Ali + Julie
Co-Founders, GroupTogether.
Life’s busy. That’s why we’re here to make it easy for you to collect money from a group. Less wasted time, less packaging waste, and spending a little less but giving a lot better!
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Not another mug! Explore our top gift ideas for teachers and educators. Show your appreciation with these unique and cool presents for every budget.
By Ali + Julie
September 9, 2024
We put the word out to teachers to find out what they really want as gifts. Research with over 100 Australian teachers showed that:
There you have it! A card plus a gift card from the whole class would make the teacher's day. If you're looking for some more teacher gift ideas, we've rounded up some trending gifts for every budget.
Ranked as the #1 gift for teachers (by teachers) is a teacher thank you card from the class. Teachers absolutely love reading the thank you messages from the kids, memorable stories from the year and seeing photos from their class' favourite moments. Soooo nice!
But it can be a nightmare to organise...trust us, with 7 kids between us...we know! That's actually why we created GroupTogether, to make it easy for the class to come together to show their appreciation. Now it's used in thousands of Australian schools.
One parent simply creates a card and shares the link with everyone to sign online. You even have the option to collect money for a class gift. Parents love it because everything is private, that means no one knows how much you’ve given, so no pressure in this current crazy economy.
What about the gift? We rave about gift cards for good reason! It gives your teacher the choice to pick something they’ve really wanted for ages. When you use GroupTogether, you can give the AnyCard which lets the teacher choose from 70+ brands including Woolies, Myer, David Jones, JB HiFi and many more.
This gorgeous Leif hand balm is a no brainer teacher gift. The scent is smoky and if they’ve hard a tough day with a class the experience of popping on a gorgeous hand balm can give them a moment of luxury. A thoughtful teacher gift!
Gifts for your teacher are great when they be used throughout their work-day. This Australian made Customisable Refillable ink stamp will add a nice touch to their desk. Plus they have rave reviews: ”I love the stamps that I have bought! They are such great quality and the colours are bright and fun. I love that I can personalise them. They arrived really quickly too. I have ordered before and will order again. Thank you 🙂 ~ Mel”
Gifts for educators that are sustainable - j’adore!! They can secure their piles of homework to mark in style with the fantastic design of PLUS's Staple-Free Stapler.
Teachers can never have too many Sharpies! So as far as teacher gift ideas go this is it. This pack comes with all different types to get their creative juices flowing while they lesson plan. You could also pair this with the Leif hand cream if your budget is under $50 to make it even more thoughtful.
We all know how amazing our teachers are, most of the time they’re overworked and underpaid. When it comes to gifts for educators we love to choose gifts that allow them to create moments of luxury and relaxation. This body scrub is perfect for a pamper evening at home!
Teacher present ideas that are gorgeous and practical are always winners in our book! This elegant key storage is perfect to add to their lanyard. We love that it holds up to 7 keys so it’s great for department heads
This stamp is a nice upgrade to the one we mentioned before. It offers even more personalisation options, if you can wrangle a photo of them - no creepy photoshoots please! Then you can also add their photo, or even cuter (and less creepy) add a pic of the class. The artist draws a cute animated version which makes this a unique educator gift ideas.
Is your favourite teacher a lunch-packing pro? Then we've got just the thing! This 100% plastic-free, airtight, and insulated lunch box is perfect for keeping their homemade meals fresh, flavourful, and at the perfect temperature. Ditch those disposable containers and bulky lunch bags – this stylish and eco-friendly option is a win-win! Plus, it's super easy to clean, so they can spend less time washing dishes and more time doing what they love.
Gift suggestions for teachers that are appropriate - yes pls! There aren’t many people on this floating ball who don’t love tea. T2 offer a whole range of great quality gorgeous pieces for the tea lover. They can choose to share in the staff room or take it home for themselves. This pack comes with 20 assorted teas to choose from.
What did we say about cute and practical gifts? That’s right they’re a winner. Label makers make great gifts for your teacher. This one has a cute design, so they can preferably recycle or throw out their old bulky one. We love that it connects directly to their phone via an app so they can print labels with ease.
