Christmas Gift Giving: Teachers

It’s that time. Yep. It really is. You can’t run and you can’t hide…Christmas is coming super soon. I love all the time spent with family and friends throughout the Christmas season…but the gift giving can become fraught can it not?

First things first – teacher gifts. For us, school ends in two weeks and frankly those 14 days can’t go fast enough. My children are delirious with exhaustion and occasionally when things get really bad they are trying to gouge each others eyes out. The children at school are also exhausted but I’ve as yet witnessed no eye gouging in the library – the worst behaviours seem to be reserved for at home.

I  put considerable thought into teacher and teacher aid gifts and make sure that my children help with choosing (within reason – no teacher wants a $2 fairy statue) and making cards. Good teachers can set the path for your childs future; they inspire, empower and guide our children alongside us as parents. Good teachers are pure precious gold. Good teachers throw their heart and soul and mind and body into their class each year and find teaching exhausting and rewarding in equal measure. As the end of the school year draws to a close I really want to thank those people who care for, and teach, my children.

Gifts don’t need to be expensive, just thoughtful. If you can sew – sew! If you bake – bake! If you garden – pot up a Christmas tree, create a terrarium, make a succulent wreath or plant an edible salad bowl. I like words – so words I usually give. 

This year, depending on the teacher or teacher aid, I’ve done one of two of each of the things below…and everyone is also getting a World Vision gift of pencils for schoolchildren ($5) or fast growing seeds ($10). World Vision gifts make my heart happy and like teachers empower our own children, World Vision empowers young people worldwide and here in Australia. Having done so much with them over the years, both at school and on a personal level, I know that World Vision are professional, authentic and proactive, and that they make a huge difference in the lives of children and communities.

Affirmation Cards (above) by Twigseeds here – I adore these little quote cards by Kate Knapp (more on her here) and give these are gifts regularly. They are extremely inexpensive for such beauty and wisdom. Perfect Secret Santa present if you do that at work!

Ceramic quote tags by Kylie Johnson here. I have a small issue with purchasing these every.single.time. I go to Biome. I pretend I am buying them for friends and I usually keep them for myself. Last year I also purchased a number of copies of Kylie’s book ‘Melancholy and Bright’ which is just stunning.

Ruby Olive earrings, keyrings and bracelets here – kinda adore this local brand and I like to shop local (well online local!) where I can. Ruby Olive designs are VIBRANT and they are just what tired teachers need to kickstart the holidays.

Plants – I am a big giver of plants – sometimes ones I have cultivated myself, but more often, gorgeous ones I’ve seen at nurseries or local markets…or ones my grandmother has grown for me to gift (thanks nan!). I myself am lusting after a large fiddleleaf fig in a pot at the moment and once my Christmas shopping is done I may need to purchase one for myself.

Last year we had a super special teacher, who PudStar had for two years in a row. We got her a very cool print from Hark Home, who have a huge range of inexpensive prints for all manner of people you need to buy gifts for!

…and then add on a World Vision gift, starting from just $5. I download the printable card that you have access to after purchase and add it to the handmade cards that I shall be making my children make :).