We Found the Favorite End-of-Year Teacher Gifts
November 1, 2023
Looking for the perfect way to show appreciation for your child(ren)’s teachers?
Let’s face it. Life is busy with work, meal prepping, appointments, bills and everything else under the sun. Sometimes it’s difficult finding a moment to sit down, let alone finding the time to think about a thoughtful gift for the educators in your student(s)’ lives.
We understand that it can be hard to add something else to your already overflowing plate. That’s where we enter the scene. We’ve found the best end-of-year teacher gifts, so you don’t have to. And while we don’t like to brag, we know that these gifts won’t just sit around and collect dust. Instead, these presents will actually be used!
Most Requested End-of-Year Teacher Gifts
Drumroll, please. The most requested end-of-year teacher gifts are Paper Mate® Flair® pens. Yes, you read that right. Pens. Remember that we’re going for usefulness and practicality here! Besides, who couldn’t use more pens?!
From what we’ve heard, these Paper Mate Flair Pens are hot commodities among teachers. Plus, they come in fun, bright colors that won’t bleed through paper.
Personalized Teacher Gifts
Who doesn’t like receiving something with their name on it?! Or is that just a guilty pleasure of ours? Either way, you can’t tell us that your children(s)’ teacher(s) wouldn’t love receiving personalized notecards or even a personalized pen.
Cheap Teacher Gifts
Let’s clarify something here – cheap does not mean unwanted. But to eliminate any misconceptions, we’re going to use the word inexpensive instead of cheap. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get to the good stuff.
- You can never go wrong with a thoughtful handwritten thank you note. Have your student(s) express appreciation to their teacher(s) with a few kind words or even a poem.
- You know what else is sure to please? A candy bar. Tell us who wouldn’t love receiving a good ol’ piece of chocolate?! Not only is this a budget-friendly option, it’s also super easy; eliminating any worries of online ordering, wondering if the gift will arrive on time for the last day of school. Instead, you can quickly grab a candy bar from the grocery or convenience store. Heck, even the gas station offers them!
- Another inexpensive gift option is hand soap, which is especially useful for the classroom.
- Tip: For an added discount towards the purchase, be on the lookout for sales and coupons. Since soap doesn’t go bad, you can always buy hand soap in advance if you find a great deal.
- Do you have a flower garden, or do you know someone who does? A fresh bouquet of flowers is always a sweet surprise for any teacher.
- Tip: Have an old vase laying around? If not and you have to purchase one, consider checking on the shelves at your local thrift shop.
Whichever gift you choose for your student(s)’ teacher(s), remember to keep it simple and from the heart. What are your go-to teacher gifts? Share your favorites in the comments.
Since December 2024, donors have contributed an impressive $1,443,000 to
the GBU Foundation, establishing new scholarship, educational grant and
donor-advised charitable funds. These gifts help to shape a brighter future for
students, communities and charitable causes across the country.
Legacy giving, also known as planned giving, is a meaningful way to leave behind an impact on the causes and organizations you care about. By incorporating life insurance and annuities into your estate planning, you can maximize the benefits of your legacy gifts, ensuring they are both impactful and tax efficient.
As we move into the second quarter of another exciting year, I want to take a moment to reflect on our accomplishments and share some of the new initiatives we are implementing in the realms of sales, marketing and community engagement. Over the past year, GBU Life has reached significant milestones thanks to the dedication and hard work of our team and the trust and support of our members. Our sales department has exceeded targets, and we have expanded our reach to more communities than ever before. We have launched several successful marketing campaigns that have not only increased our visibility but have also strengthened our brand's presence in the industry. For this year, our focus will be educating potential new members on the importance of securing their financial futures through life insurance and annuity products while serving their communities as part of our great Society. Looking ahead, we are committed to enhancing our sales strategies to better serve you. We are introducing some tools for our agents to enhance our products. One new tool is our Defined Benefit Annuity program which combines the Future Flex Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) with a software tool that can help determine retirement savings needs and break them down into contributions over time to help you meet your retirement goals. Be sure to keep in touch with your GBU agent to review your plans and products to see how adding an FIA to your retirement planning can help boost your savings efforts
GBU members between the ages of three and nine years old can enter their colored page in this year's contest, which is themed Pawprints on My Heart. Three age categories will be judged as follows: Category I: Ages three and four Category II: Ages five and six Category III: Ages seven, eight and nine Entrants may use crayons, colored pencils, markers or watercolor paints. Entries will be accepted through Monday, August 18, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. The picture on the next page can be reproduced, or copies can be obtained by calling the Community Engagement Team at the GBU Home Office (800-765-4428) or by printing the image above. Cash Prizes for Each Category First prize: $75 Second prize: $50 Third prize: $30 How to Enter Send the three- to nine-year-old GBU member's coloring contest entry with their name and address on the colored page to: GBU Life ATTN: Member Benefits 4254 Saw Mill Run Boulevard Pittsburgh, PA 15227-3394. Or email contest@gbu.org with "Coloring Contest Entry” as the subject line. General Information Judges reserve the right to accept or reject any or all entries. Their decisions will be final. Artwork will be handled at the GBU Home Office with the utmost care. GBU reserves the right to reproduce entries for whatever use it wishes, provided proper credit is given. Permission does not include the sale of such work.
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