The 3 gifts teachers don’t want for Christmas — what to buy instead
These teacher gifts get failing marks.
A Dallas-based educator has shared a teacher gift guide for parents that highlights what not to get school employees for the holidays.
Jac Farley recently ran down the naughty and nice list on TikTok, stressing that teachers are of course grateful for any gift they receive — but when you oversee dozens of kids, certain popular items can become redundant.
For that reason, Farley said, “The top three gifts to avoid are going to be Starbucks gift cards; cups (whether it be mugs or just drinking cups); and No. 3, classroom decor.”
“Teachers just get all of that on repeat all season long,” she added.
As for what makes an A+ gift this December, parents might “hate it,” but teachers can’t get enough gift cards.
“Gift cards are truly all I ever hear everybody say is what they want,” Farley emphasized. “The top gift card for educators is definitely Amazon. Teachers can use that for anything.”
Buying “amazing” gift cards for restaurants near school is a personal touch, Farley noted.
“What a lot of people don’t know is teachers have a ton of professional development days, where lunch is on our own,” she explained. “When I get these gift cards for Christmas, it feels like a nice treat that I can go out to lunch and not have to spend my own money out of pocket to treat myself.”
She said gift cards for manicures or massages go a long way as well.
“Taking care of our nails and our bodies is something that a lot of teachers don’t do because it’s pricey and a lot of teachers can’t afford it, so when we get a gift card for one of these things, it means the world,” she said.
New York teachers have also expressed that they enjoy winter accessories like scarves or gloves and tote bags — even a kindly worded card from a student can make Christmas break that much more enjoyable.
In the comments section of Farley’s video, some parents confessed to gift giving that rivals the fruit basket from Ralphie to Ms. Shields in “A Christmas Story.”
“I bought my kids teachers the Ulta Advent calendars and Jimmy johns gift cards!” exclaimed one.
“I thought I would get my boy’s teachers a 50 dollar Amazon gift card. Y’all spend so much time and money on our kids. We appreciate you all,” gushed another.