No More Mugs, Please! Navigating Teacher Appreciation Week and Prioritizing Wellness
Laugh through the best and worst Teacher Appreciation Week gifts—then join us for a free wellness webinar to help educators tackle burnout and prioritize self-care.
Updated May 2025
What’s the best—or most bizarre—gift you’ve ever gotten for Teacher Appreciation Week?
A half-used Bath & Body Works lotion? A single Lifesaver taped to a thank-you note? A travel-sized hand sanitizer labeled “For your protection”?
Teacher Appreciation Week is supposed to be a time to celebrate the educators who keep classrooms running—often on caffeine, chaos, and sheer willpower. But let’s face it: not all appreciation feels… well, appreciated.
Naturally, I turned to the /r/Teachers subreddit to see what kinds of gifts have sparked joy—or mild existential dread. The results? A mix of thoughtful, hilarious, and “they really thought that was a good idea?” energy.
Outrageous Gifts
During the COVID lockdown, we were told our appreciation gift would be waiting for us when we returned to school in August. Once August came, I walked into my room to find a plastic coin and a toy whistle with a note that said, “We can really count on you. You blew us away!” The whistle didn’t even work, and what am I supposed to do with a plastic coin?”
A $25 gift card to a chain coffee shop whose nearest location was 108 miles from where I taught.
I got a shirt saying ‘I survived.’ It’s somewhere in my house.
I am deathly allergic to red dye. Seriously, if red dye touches my skin, my skin will blister and peel off my body. This is common knowledge at school. Students can't bring Gatorade or similar drinks into my room, because if it spills I can't clean it up. We did a 'color battle' for a fundraiser and I had to fully leave the entire building. My appreciation gift was a bright pink, strawberry scented, Bath and Body Works set. Body wash and lotion.
I got a bunch of sticks rubber-banded together to remind us ‘we are stronger together.'
Practical Gifts
Our PTA once got all the kids to write in a book about what they love about us. It was my favorite gift! Also catered lunch makes it easier as one less thing to do, especially in a career where we often miss lunch.
Give teachers their time back. Planning, relieve them of a duty for a day, let them leave with the kids (if they choose) for the week, etc.
I love a morning coffee bar with breakfast.
We’ve gotten the ‘gift of time’ before where parents volunteer to come in and give us an hour to plan or whatever. Also an hourlong luncheon at the end of the week; parents also volunteer to sub. They’ve gotten food trucks to come for a day (free food).
The best staff appreciation ever has been food trucks/coffee trucks and full-service catering and dessert bars.
Asking AI about Teacher Appreciation Week
I asked ChatGPT to come up with a few ideas for the best and worst Teacher Appreciation Week gifts—just for fun—and, honestly, the results were pretty spot-on. Some gifts really do make teachers feel valued. Others… well, they’re more like reminders that burnout is alive and well.
Worst Gifts According to ChatGPT
- A pack of pencils labeled “For your students.”
- A mug that says “It takes a big heart to shape little minds”… filled with generic hard candy from 2006.
Best Gifts According to ChatGPT
- A heartfelt email or letter from a parent.
- Extra prep coverage or a “free period coupon.”
So How Can Share My Lesson Actually Help?
Let’s be honest: Teaching shouldn’t come at the expense of your well-being—but too often, it does. Burnout is real, and so is the pressure to be “on” all the time. While we can’t promise you’ll only get the good appreciation gifts (fingers crossed, though), we can offer something meaningful: free, easy-to-access resources that help you take care of you.
Your well-being isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. When teachers feel supported and mentally healthy, the ripple effects are huge: stronger instruction, better student outcomes, and a more positive school culture overall.
So what can schools and educators do right now to center wellness?
So, what are some ways teachers, administrators and school districts can prioritize mental health, well-being, and self-care?
- Make work-life balance more than a buzzword. That means administrators who respect boundaries and educators who feel empowered to unplug.
- Offer real mental health support. Districts can invest in employee assistance programs, counseling, or even stress-reduction workshops.
- Create a culture of care. Teachers shouldn’t have to push through stress alone. Collaboration, communication, and peer support matter.
But one of the simplest ways to support yourself right now? Give yourself just one hour to reset. I like to call them “wellness snacks”—bite-sized breaks that help restore some internal peace during a chaotic week. Share My Lesson has a growing library of wellness webinars (with more on the way), covering everything from stress relief and burnout to mindfulness strategies you can actually use.
Check out our Health and Wellness Community for upcoming and on-demand webinars—and don’t miss our newest session linked below!
Prioritize Your Well-Being
Don’t miss this free Mindfulness and Meditation for Educators webinar with AFT member Dr. Claudia J. Morales. Learn simple strategies to reduce stress, build focus, and bring calm into your classroom.
Andy Kratochvil is a proud member of the AFT Share My Lesson team, where he’s passionate about discovering and sharing top-tier content with educators across the country. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and French from California State University, Fullerton, and later completed... See More
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Juliet Marinelli
May 9, 2023, 1:40 pm
Andy Kratochvil
May 9, 2023, 1:46 pm
Juliet, I love this!! I hope you have a trip/break planned for yourself this year!
Best Teacher Appreciation Gift EVER: My school arranged for a Spring retreat at an idyllic hotel & resort for the weekend. Though we had to work, obviously, we were paid for that work, AND the food was fantastic! We were able to stay over at the hotel for two nights. Talk about a "Thank You"!!!!!!