Gifts for instructors can be tricky to hunt for, you want something unique but not weird and you don’t want to get them another ‘N1 Teacher’ mug. We say go for a great quality hat like this one, they can wear it on playground duty and there's a male and female option.
Another stellar teacher gift for playground duty is this bag. It means they can pop their phone, keys and snacks into it while they watch your little ones tear around the oval at lunch.
We have a love affair with Hommey products and for good reason! They’re cute and fantastic quality. This cushion would be a cute teacher gift idea for their home or to spice up the staff lounge.
If your teacher is still using plastic water bottles, what century are they in? Jokes aside, protect their health with this gorgeous Frank Green bottle. We love the triple wall vacuum insulated to retain heat or cold. Each bottle is created BPA free with FDA & EU approved safe materials. Plus the ergonomically designed Grip Lid makes it really easy to carry the bottle around. Give the gift of plastic free hydration - our go-to gifts for educators!
Teacher present ideas that can be used every day are a nice reminder of how much their class appreciates them. This personalised notebook with monogramming is a nice upgrade from their Officeworks one!
We love bougie versions of simple products because why not romanticise the every day?! This beautiful pencil sharpener is a great teacher present idea as it resists pencil breakage, so they won’t be left sharpening pencils religiously. This bougie pencil sharpener has some street cred too… It was the Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener was the runner-up in the Best Stationery Essential category of our 2023 Milligram awards. Who knew you could rate stationary? You could also buy them a pack of 12 Blackwing pencils to go with it if you’re feeling really generous.
These plant and chocolate hampers make gorgeous teacher gifts. The cute plant can brighten up their office or home and the Bahen and Co chocolate and cotton candy is a nice sweet treat for their lunch break.
Remember when we said cute and practical gifts are a total win? Well, we weren't kidding!
This lanyard is the perfect example. It's not just a lanyard, it's a style statement with a personal touch – add those initials for a custom flair! Plus, it's the ultimate office sidekick, keeping personal details under wraps when you're on the go. The secret weapon? A retractable card holder for easy access to your essentials, and extra space for those coffee run cards. And the best part? It comes in a range of playful colours that scream fun and functional!
Use in the classroom and at home -”It will look lovely on your shelf or table, and also make your home smell sensational when paired with the right essential oil. In smoked grey glass, it’s perfect for those of us who prefer a monochrome, minimalist vibe in our home decor.”
Most of the time teachers work incredibly long hours, so a few nights off cooking would be greatly appreciated. GroupTogether as a class to take a bit off their plate, as thoughtful as it gets for teacher gifts!
When you light this candle the aroma that fills the air is the Highway 1 drive down the Californian coast; rainwater in the eucalyptus groves, magnolia and wet wood. Niche we know but it smells divine! Simple quality gifts for educators are always winners.
Maybe the year has come to an end and you can tell your teacher needs to relax. This hamper has everything they'll need to unwind. It comes with a small colour bouquet of flowers, Candle, Bath Blend, Hand Treatment and a complimentary Wide Tooth Comb. You can add extras such as a vase or cake if you feel like splurging as a class. Another meaningful gift suggestion for teachers.
There are a lot of young teachers who might not want a bulky backpack travelling to and from work. This stylish tote bag is perfect for commuting on public transport. We love the front, back and internal pockets, padded laptop compartment, pen loops, large zip-closure main compartment and the detachable cross-body webbing strap. A cute teacher gifts!
This is the teacher gifts for your drama teacher or just anyone who love arts. Experiences as gifts are always well received, we suggest choosing a gift voucher so they can pick what time works best for them.
Gifts for educators made by educators! This game was created by a science teacher and would be perfect for your teachers that love a good boardgame to unwind with after work.
As the school year winds down, you can see your teacher is ready for a break. A massage gift voucher is the perfect way for them to relax and recharge. After all, who wouldn't appreciate a little pampering? You could even make it a class gift and add a special touch like a bouquet of flowers or a handwritten card. It's a thoughtful and meaningful way to show your appreciation for all their hard work.
