09 Aug 10 Back To School Ideas For Teacher Motivation

With many schools starting back this week and in the upcoming weeks, it is important to get a good start not only with the students, but also with the teachers. Many schools do end of year gifts, but what about beginning of the year gifts to get positive moods going with the teachers and parents. Here 10 ideas for Back to school gifts for teachers to help start off the year right:

1. Coffee Mugs – I’m not talking about just any coffee mug, but a tumbler with a lid. The porcelain tumblers with the silicone lids keep coffee hot for longer and they protect against spills, especially in the elementary schools where there are a lot of little ones.
2. Laptop Bags – Many teachers have their own laptop bags, so giving a great laptop case with the school logo on it would be perfect. And for those teachers who don’t have a laptop, no worries, they can use the bag to tote their books.
3. Polo Shirts – Giving out some nice shirts with the school logo embroidered on them are great gifts. Now this is just 1 day less that the teachers have to decide what they are going to wear. Why not start a school spirit day and declare that Fridays are school spirit day and promote the teachers and students to wear school shirts. This would also be a great way to sell t-shirts to the students with your school info printed on them.
4. Premium Pens – Now I’m not talking about a cheap pen. The Bic Clic Stic pens will never do for this purpose. I’m talking about a really nice metal heavy pen with the school logo engraved on them. You can get some great pens for $3-$5 each; however the perceived value is much greater. The teachers will be proud to write with this type of pen.
5. Double Insulated Cup with Straw – These cups are great. Not only will they keep your water ice cold for hours, but since they are covered they help prevent spills and keep the little kid germs out of your drink.
6. Journals – All teachers are required to attend staff meetings for updates on policies and procedures, so give them custom printed journals to take notes.
7. Picture Frames – Teachers sometimes have long hours, so a picture frame for photos of their loved ones are a great addition for their desk to help them get through the work day.
8. USB Flash Drives – These are great to pre-load with school documents and give the teachers a way to easily transport documents they are working on at school and easily transfer to their laptop or home computer since we all know teachers don’t just work during school hours.
9. Umbrellas – Everyone hates to get up and go to work in the rain and spend the first part of the day wet, so give away umbrellas with the school mascot printed on them. Not only will these keep your teachers dry, but they will also promote school spirit within your school and community.
10. Chocolate – Who doesn’t like chocolate? Except for maybe diabetics and those allergic to it, but they still probably love it. Nothing says welcome back better than chocolate. Some you can have the school mascot molded into the chocolate while other options allow the wrappers to be custom printed.

Whatever you do for back school, make sure and make it a welcoming experience for the teacher. They will be much more likely to dedicate more of their resources and compassion into their job if they know they are appreciated. Not only will the teachers appreciate it, but so will the students and the parents of the students. The job of teaching is getting harder and harder with state mandated laws on performance, so make sure and give the teachers a little joy and show your appreciation for their efforts, because we know their pay does not reflect for all of the difficulties and stress they face.