Top 6 Cheap Gifts for Instructors and Teachers

When you're on a budget, it can sometimes be challenging to find meaningful inexpensive gifts. This is especially true if you are looking for gifts to give to instructors, whether it is in a professional or academic environment. It's even truer if you need to give gifts to multiple instructors or teachers. As a professional with a training background, I have received some really cheap but meaningful gifts over the years. In each case, it was the thought and sentiment behind each gift that meant the most.

Here are six ideas for cheap gift ideas to give to instructors and teachers, no matter what time of year.

Cheap Gift Idea for Instructors and Teachers #1: A Laser Pointer

This may sound funny, but one of the coolest gifts I received from a training class was a laser pointer. I taught computer and technical skills from the back of a classroom using a projector and screen. One of the easiest ways to draw students' attention to a specific place on a board on screen is with a laser pointer. That red dot is very hard to miss, and the pointer can be held just like a pen. And laser pointers can be used in large rooms with many people, which prevents unnecessary time being wasted pacing from the front to the back of the room and back to man the projector.

Staples sells inexpensive laser pointers for as low as $20. From a functional and useful standpoint, this is one cheap gift that your instructor will always remember.

Cheap Gift Idea for Instructors and Teachers #2: A Call Bell

Again, sounds funny, but the same class that gave me the laser pointer also gave me a call bell, the kind you find on hotel desks to call for service. It may not seem like it, but a call bell can have many uses in a classroom.

Because I trained new hires in a call center, I used the call bell to simulate the "ding" an associate would hear in their headsets whenever they got a new customer call. However, I also used it to save my voice when the class would get a little rambunctious. This came in really handy when I was sick and had no voice. A couple of sharp dings with an apologetic face would usually get the class to settle down and pay attention. (If you think a class of adults can't be as rowdy as children, think again.)

Call bells are especially useful during classroom trivia games, as they can act like a buzzer for answering teams. I would set up podiums with members of opposing teams, and the first person that rang the bell got to answer the question, just like in Jeopardy. As an instructor, the creativity these props allowed me to have was invaluable.

Staples also sells call bells for $5.29 each. If you think your instructor won't know what to use this cheap gift for, present the gift with a list or book of training games or trivia ideas. You can even buy two call bells, with an attached note that says, "I heard these work great for classroom trivia games and keeping classes in order. Hope they work for you."

Cheap Gift Idea for Instructors and Teachers #3: Gift Cards

Who doesn't love gift cards? As an instructor, I loved getting these. You can buy them in any denomination, usually starting at $5. And depending on what the gift card is for, anything $25 or under qualifies as a cheap, but meaningful, gift for instructors.

My favorite gift cards received over the years came from Starbucks, Einstein Bagels, Target, McDonalds, and Walmart.

Other useful gift card ideas include office supply stores, craft stores, or any retailers that sell school supplies. We all know that teachers and instructors will often spend their own money out-of-pocket to supplement the education they give to our children. So why not thank them for doing so by giving them a gift that will help them offset that expense? Take if from an instructor, they will appreciate it.

Cheap Gift Idea for Instructors and Teachers #4: Office or School Supplies

If buying a gift card sounds too much like the easy way out, consider buying office or school supplies for your instructor. You can buy inexpensive office supplies at many stores, including Walmart, Kmart, and Target. Oriental Trading Company also has a good selection online. And if you think instructors and teachers won't appreciate getting packs of pens, post-it notes, etc., keep in mind that when Oprah gave away school supplies to the all-teacher audience at her 2004 Favorite Things show, the crowd just went nuts.

To add an even more special touch to this cheap gift, consider presenting all your inexpensive office or school supplies in a gift basket. Craft stores like Michaels have a wide selection of gift baskets you can buy, and they will even sell special shrink-wrap you can use to enclose the basket.

Cheap Gift Idea for Instructors and Teachers #5: Gift Baskets

Many retailers will sell inexpensive gift baskets throughout the year, and a lot sell them during the holidays. Great places to find inexpensive gift baskets are at places like Walmart, Sam's Club, Target, and Costco. You can also find reasonably priced gift baskets at places like Bath & Body Works. One of my favorite gifts to get is a gift basket full of antibacterial hand lotions and gels from Bath & Body Works. Their entire antibacterial collection is under $10, which is perfect for instructors who are more exposed to germs on a daily basis. Bath & Body Works also has a Teacher Appreciation section online, where gift baskets are designed with instructors in mind.

And remember, you can always make your own gift basket or gift bag as well by compiling different gifts and placing them in a basket you buy at a craft store.

Cheap Gift Idea for Instructors and Teachers #6: Food

Who doesn't love food? If you want to buy one gift for more than one teacher (for example, the class has two instructors), food is an ideal gift because it can be shared equally among the recipients.

Two specialty food retailers with impeccable reputations are Harry & David and Williams-Sonoma. Harry & David has a whole section of food items under $30. If you want to make it even cheaper, you can always buy their food towers and then divide up the boxes among several instructors. Or you can send the entire food tower to the teacher's lounge or department.

Williams-Sonoma has the perfect take on giving an apple to a teacher with their Giant Caramel Apple. I've mentioned this item in my Halloween article as well, but I love it so much I'll plug it here too. This apple is huge and can feed several people. I used to send one to my family every year, and it was the perfect gift for 4-8 people to share. Another popular Williams-Sonoma item is their Peppermint Bark, which they sell in droves every year.

Cheap Gift Idea for Instructors and Teachers Recap

Whether buying gifts for professional instructors or schoolteachers, cheap gift options are available from a variety of retailers. Don't forget to get a gift receipt in case your recipient needs to return the gift for whatever reason. Otherwise, use this gift guide to help make your shopping a little bit easier. Happy shopping, everyone!