, license renewal, or classroom supplies.
One Las Vegas teacher is all in on receiving cash gifts, but with a twist. High school cybersecurity teacher Emily O’Meara suggests “tipping” a teacher for their service to families and the community.
“It can be in any amount and then dispersed among teachers evenly, like in a restaurant,” she says.
Additional thoughts on Teacher Appreciation Week gifts
- Donate gently-used items like age-appropriate board games and books. That extensive collection of books from the “Dog Man” series, covered in dust on your bookshelf, could be the newest addition to a teacher’s classroom library.
- Classroom supplies, but only if the teacher needs them.
- The National Education Association (NEA) suggests spotlighting the accomplishments of remarkable Nevada educators on social media with the #thankateacher hashtag.
- Theater or movie tickets are a nice treat and can often be purchased at a discount.
- One teacher received an annual membership to Sam’s Club and thought that was “awesome.”
- Self-care items like bath bombs and lotions remind busy teachers to take some time for themselves. But some people are sensitive, dislike certain scents, or are loyal to specific brands, so do some reconnaissance first.
- Though mugs and tumblers are popular, most teachers already have enough of these to open a drinkware store.
- On a similar note, some teachers are embarrassed to be seen in public with “Best Teacher Ever” swag.
- A small, indoor plant (with a personal note, of course) will liven up any classroom, though you may want to opt for one that doesn’t require too much watering. A flower bouquet is a similar gesture, but without a long-term commitment.
- Give a group gift from students, parents, or both, by pooling resources.
