Needless to say, due to COVID-19 this school year is going to look a little different than in year’s past. Okay, a lot different. Teachers everywhere at public and private schools, of all grade levels, are trying to figure out how to either teach in a classroom safely or fight the uphill battle that is remote learning with young kids. It’s a daunting task, and one that only people with the patience, zen temperament and organizational skills of a teacher can handle.
As the rest of us have adjusted to this working from home business and found our new rhythm, teachers are about to go through a whole new transition, and we need to be there to support. Whether it’s gifts for the classroom to prepare for socially distanced learning or presents to make their remote learning setup at home more comfortable, these are the best gifts for teachers for the 2020-2021 school year and beyond.
1. AUKEY FHD Webcam
If your teacher friend is taking on remote learning a good webcam is going to be a must. With all of the video conferencing they’re going to need to be doing having a reliable connection with students technologically is going to be the bedrock of their ability to educate this year. This high-quality, affordable webcam from AUKEY is a great gift option especially if they’re working on a computer or monitor that doesn’t have a camera already built in. It produces high definition 1080p video and has a CMOS image sensor and a built-in stereo microphone. The video delivery is sharp and fast so they’ll be able to hold the attention of little ones that much more easily. This camera is super easy to clip on and set up and is compatible with Windows, Mac and Android computers.
2. IPEVO V4K Ultra High Definition Document Camera
Along with a solid webcam teachers might also be in need of a solid document camera. This come in all shapes, sizes and price tags — but this one from IPEVO is a solid bet. It has an eight megapixel camera and produces high definition images at a high frame rate with lag-free streaming. It has fast focusing speeds to minimize interruptions when switching between materials and features a Sony CMOS image sensor for superb color reproduction and noise reduction. It has a multi-jointed staff that can be adjusted and maneuvered with easily to find the perfect height and image. It’s compatible with software on Macs, PCs and Chromebooks so no matter what laptop you’re using this document camera can stream from it.
Buy: IPEVO High Definition Document Camera $214.99
3. Amazon.com Gift Card
Though it might not seem very personalized, almost everyone appreciates an Amazon gift card. You can customize with your own sentiments inside the card and pick a design for teachers, like the one below. This year is going to be a weird one for teachers, so you might as well give them the freedom to buy whatever they need for their new normal with a flexible gift card.
4. Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion
Since many teachers are going to be sitting more than they ever have before, a comfortable seat is going to be a must. This seat cushion has over 10,000 5-star reviews on Amazon and is designed to ease tailbone pain. It’s made with pure memory foam and can be used to prevent bad posture and relieve leg pain after sitting for long periods of time. It’s heat responsive and molds to the shape of your body easily. The U-shaped ergonomic design is recommended by orthopedic surgeons for acute pain making it the perfect work-from-home accessory for alleviating pressure in certain areas.
Buy: Everlasting Comfort Memory Foam Seat Cushion $32.95
5. Aromatherapy Essential Oils Set
There’s no way around it — being a teacher is stressful. Let alone, trying to keep students on track and learning properly whilst sitting at home in front of a camera rather than in-person in front of them. This essential oils set with calming lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree oils will come in handy during particularly long afternoons of trying to get 3rd graders to focus. Soothe nerves, calm your mind and reap the benefits these plants have to offer in their purest form with this essential oil set.
Buy: Essential Oils 3-Pack $7.59
6. Thank You: (a book for teachers)
Our teachers always deserve our thanks and gratitude, but especially this year. Express your gratitude with this sweet book filled with beautiful words and illustrations as a unique and thoughtful way to say thank you. This year has been hard on all of us, and gratitude is the way to go when it comes to supporting one another.
Buy: Thank You: (a book for teachers) $7.59
7. Teacher Life: A Snarky Chalkboard Coloring Book
Coloring isn’t just for students. Adult coloring books are a relaxing and fun way to chill out after a challenging day in class or on a remote learning platform, and this one incorporates teacher humor into it, doubling the fun and potential lightness. It includes illustrations specifically about the life of a teacher as well as insights into the #teacherlife. Your teacher will appreciate the nod to their world and enjoy this unwinding activity in the process.
Buy: Teacher Life: A Snarky Chalkboard Coloring Book $8.99
8. Avocado Reusable Face Masks
If your teacher is teaching socially distanced at their school face masks are going to be a must. These face masks from Avocado are reusable and made with two layers of organic cotton. They have ties so the fit can be easily adjusted throughout the day and they have a slot for an air filter if he or she wishes to insert one. This pack comes with four masks so they can switch out and will have plenty of wear whilst some of them are in the wash.
9. The Best Teacher Upcycled Dictionary Art Print
Handmade gifts are always special, and this one will fit on any wall. A motivational quote is printed on a unique page of a vintage dictionary for a one-of-a-kind gift. Your teacher can put this up in their classroom or at home in their new teaching space for a little motivation and reminder of their purpose during particularly long days.
10. Teacher Keep Calm Coffee Mug
If there’s one thing every teacher is going to need to be this upcoming year — it’s calm. Whether it’s first graders wandering away from the computer in the middle of a lesson or technological difficulties once you actually have their attention, there’s going to be a lot going on. This mug will remind them to keep calm but that also, sometimes, the “teacher voice” is beyond necessary.
