Last Minute Panic?
Down to the wire trying to decide what to get your child’s teacher, therapist, or coach this holiday season? You’re not alone! I just can’t bring myself to buy another candle, mug, or baked good, though. As a pediatric speech-language pathologist who used to work in schools, I’ve been the recipient of a wide variety of “teacher gifts.” So, here are a few unique ideas that I think your child’s teacher will love! Locally sourced, you can be sure these teacher gifts from Birmingham businesses will be a hit with anyone in your child’s life.
Unique Gifts for Teachers, Therapists, and Coaches
Local Coffee
One of the most popular teacher gifts is a cute or personalized coffee mug. Chances are, your child’s teacher has a cupboard overflowing with super cute containers for her coffee. However, not many people think to give them something to fill those mugs with! Gifting locally roasted coffee is a great alternative to the classic mug idea. You can support a local business while you make sure your child’s teacher is properly caffeinated! Birmingham is blessed with a ton of local coffee shops like O’Henry’s, Cala Coffee, Bitty & Beau’s, Santos, and so many more! And if you’re just dying to buy a mug to go along with that bag of coffee, I highly recommend a travel mug. They are infinitely more useful and gifted way less frequently than normal mugs.
Plants
If you’ve never worked in a school, you probably don’t realize how much time and money teachers spend on decorating their classrooms. Not only are the teachers spending a great deal of money for their classrooms, they are working to make sure that their room is an environment conducive to learning. Most teachers are also trying to pull this off on little or no budget. So, most teachers will spend their own money on things that will help establish a comfortable classroom. Indoor plants and flowers are such a simple way to help make a space feel more homey. Conveniently, Birmingham boasts a variety of locally owned nurseries for you to chose from! Leaf N Petal, Shoppe, House Plant Collective, Oak Street Garden, and Colliers are a few of my favorites!
Office Supplies…but make it cute!
It’s not surprising that most teachers have a special place in their hearts for cute office supplies. There are few professions that require more handwritten notes than a teacher. Stationary, note cards, and planners are crucial for day-to-day functioning when you’re trying to keep a classroom organized and on task. Personalized office supplies are a fun way to help remind teachers how much they are appreciated through every mundane daily job. Check out Paper Source‘s Gift Guide for Teachers for all kinds of fun journals, stationary, note pads, and more. If you’d like to buy something from a carefully-curated collection, check out Bookmarked Paperie. However, If you have something in mind that you want to create, local shops like Annabelle’s and Please Reply have plenty of options available!
Christmas Ornaments
Some of my all-time favorite gifts from my students and patients have come in the form of Christmas ornaments that the child picked out for me. I love nothing more than a child explaining exactly why they picked a certain ornament! Consequently, they are now my favorite thing to gift teachers. I started taking my son to pick out ornaments for his teachers when he was three years old. It is fascinating to watch him carefully select the “perfect” ornament for each of his teachers. He puts a lot of thought into it, and I love involving him in the process of gift giving! While a ton of stores have a selection of ornaments this time of year, our favorite place to buy locally crafted ornaments is The Alabama Goods Store in Homewood. They stock a variety of unique hand-made ornaments and gift wrap for free!
No Time to Shop?
While I do try and shop local whenever I can, gift cards are also always appreciated! If you’re running low on time and need to grab a quick gift, your child’s teacher will never be upset about receiving a gift card. Don’t forget to write them a quick note if they are particularly special to you, though. I’m not ashamed to admit that I still have a few notes that parents or students have written to me over the years. Sometimes the simplest part of the gift idea is what your child’s teacher will love the most! Happy shopping!