I know, I know, alcohol can be a bit touchy but a few teachers said they’d love to receive a bottle of wine as a gift! This will require some sleuthing to find out your teacher's favourite style of wine but also might be a chance for them to try something new. Sometimes Always has a wide range of pack options to choose from, ranging from traditional reds to ‘skinsy whites’ or a mixture of both. A fun teacher gift.
Do they already have a label maker? Then go for this! It is a creative and fun upgrade that cuts, draws and writes. They can cut-out logos, stickers, customised labels, vinyl decals, iron-on transfers, and more. A nice gift suggestion for teachers who love an organised classroom.
Teacher gift ideas they can use in the classroom and at home - how good! This portable speaker comes in a range of colours has balanced 360° sound, deep bass and a one-touch control.
For teacher gifts we usually say a hard no to mugs because well… they’re overdone, but this one is special! We swear! It keeps their coffee warm at the exact temperature they enjoy. They can set their preferred drinking temperature (120°F to 145°F), so they can enjoy their hot drink no matter how many times your kiddos interrupt them.
Gifts for educators that are practical are always crowd faves! This bag is perfect for all their teaching essentials. We love the padded main compartment, laptop sleeve and front compartment equipped with a tablet sleeve. Finished with easy-access, stretch-mesh water bottle pockets and an external bungee cord that allows them strap on additional gear.
Frankie4 are loved by teachers! They are fashionable and utilitarian and have podiatrist-designed footbed so make great teacher gift ideas. Maybe ask for their shoe size or choose a gift voucher if you aren’t sure.
This is such a cute lamp and has the GroupTogether team thinking of that anchorman ep and giggling - “I love Lamp”. This is nice as teacher gifts go because it doesn’t run on electricity but instead a candle. So they just place a candle in the bottom, put the top on and it'll illuminate the room. Like how cute and vintage? It also doubles as a vase if you take the lid off.
These gifts are on the pricier side, we know! But our thought is here that you GroupTogether as a class to give your teacher something they’ll really love and use for a long time.
This is our gift suggestion for teachers who love an organised classroom. They can keep their endless bundles of students paperwork organised. They can even have a portable mailbox for every student. With 27 slots filled with durable plastic trays, this centre organizes paperwork for their whole class. Students can slide their trays out of the slots and bring them right to their seats.
Teachers love their coffee, well who doesn’t?! Choose them this coffee maker, they can decide if they keep it to themselves or let others go wild in the staff room. Teacher gifts like this will be loved for years.
Is your teacher sick of the glitchy school projector? Maybe the school doesn’t have funding for a new one? GroupTogether for one and choose this portable projector that they can use at home as a movie theatre but also to teach the kids about history. Versatile teacher present ideas are the best!
Give the gift of a pain free back with a good desk chair! Your teacher is probably sitting a lot marking assignments and writing lesson plans, so a great ergonomic chair is a must. This one has 1.3k five star reviews. Chairs make such thoughtful teacher gifts!
Teacher gifts don’t get boujier than this! An iPad is a great present as they’re versatile, interactive, and portable. There are heaps of great educational apps for a variety of learning styles which can help them create an engaging and interactive learning experience for their class.
So, which of these gift ideas for teachers jumped out at you? Do you need help organising a group gift for your favourite teacher?
Here at GroupTogether, we make the gift-giving process hassle-free. From collecting money from other parents to supplying an eGift Card or gift, we’ve streamlined the process to make it simple for everyone.
Not sure exactly what your teacher would like? No worries! Give an AnyCard that lets your teacher choose their preferred eGift Card from any of our retail partners. It’s also highly personal because everyone gets to write a message and include a photo, making it a beautiful keepsake for the recipient!
Ali + Julie
Co-Founders, GroupTogether.
Life’s busy. That’s why we’re here to make it easy for you to collect money from a group. Less wasted time, less packaging waste, and spending a little less but giving a lot better!
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