We asked the BuzzFeed Community teachers about the best gift they'd ever been given. Here are some of their answers!
1. A mason jar filled with enough of their favorite gum to last them a couple of months.
2. A set of holiday dish towels (or lemon-print dishtowels, depending on the season!) and fancy dish soap that they normally wouldn't buy for themselves.
3. Personalized pencils that have a better chance of actually being returned when students borrow one.
4. A bottle of not crazy expensive but still good wine they can take home and enjoy...
5. ...or something a little harder that'll help them really relax! Like a bucket of cocktail mixes with alcohol, a decorated bottle of tequila, or even just a liquor store gift card.
6. A big Thirty-One bag with room for carrying everything home at the end of the day...and back into school the next morning.
7. Or, a no-brand personalized tote bag that works just as well!
8. A basic toolkit to help them with little fixes around the classroom or at home.
9. A personal laminator and laminating sheets, so they can display more student work and make nicer bulletin boards with less effort.
10. Disinfecting wipes to keep the classroom clean, fresh-smelling, and semi-sanitized.
11. Something meaningful that a student saved up for and bought themselves, like an iced coffee tumbler.
12. A custom recipe box packed with each student's favorite recipe.
13. A personalized crayon wreath that they can hang up in their classroom.
14. Monogrammed toiletry/pencil bags and scarves they can use in their everyday life.
15. A coffee mug or travel cup that's tailored to their interests.
16. A nicer lanyard than the one the school issues for holding all of their most important items through the day.
17. A brand-new office chair in their very favorite color that'll bring them joy every time they sit down to grade papers or answer emails.
18. Gift cards to Starbucks, so they can treat themselves to their favorite drinks and pastries.
19. Or gift cards to the local movie theater, so they can check out the latest buzz-worthy flick.
20. OR gift cards for a massage, a fancy car wash, or a nail salon — enough to cover the full cost of at least one service, of course.
21. ORRR just straight-up money they can spend however they want.
22. You could even coordinate with other parents in the class to get everyone to chip in on a pricier gift certificate.
23. A custom-made gift that they can hang up in their classroom for years to come.
24. Notes and letters that are heartfelt and sincere, and that remind teachers how important they are when they have a hard week (or month, or year).
25. Or jar (or notebook) full of notes from the whole class.
26. A gift basket made up of all of that teacher's favorite things.
27. Or a gift basket made up of just useful, nice things to have, even if you don't know much about your kid's teacher at all.
28. Thoughtful, homemade gifts that that tie directly to something they love, whether it's a fandom or their subject matter.
29. Something meaningful *from* their favorite fandom, whether it's a personalized piece of art...
...or a really cool piece of merch, like Harry Potter's wand.
30. A surprise pizza (or other food) delivery they can enjoy during their lunch break.
31. Tickets to see their favorite music artist — split between members of the class, of course.
32. A gaming console (maybe split between a few parents to save some $$$) to *really* show your appreciation and give them a reason to sit down and relax once in a while.
33. A box (or a bouquet, if you will) of instant coffee to help them quickly refuel themselves throughout the day.
34. A planter decorated with some hand-painted designs because teachers help children grow, and this is a fun and meaningful way to show how much you appreciate that.
