We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community (specifically, teachers) to tell us about the most thoughtful gift they've ever received. Here’s what they had to say:
1. A sweet note written in a yearbook.
"The best gift I ever got was from a student who wrote, 'You made high school bearable for me' in my yearbook." --Kay Emily Holly, Facebook
2. A thoughtful book.
3. An honest letter.
"Perhaps the most thoughtful was a letter that a young lady wrote me about how she transferred schools halfway through high school. She was feeling very lost and said that my classroom was where she started making friends in her new school, and where she became confident that she could do well in history (it had never been her subject before). I've got the letter posted in my classroom now. It's a reminder that you can really make a difference in a student's life!" --Kate Quimby
4. Handmade bracelets.
5. A proper director's stand.
"I teach high school band, and every year the band seniors get me a gift. The first year they did it, they gifted me with a proper director's stand that is twice as wide as a regular music stand, because I had struggled all year with keeping all my scores on the stand." --kellijhae
6. Homemade ornaments for the holidays.
"I love when I get homemade ornaments at Christmas time...I love seeing their proud little faces when they give them to me! I hang the ornaments up every year, and it's a great way to remember my past students." --Lael Rebekah Wadopian, Facebook
7. A knitted blanket.
8. A thoughtful drawing.
"I teach 9th grade English, and a few years ago one of my students saw that I was upset after school. The next day, she gave me a drawing of a whale (I love whales). However, this was no ordinary drawing. The whale was outlined in words that describe my personality! It was the sweetest, most thoughtful gift a student has ever give me." --andit4cb4f739c
9. A heart warming shout out.
10. Hidden caricatures.
"I had a student once draw caricatures of me while I was teaching. She'd create them when I wasn't paying attention and leave them in random places in my classroom for me to find. I've saved every single one of them." --moreyj
11. An appropriate action figure.
"I'm on a team of four teachers, and usually when students give gifts we all get the same thing. One year we had a student who got us all gifts that matched our personality. Mine was a eight inch Yoshi action figure from a Mario game. He thought of me as laid back and easy going (which is true)." --Ladykalee
12. A loving letter.
13. A couple bandages.
"I made the mistake of wearing new shoes one day and my feet were suffering- especially my heels. A student I had taught that morning came to my class after school to do some extra work. As she walked in, she handed me two bandages. Apparently, she'd noticed my injuries and gone to the nurse to get them for me. It wasn't big or fancy or expensive, but it was the most thoughtful gift I've ever received from a student." --LauLa
14. A list of thanks.
"My students wrote me a little booklet full of reasons they're thankful for me for Thanksgiving while I was away. I got it the first day back and cried for about an hour. I love them so much." --Victoria Alexandra Girardin, Facebook
15. A BIG accomplishment.
16. Homemade earrings.
"One of my students made me a pair of earrings out of clay in the shape of books with hearts on them. I teach 8th grade English." --blairb48c93979a
17. A smile.
"I teach students with severe disabilities so the best gift is when a student smiles! If they're happy to come to my class everyday, I know I'm doing something right." --kellis40126aa76
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.