Make Your New Teacher Smile with the Perfect Gift

Considering the average age for retiring is 63, you only have so much time to make your teachers feel good. Why not start when they're brand new? Let's face it: teachers work hard, they put up with a lot, and most of us would not want to switch places with them. Even for the sake of simply being a decent citizen, sliding a well-thought out gift to a teacher is a great way to express the gratitude your teacher deserves.

Typically, we think of "teachers" as those who are in front of the classroom conducting lessons. However, it's important to not overlook other professionals in the building who may not be "teachers" but are still teaching students every day. These include office personnel, those in food services, guidance counselors, and administration. All of these people, especially those who are new, are deserving of a nice gift, particularly during everyone's favorite time of the year: graduation. Here are some tips for choosing the right graduation gift for new teachers.

Make it Personal

As the old adage goes, it’s the thought that counts. This is never truer than when you are choosing a gift. While any graduation gift for new teachers is going to be appreciated, if you take the extra step to personalize the gift, it will make that much more of an impact. Think about what your teacher needs. Think back to how the year went. Were there any struggles the teacher had to go through? Perhaps you yourself caused a few gray hairs to emerge—or drop out—is there a way to tactfully acknowledge the teacher’s grace under pressure? Personalizing a gift with a short statement or poem can be a great way to make sure the gift is well-received and sends the teacher into the summer with a wide smile.

Another way to personalize the gift is by putting the teacher’s name on it. Teachers, like most people, love to brag about their jobs, especially their students. If a gift is sitting on a shelf in their living room and it has the teacher’s name on it, friends and family members are likely to gaze admiringly and say, “Oh, isn’t that nice. Who gave this to you?” You definitely want your name to come through the teacher’s gleaming grin. The best way to do this is to have your name engraved on the gift. The same can be done for a statement or a poem. A crystal plaque is a fantastic choice for a gift that can be engraved and will shine as bright as your teacher’s smile.

It Should be Handcrafted

A graduation gift for new teachers needs to be a representation of how much you value him or her. While the teacher is not likely to get a length of service award because he or she is brand new, properly acknowledging even one year of work with a handcrafted gift can go a long way. Things made by hand have a special appeal. They evoke images of gentle care being invested into a finely crafted product. Crystal plaques can be handcrafted and done in such a way as to bring out thoughtful details. When you present a crystal plaque engraved by hand to a teacher, you can feel free to outline some of the handcrafted details. Letting the teacher know about these will make him or her feel even more special.

Teachers Graduate, Too

It is a common misperception that the only people who graduate each year are students. Going through a school year is about consistently showing up, working hard, giving an honest effort and getting good results. Teachers check off all four of these boxes. Hence, they effectively “graduate” every year. A graduation gift for new teachers is therefore an appropriate choice. And you should freely acknowledge their accomplishments as the steps taken towards this “graduation.” You can talk about things the teacher learned along the way and ways you saw the teacher improve. These could be tastefully engraved on a crystal plaque to be kept forever by a grateful teacher.

Regardless of the gift you choose, you want it to last. It should stay with your teacher as long as the memory of the great student or parent that gave it.