Christmas is drawing near, and if you have young kids, that means their teacher is probably on the list of people you get gifts for.
So, if you've felt defeated Pinterest scrolling knowing you'll never be able to pull off a gift that crafty, a teacher named Kayla Gamble is here to tell you not to stress.
In her TikTok — which has been viewed nearly 2 million times — she reveals candy as the first unwanted gift at the bottom of the pyramid.
After candy, we find that teachers like Kayla don't really like blankets or socks either.
She also doesn't care to receive candles or perfume.
NO, MOST TEACHERS DON'T WANT CANDLES!!
Moving into the green section, Kayla is happy to be gifted insulated cups.
And it is confirmed that a lot of teachers like this gift!
The next reveal comes as no surprise: GIFT CARDS!!!
But, you might be shocked to know that gift cards weren't at the top of the list...
Nope. The top of Kayla's Christmas wishlist will actually cost you nothing. All she wants is:
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT!!!
BuzzFeed spoke to Kayla who explained, "The whole premise of my video was to make people and parents understand that, sure, you can give us all the things on our wishlist, but if you’re not there in some capacity to help us help your child succeed, then those gifts simply don’t matter."
Kayla said that many parents tell her they’re willing to be involved, but their actions prove otherwise. "Once a child knows that a parent and a teacher are on the same team, and they both follow through with the things that they say, it makes the child understand that they need to do their best and try their best in school."
To be clear, however, Kayla said parent involvement does NOT mean a parent who constantly hovers and questions a teacher's ability to teach their child. "An involved parent means things like checking binders/folders, making sure their child's homework/projects are done, and communicating with the teacher if their child will be out during a non-break. In addition, being open-minded to suggestions that teachers give for a child’s academic, emotional, and mental success. I know this is feasible for all parents," she said.
Out of curiosity, we asked Kayla what she feels like most teachers would deem "the worst gift to get." She confirmed that it is likely anything with fragrance simply because everyone has their own scent preferences. "I’d also rather get nothing from parents than a gift that was just thrown together," she added.
And Kayla told us her favorite Christmas gift to date was actually a heartfelt note from one of her students. "It was super touching since we had been going through it behavior-wise, and I really didn’t believe they liked me much."
"Teaching is a very hard job where we make literal magic happen on a daily basis. Teachers are essentially strangers who take care of and advocate for your kids like they are our own child or relative. It would just be great if all parents advocated as hard as teachers do for their children," she concluded.
