High school teachers are not any different from other teachers. Their wish list includes school supplies they would have to otherwise purchase on their own. It is similar to that of middle grades teachers more than that of preschool teachers; however, we can make some modifications and add different gift ideas to show high school teachers our appreciation.
The following ideas have been listed based on some of the subjects taught by high school teachers.
Most of these items can be purchased with school funds; however, there is a specific budget per teacher, and if you were to provide some of these items, then those funds could be left available for other classroom purchases.
English
Most high schools have a certain literary curriculum teachers follow based on the grade and, generally, it does not change from year to year. Find out from the teacher if there might be a need to replace some of those books or if there might be any material connected to the book(s) that might not be covered by school funds, but would be nice to have to help students learn better.
You can then purchase it yourself and donate it to the teacher, or you could give the teacher a gift certificate to go towards the acquisition of said material.
Many historical events have been recreated on DVD and are another way to bring history to life. Contact the school’s media center and find out if you can donate a copy of a DVD for classroom use. If it is permissible, then find out from the teacher if there is a specific title that will be beneficial to the students. If that is not permissible, because of copyright issues, then perhaps you could consider asking about donating money to the specific teacher, so that he might purchase, through the school, a DVD of his choice (school purchases are under different terms of usage agreement than purchases by private individuals).
Sciences
These classes get to play the most, given the lab experiments connected to them. Many times, teachers ask students to bring in certain supplies (generally easily obtained items) in order to conduct experiments. However, many times, science teachers purchase supplies on their own. Talk to the science teacher and find out if you can bring some of the items the students will need in order to carry out certain experiments.
Many teachers build a library, in the foreign language they teach, by purchasing books with their own money and making them available to the students. Consider giving these teachers either a gift certificate to a bookstore (check on line bookstores as their foreign language collection might be greater) or by purchasing books in that specific foreign language and then bringing it to class.
These ideas are by no means the only way to show high school teachers appreciation for their hard work during this holiday season. Talk to those teachers and find out what they would consider a great gift for their classroom. If nothing else, gift certificates will always work great as these teachers can then purchase what they need.
If your high school happens to give teachers a high budget to spend on classroom supplies, and, therefore, they are not in need of any of the above mentioned items, then consider pampering the teachers with gift certificates to spas, restaurants, or artistic events. They will be most appreciative and will enjoy the break from daily routine in its fullness.
