10 Wholesome Gifts To Get Your Teachers At The End Of Year 12

I was blessed with the one English teacher all throughout high school and after putting up with some of my God awful essays (especially the Wattpad-esque One Direction one in Year 8), he definitely deserved a little present from myself and the rest of our cohort.

I don’t remember getting him anything and looking back now, teachers go through a whole lot more than just teaching your class. They’re spending hours into the night marking your work and giving you feedback, lesson planning for classes and all the other admin, risk assessment stuff that takes up a fair bit of time.

They may have pushed you to your absolute limits but we love them for it, so maybe it’s time to make their year and put a smile on their faces? Here are some ideas but keep in mind:

You spend a whole lot of time with them throughout the year, make sure you know them! The worst thing you could do is have a reaction like this:

So make sure you get something they would really appreciate. Maybe they make subtle jokes of sinking their body volume in wine on the weekends, love board games or love spending time with their cats! Whether you’re pitching in as a year group or getting something by yourself, take note of these ideas:

1. Really nice wine glass set or tumbler 

You’re getting on the wines soon enough so trust me, getting your teach some wine glasses is not as rough and weird as you think. Avoid anything personalised - any nice wine or cocktail set, they’ll know exactly who they are from and use it all the time!

2. A massive from card signed off from everyone in the year group

There’s nothing more thoughtful than a handwritten card - especially those embarrassingly massive ones. Even when they’re having a bad day, they’ll look back at the card and be reminded of how many students appreciate the work they do for them. Go teachers, man.

3. Please, nothing personalised and nothing from a Cricut machine

This might be a stretch but unless it’s something they’re really into, try to avoid anything personalised (so stay off Pinterest because there’s a whole load of these). The first few are cute but in all honesty, they’re a little bit corny and cringeworthy. There’s only so many drink bottles, pencil cases and jars with their last names that teachers can take.

4. Books and stationery vouchers

Most teachers take pride in their classwork presentation! They love fully inked whiteboard markers, novels (literal bookworms), fresh pens that actually work, clean erasers. A lot of the time, teachers buy stationery out of their own pocket so having a gift card to purchase some new stationery is really therapeutic to their teaching soul.

5. Their favourite tea or coffee brands

It’s half past one in the afternoon, you’re coming back into the classroom and you see your teacher with an Uncle Tobys muesli bar and cuppa in hand. Loves a good mid-arvo pick-me-up. Have a geeze at what they’re brewing - maybe they’re some unique coffee pods or tea bags that they order. Or maybe they love their classic Nescafé gold and you want them to try something a lil different?

6. Boutique and market items that they’ll cherish

We all love supporting small businesses and giving to those we appreciate, so why not hit two birds with one stone? From little hair accessories to bird boxes, there are always some great and quirky items to snap up!

7. Plants

Look, teachers are some of the busiest people, when they’re not at school, they’re still chipping away at essays at home. They’ll feel guilty for killin’ em so maybe get a house plant that literally can’t die, like a zanzibar gem! They’re cute and are the least attentive plants. Plus, it is the sweetest and nicest gesture.

8. Reusable coffee cups

Whether they brew their coffee before leaving home or stop at their favourite coffee shop along the way, teachers always have one favourite reusable to get them through the day! There are some bangin’ brands out there (and some, totally sustainable) - suss out the designs (metal, glass, rubber) and go from there!

9. Good quality candles (and if they don’t appreciate it, their partner will)

A good smelling house after a long day of dealing with some gremlins (myself included) is just what the teacher ordered. Suss out my favs: Glasshouse candles - yeah, they might be a pretty penny but they are worth every scent (haha, get it, cent) and last for the longest time. They’ve got different sizes and a range of aromas to choose from 🕯

10. Chocolate, lollies and healthy snack hamper

Every teacher needs a sneaky snack drawer and you will be the favourite student to providing them with their favs. They’re constantly on-the-go, missing out on their morning tea and lunches some days so keep ‘em fuelled with some nibbles and munchies!

Just another note: any gifts over $50 need to be declared by teachers, so keep ‘em as far away from paperwork as possible and keep it under that 🎁

If you’re not graduating until next year, don’t stress! Keep your ears open throughout the year and bookmark this page - you can thank me later 😉