Wondering What to Give Your Teacher and How to Gift it? 10 Personalized Gifts for Your Beloved Teacher and Ideas for How to Give Gift to Your Teacher (2020)

Teachers are some of the most important people in our lives, especially during our formative years. They are partly responsible for what you have achieved so far in your life. Together with your parents, they form the troupe of guardians that protect and nurture you at every step. We thank our teachers by giving them gifts, to show how much we appreciate what they did or are doing for us, but sometimes we err in choosing the right item to give as gifts. Not every item is appropriate to be gifted to a teacher. When you are getting gifts for your teacher, you need to keep in mind that the items must be appropriate to the status of the position. Let us see what things to keep in mind while buying gifts for your teacher.

Different items have different meanings to different people, and we have to respect that. What might seem like a good gift to you might not be considered a good gift by another. The problem lies in generalisation and that we are unconscious victims of it. We club certain objects under the good heading while some others as inappropriate for gifting to other people. The next time you are buying a gift for your teacher, make sure to not be guided by these generalisations. Let the relationship you share with the teacher and the feelings associated with it decide what you should get.

The first mistake that we do while buying a gift for anybody is that we assume what the other person will like or not. General misconception is that perfumed and cute items are liked by everybody. The majority might like them, but that doesn’t mean they are appropriate in every circumstance, especially when you are buying those scented and cute items as a gift for your teacher. So stay clear of the shelves stacked with scented candles, cute figurines, keychains and the likes.

Another example of assuming is when we gift toiletries like deodorants, lotions, shampoos etc. As gifts. Toiletries are personal products and depend on the person what he or she will like or what products suit them. You might end up gifting your teacher a shampoo that gives him/her horrible allergies. Also, steer clear of items that are stereotypical of a teacher’s culture or race or religion. You might not intend it, but your teacher can take offence.

Gifts serve their purpose only when they are used. A gift is something that adds value to the life of the recipient. If your gift is a physical product and the recipient never finds an opportunity to use it, then that gift is nothing more than garbage. When you are buying gifts for your teacher, get items that are regularly used by teachers like stationery, books etc. Or any item that a person might need in life. Avoid showcase items and home décor products. Though these items add to the aesthetic value of a room yet if those items don’t appeal to the tastes of the teacher then they will just be dumped in the storeroom. As it is said in the above paragraph, do not assume what items your teacher would like to decorate his/her room with.

You might give a lot of thought before buying certain tiny items like figurines, small picture frames and other such trinkets but they tend to cause a lot of clutter. Yes, those items might have meaning between you two, but if it leads to an undesirable result then it's best to avoid it. Clutter looks ugly even if it is caused by meaningful trinkets. Save your teacher the trouble of cleaning and clearing by not gifting such tiny knickknacks.

Culturally, stuffed toys are associated with romantic love. If not that, then it represents childishness. Neither do you share a romantic relationship with your teacher nor is your teacher a child. The relationship that is present between you and your teacher is that of a mentor and mentee, a relationship that is deemed sacred in all cultures across the globe. Such a relationship is built on mutual respect. The cute teddy bear might seem innocuous, but it is going to give all the wrong messages to your teacher and jeopardize the respect upon which your relationship is standing. So avoid stuffed toys at all costs.

The word scholastic means anything to do with schools or what it represents, which is learning. A teacher’s life is intimately associated with scholasticism as he or she not only imparts learning. but learns in the process as well. Their entire life is dedicated to distributing and developing knowledge, a task that requires not just skill but also honesty. When you are a teacher, you are in all respects shaping the future of our world. Thus, you respect the position of a teacher the most when you give gifts that have a scholastic value. Gifts such as this shows that you respect your teacher as a mentor and there is no better way to commemorate this relationship that is responsible for what you are today. Consider books of any genre to gift your teacher. If you happen to be a writer and have your works published then nothing is better than it as a gift for your teacher.

Now that you know what is appropriate and what isn’t as a gift for a teacher, it is time to decide what to buy for him/her. There is an array of useful items, do not clutter, has scholastic value and do not assume the likes and dislikes of the recipient. These items are appropriate for the station of a teacher. Follow this BP Guide to choose the best gift for your beloved teacher:

Sticky notes are a very useful accessory to have in our daily life. Not only does it allow us to be reminded of important chores, but also can be used as “intelligent” bookmarks. Teachers, especially, can segregate chapters and notes in a book by pasting a sticky note at the end of a particular page. Then write the name of the chapter on the part of the sticky note dangling out. That way, he or she, doesn’t have to shuffle through a lot of papers to find that exact chapter. Keeping this in mind, this pack of 200 sheets of sticky note would be a very thoughtful gift for a teacher. The said sticky notes are of 8 different colours and 4 different sizes. It comes in a compact box that also contains a calendar and is priced Rs. 500.

