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10 Useful Gifts That Teachers Will Love: COVID Edition

by Kevyn Gohu
September 30, 2021

Teachers need to be appreciated with useful gifts for all the hard work they’ve being doing this pandemic.

World Teacher’s Day is coming up and it’s time to shower our teachers with some love! Teachers needed to change their approach to make sure our kids understood the subject matter. From board work and lectures, they upgraded to PowerPoint presentations, watch parties, and even YouTube streaming to teach during the pandemic. It’s amazing how they can come up with all these activities and still have the patience to deal with multiple kids when some of us are already struggling with homeschooling just one. So, we asked several teachers what gifts they would love to receive in a time like this.

1. Coffee

How do they have the energy to be so animated first thing in the morning? The secret lies in the coffee. A lot of teachers thrive on coffee and often times have a glass or mug of coffee first thing in the morning to get them started. The caffeine stimulates the brain but gives that extra energy boost without the sugar crash. You can add a barista tool like a French Press or a Moka Pot to the gift so teachers can trick up their coffee.

2. Noise-canceling Headphone with Microphone

Headphones with a microphone are gifts always appreciated by teachers who teach online classes. Earphones don’t have a long lifespan, usually breaking after 3 months or so due to constant use, and don’t cancel out sounds well. Noise-canceling headphones with a microphone on the other hand make sure that the clickety-clacky sounds of the keyboard don’t disturb the kids but also prevent a crowing chicken or a honking horn from interrupting the class.

3. A Useful Course on Coursera or Udemy

Teachers always need to be up-to-date with the latest teaching styles and topics about their specializations. So, why not a course from Coursera or Udemy? While the courses are pricy, Udemy and Coursera often have sales up to 70% off sometimes. It’ll take a little timing and monitoring to find the perfect gift for your kids’ teacher but it’s something they can definitely use.

4. Organizer

We already have a hard time keeping track of our child’s submissions, what more teachers who have 20-30 kids to monitor? Although Google Classroom’s there take some of the load, some teachers still prefer the old-fashioned organizer where they can write. Fully Booked, National Bookstore and some scrapbook stores have nice organizers with smooth papers and dividers make good gifts they’d love to use.

5. A Letter From Your Child

Nothing makes a teacher feel more loved and appreciated than a ‘thank you’ letter from your child. Many teachers enter the field with the passion of nurturing young minds and hearing from their students that they appreciate their efforts is so heartwarming. It doesn’t have to be a long letter; even a simple “thank you, teacher” ought to do to make the teacher feel loved and appreciated during the pandemic.

6. Hand Sanitizer or Alcohol

Teachers have errands to run too like groceries and maybe, restocking their medicine cabinet. Giving them hand sanitizer or alcohol as a gift shows that we do care for their health and welfare during the pandemic. If you’re not sure of what kind of hand sanitizer or alcohol to give them, there are some organic ones in case they’re hypoallergenic. To make it more personalized, you can even ask them what their favorite smell is so you can find a hand sanitizer with their favorite scent.

7. Being mindful of their consultation hours

It’s so tempting sometimes to email or text the teachers when something goes wrong in the activity but, teachers aren’t available 24/7. They have lives and need time to rest so they teach well the next time. If the teacher sent your child or you the course outline or syllabus, always check what time their consultation hours are. That way, they can respond to you right away and there’s less stress to be had.

8. Prepaid Load for Their Data

Teachers will always try to have a backup source of internet so they can continue teaching the kids. But not all of them use postpaid accounts. Some teachers rely on prepaid internet devices so they need load cards to fill them up. It may look tiny as a gift but it’s a useful thing for a teacher especially for those who use portable wi-fi devices. You’ll just have to ask if they have a Smart or Globe number so you can buy the right prepaid card for them.

9. A colorful background image made by their students

It doesn’t have to look like a Picasso or an Amorsolo but helping your kids give teachers an artwork they can use for their background while teaching’s a cute gift. It’ll cover the mess they have behind especially if they have a lot of papers and books strewn all around. While uploading custom-made backgrounds doesn’t work on Google Meet, it does on Zoom. If they’re too shy to draw, they can use online art programs like Gimp and Canva to make something.

10. A designed playlist

Some teachers love listening to music while they work. It motivates them while keeping them calm through the stressful work. Some music genres like Low-Fi music or even café music should help them stay calm as they check those papers. It doesn’t have to be on Spotify; you can even help your kids find it on YouTube and they can compose a playlist to listen to. There are some YouTube to MP3 downloaders online to help make an offline playlist.

Teachers are like your kids’ second parents!

While we’re teaching our kids life skills and ethics, the teachers take care of the academics among other things. But the pandemic has caused teaching styles to change. Teachers try to engage their students in a more play or game-oriented style of teaching to keep them engaged for the next hour and it’s not easy if they’re not in the same room. Our kids’ teachers are frontliners too and these little gifts let them know how their efforts are always appreciated.