The most practical holiday gift ideas for teachers? Amazon cards. If you are the lucky recipient, here are 16 ways you can use that cash to make your job easier.
Because great teachers don’t have time for classroom materials that are wishy-washy.
We’ve got lives to change.
And lives outside the classroom.
So let’s look at the 16 practical holiday gift ideas that will give you your time back this year.
Some links are affiliate links.
Sharpie Chisel Tip: Practical Gift
These colorful chisel-pointed sharpies will make any teacher weak in the knees.
Cheaper permanent markers dry out right when you need them most. But these Sharpies are the Cadillac of markers. They make writing anchor charts a dream.
And that means one less thing to worry about. (And those colors! Look at them! Tell me that lime green doesn’t thrill you!)
Uniball Pens
Uniballs Visions get the job done and write cleanly and smoothly. I usually buy myself 2 boxes of these per year. ‘Cause correcting, man.
Since correcting is a must, you might as well do it with a pen that’s fun to write with.
Magnetic Hooks
For years, I used all the cheap-o magnets to hang things up.
No more.
These magnetic hooks don’t mess around. They’re freaky strong. Use them in many ways:
After you invest in these, you’ll be throwing your wimpy magnets out the door. (Try not to hit anybody.)
Laminator
At first, you may balk. ‘Cause your school likely has its own laminator. Why spend your cash on another?
Time. Saved time.
Ever have something not laminate properly? Those dreaded air pockets are the worst.
Or when you need to laminate something for an upcoming lesson, and the machine breaks? Again. For the third time this week.
When you have your own laminator — like this one — you know it’s going to turn out great every time. No lines. No fiascos. No putting it off until the danged school laminator is fixed.
And? The quality is SO much better. It’s stronger and more durable. And much easier to use.
Worth every penny.
Corner Rounder
You’d be amazed how quickly this corner rounder comes in handy. If you are laminating cards and the ends are sharp, use the corner rounder (there are 3 rounding options.)
Additionally, it reduces the tendency or corners from curling inwards.
And? It makes an amazing student job that kids will fight over. One less thing for you!
Paper Cutter
This baby is concise! If you need to cut through reams of paper, look elsewhere. But if you want to get perfect corners or angles on name tags? She’s your gal. Light. Safe. Easy to use.
SO glad I invested some dimes in this little beauty.
And it works great with laminated sheets. You get clean lines and it’s much faster than cutting with scissors.
Yeti Tumbler
How about that color?
My husband’s a professional musician and a dog walker, so he uses his orange Yeti all the time. In the steamy summer walks, his water stays ice cold. In winter? His coffee remains HOT.
Yeti seems to have sold its soul to the Devil.
Sure she’s expensive. And worth twenty of her cheaper knockoffs.
And sooo many beautiful colors...
Coffee & Tea Mug
This one’s my baby. I have this coffee mug in the bright orange pictured. Not only is the color gorgeous, but it helps if you tend to misplace your coffee in the classroom. (Hard to miss that hue.)
Like the Yeti, it keeps one’s coffee piping hot.
It’s easy to clean and your coffee always tastes fresh!
Caffeine is queen for most of us teachers. Let’s not fool around with crap mugs.
3 hole punch
Solid. Reliable. Does the job.
Sound like a Ford commerical, but no. We’re talking about 3-hole punchers.
Having gone through my fair share, I’m telling you — THIS one‘s the best. It cuts through several sheets effortlessly. And the punchers never get stuck in the paper like some of the cheaper models do.
Doorbell
Once you start using this doorbell, you’ll wonder how you got along without it.
The large part plugs into an outlet. You can set it to one of 52 chimes and adjust the volume.
This is one of the practical holiday gift ideas for teachers for the following reasons:
- a doorbell during Teacher Parent conferences
- signal to move from one station to the next
- start or stop signal
- Word of the day noise
- Attention-getter
What I love? The Happy Birthday setting, as it’s a low-prep way celebrate a child’s B-day throughout the day.
If you have prizes in your classroom, this makes a great no-cost prize: pick the ringtone for the day.
Scented Markers
Not as good as the Sharpies above in lasting power. But a GREAT incentive to get kids to take a risk and write on your anchor charts. I save these just for kid use. And boy do they get excited. Never underestimate scented office supplies.
Toolkit
People come into my room and borrow my toolkit every day. Not that I mind. I’m all for sharing.
But it illustrates how handy a toolkit is for many tasks.
- adjusting glasses
- fixing chairs
- hanging things on walls
- cutting cardboard
- changing table or chair height
- measuring
Talk about practical holiday gift ideas for teachers!
Dry Erase Markers
The dry eraser markers in most classrooms dry out with frustrating rapidity.
A good set like these will give you one less thing to worry about. These ones get glowing reviews. (I may have to treat myself this year. The usual black/blue/red/green combo is getting old.)
Lip Balm
Classrooms are dry. We talk. All day.
This stuff is amazing. (And vegan. So no harmed animals!)
Marble Fidgets
I love these fidgets. Why?
They don’t make noise!!!
Does any more need to be said?
Thank you Cards
Want to thank folks for your amazon cards? Grab this set and have a lifetime of Thank You cards at your fingertips. Wherever you are, just select the style, print, personalize, and you’re done!
Now It’s Your Turn!
Tell us in the comments below:
- What are some practical gifts you want to spend your Amazon cards on?
- OR … What’s a teacher gift you’ll never forget?
- OR … Share what’s on your list and then forward it to the peeps in your life who want to spoil you!
Know a teacher who works too late? Want to send them time-saving tips? Then share this article with them on social media using the links up top.
Want more good stuff?
Click here and get “8 Ways to Create Lifelong Readers.” Want your kids to love reading? In 8 easy steps, you’ll have a well-loved book haven in your classroom.
Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers Store and click on the green “Follow” star under the store name. You’ll get monthly messages and first dibs on ways to save time in your classroom.
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