Indoor plants have a very calming effect on our nerves. Those of us who are in stressful professions must make it a point to surround ourselves with plants for our mental well being. Teaching is a taxing job both physically and mentally and gifting your teacher Potted Indoor Plants would be a good gesture. Like this pair of two different types of plants in two beautiful raisin pots. The Jade plant is 4 inches tall, while the Green Syngonium plant is 6 inches tall. Each pot is about 3 x 3-inch dimension. The entire set comes at Rs. 999.

Books and teachers are inseparable. Teachers are always surrounded by books as their profession demands it. Though it sounds good to be surrounded by books, they tend to create a lot of clutter. Nothing looks uglier than books strewn on the work table. In that respect, this bookend would be a great accessory to your teacher. It’s shaped like a bicycle and is made from heavy gauge steel. It is black in colour and has a powder finish. This bookend comes at Rs. 1,999.

Digitalisation in almost every industrial and entertainment sector has enabled us to acquire their services through our smartphones and tablets right at the comfort of our homes. We can watch movies, live TV, read a book, chat etc. On those devices. But constantly holding those devices can tire our hands and this is where this phone holder comes into play. This Phone holder has a flexible arm and can be put on almost anything. It allows you to watch any content on your phone while keeping your hands free to do other work simultaneously. The cord is 70 cm long while the holding clasp can hold any phone under 10 inches height. It costs Rs. 1,200.

A teacher needs to carry a lot of stationery, from pens to stapler and so a large, trendy pouch to carry them will be a great gift. This pouch is dimensions 12.5-inch x 8.5 inches and is made from high-quality canvas cloth. It is handcrafted and the print on it is in ultra HD giving it a photorealistic look. It is fitted with a genuine YKK zipper and it comes at Rs. 799.

Managing classes, syllabuses, setting question papers, correcting answer scripts; teaching might involve children but it is not child's play. There are deadlines to respect and inefficiency is not at all acceptable. Sometimes the pressure gets to a teacher and he/she finds themselves in need of a stress buster. This anti-stress cube toy is perfect in such situations. It is nothing elaborate or complicated and can be around in pockets or bags. Whenever one feels the stress level rising, one can reach for it anytime to tone down the stress. The Cube is made from aluminium alloy and is painted in yellow and white. It costs Rs. 399.

Books are the best gift irrespective of the occasion. A good book is the best companion and has the most scholastic value. Each book is a source of learning and you are celebrating the act of imparting and gaining knowledge from gifting books. When you are getting a gift for your teacher consider this collection of short stories by the renowned writer Jeffrey Archer. This bestseller contains short stories from 3 previously published books by the writer. Each of those stories are a treat to read and your teacher would enjoy them in his/her leisure. This paper edition of the book costs Rs. 599.

Our work desks whether at home or in the office are the most cluttered places on earth. It is almost always strewn with papers, stationery, books, food packets etc. Though the sight might give a vibe of business and industry, it is not a sight to behold. This Desk organiser can help us in that regard and hence is a good gift for your teacher. It is made from metal but is lightweight and compact. It has 9 compartments where you can place all your stationery. It not only allows you to store stationery items without a fuss but also makes them easily accessible when you need them. The sleek design and durability of the product makes it a must-have on your desk. It comes at Rs. 999.

Many of us love to keep diaries, either to write down important notes or to pen down our thoughts or both. This designer notebook with Dreamcatcher prints on the cover would be a perfect diary and a good gift for your teacher. The notebook is of the dimensions 5.25-inch x 8 inches and bound with metal wire. It has 96 pages of 100 GSM quality. One side of the pages is ruled while the other side is blank. It costs Rs. 199.

Stationery is used daily by us and while pens, pencils, erasers are common and is available in most shops, certain stationery items are not so. Like staplers, punchers etc. Thus, it would be a good idea to gift your teacher an office stationery set like this. It is from the brand Kangaro and contains a stapler, staples, a staple remover and tape dispenser, uncommon but important items. It comes in an attractive box and costs Rs. 375.