Buy: Teacher Keep Calm Coffee Mug $15.94
11. Logitech USB Headset with Noise Cancelling Mic
Another essential to the remote learning/ work-from-home game? A solid headset with a microphone. This one from Logitech has noise cancelling capabilities so their voice will come through loud and clear to students and the padded ear pads are designed for comfort. The microphone rotates so they can find their preferred position and it has convenient inline mute and volume controls. It’s compatible with Windows and Mac computers.
12. Fluidstance Slope Personal Whiteboard
This is another favorite product of ours for a WFH setup. It’s a personal whiteboard that will fit perfectly between their computer and keyboard in case they need to do some quick mental math or jot down a reminder for later on in the lesson. Help them cut down on their sticky note count and keep their remote teaching setup nice and tidy with this personal desktop whiteboard. It has a gentle angle for easy writing and a premium dry-erase surface. It also has a phone dock for propping up their smartphone and a dedicated space for a charging cable in necessary. It’s made of heavy-duty steel making it perfect for magnets, and it has felt bumpers for protecting their desk.
13. Teacher Nutritional Label Gift Aluminum Water Bottle
A little humor never hurt anybody — and this year teachers are probably going to need an extra chuckle here and there. This water bottle features a clever play on nutrition facts labels shows just what teachers are made of. It’ll also remind them to drink water and stay hydrated throughout long days of remote learning and teaching.
Buy: Teacher Nutritional Label Gift Aluminum Water Bottle $16.99
14. Design Undone Teacher Box
This teacher subscription box has everything they need to get the year started whether at home or in their classroom. Each shipment, which happens four times throughout the year, includes essential supplies as well as teacher self-care items for keeping their teaching and wellness habits on point. The box also includes healthy-ish snacks for keeping hanger at bay whilst dealing with young children.
15. The Teacher Self-Care Box
This is another quarterly teacher subscription box devoted entirely to self care for teachers. They ship on the 18th of March, June, September and December, and each one includes professional and personal growth tools including notebooks, fun computer accessories, lip balm, chocolate and more. Take care of your fellow teacher and help them care for themselves throughout the year with this reminder in the form of a box of goodies.
16. LARQ Insulated Self-Cleaning Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for your holistic health, and this water bottle takes the insulated water bottle trope a step further. Hardly any of us clean our water bottles as often as we need to, and this water bottle takes that step out of the equation for busy teachers. It has a self-cleaning feature and a UV water purifier built inside that eradicates bacteria and gives you peace of mind. The UV-C LED light intelligently activates every two hours and eliminates odor-causing bacteria and viruses that normally linger in our water bottles for days. It’s non-toxic, mercury-free and the bottle comes in a whole host of fun colors.
Buy: LARQ Self-Cleaning Water Bottle $95.00
17. TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender
If they’re teaching from home, a reliable, fast internet connection is going to be key. This WiFi extender can boost your internet coverage up to 1200 square feet and can connect to up to 20 devices at once. Eliminate the potential for drops or slow buffering during lessons that will make holding children’s attention that much harder. This WiFi extender from TP-Link comes from one of the leading WiFi accessory brands and has OneMesh technology built in for seamless roaming. It’s also quite easy to set up, so technologically-challenged teachers shouldn’t have an issue installing and enjoying their gift.
Buy: TP-Link WiFi Extender $29.99
18. Daily Harvest Subscription
Eating healthy, fast meals during the day is a challenge for us all. Thankfully subscriptions like Daily Harvest help make it easier, and could help your fellow teacher get an organic, high-quality lunch in the middle of the teaching day without needing to book it to the grocery store. Daily Harvest creates farm-fresh, frozen meals that can be easily defrosted in your kitchen in just a few steps. There are plenty of options ranging from harvest bowls to flatbreads, soups and smoothies — all with organic fruits and vegetables mixed in.
19. FEIYOLD Blue Light Blocking Glasses
We’ve all heard about the dangers of excess blue light emanating off of our devices’ screens, and these glasses will save your teacher’s eyes from potential damage. They’re made with high-quality 3A transparent lenses that will block out 99% of harmful blue rays and have high transmittance for a balanced view. Two pairs of glasses at this price is quite a bargain for you, the gift giver, and will give your teacher two different looks to rock on their remote learning calls with students.
Buy: FEIYOLD Blue Light Blocking Glasses $22.98
20. ASUS Portable Monitor
If you’re shopping for a loved one, as opposed to, say, your child’s fifth-grade teacher, then this is the ultimate expensive back to school gift for teachers. Since most teachers are going to be working and teaching off of their computers this year, an extra monitor will definitely make all the difference. This 15.6-inch HD portable monitor is USB-powered and only uses a USB 3.0 cable for both its power and data transmission. This super slim monitor is light, portable and has a metallic finish for style points. It has a blue light filter for reducing eye strain and headaches, and comes with an ASUS smart case built in that has a two-way adjustable stand and a protective sleeve component to it as well.
Buy: ASUS Portable Monitor $132.00
