Jot down these things that teachers in NC want on your Teacher Appreciation Week shopping list.
*Some names have been changed to protect their identities
It’s 1866 in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and the local newspaper tells readers, “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” Fast-forward to today, and it’s become “an apple a day will keep the doctor away.” The tradition of gifting apples to teachers started with similar sentiments around saving money.
According to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, farmers’ kids in the U.S. gifted apples to their teachers to help supply their pantries as food prices skyrocketed during the Great Depression. Interestingly, as our social studies teachers often warned, history has a tendency to repeat itself.
Simultaneously, as grocery store prices continue to rise, teachers in N.C. are facing additional financial hardship with the state ranking among the bottom 10 in average wages for teachers, and the healthcare premiums for state employees reportedly increasing up to $1,000 a year.
While a basket of apples can be a great symbolic gift and a snack that offers essential vitamins and minerals, there are other gift ideas to add to your shopping list that educators might appreciate even more during this upcoming National Teacher Appreciation Week, which will be May 4 to 8.
What is now known as Teacher Appreciation Week started off as National Teacher Day after former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt promoted the concept in 1953. In 1980, Congress proclaimed Mar. 7 as National Teacher Day. Five years later, the National Education Association (NEA) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) decided to extend the day into a week and move it to the first week of May.
One teacher says this is the number one gift idea
During last year’s Teacher Appreciation Week, Gov. Josh Stein signed a proclamation that acknowledged NC’s teacher shortage and the need to increase pay for teachers as an investment in public education.
Sarah Pittman, an IB Coordinator who works in Iredell-Statesville Schools, alluded to this when suggesting gift ideas. Pittman said, “In these challenging financial times, educators are barely making ends meet in N.C.,” adding, “Gift cards for daily living items make a world of difference.”
Sandra,* an N.C.-based teacher who didn’t want to be identified, agreed, saying, “Gift cards are number one.” Pittman suggested the most helpful gift cards right now would include coffee, gas, food delivery services, local restaurants, and Amazon.
Coffee and connection are a few of a teacher’s favorite things
The educators I spoke to suggested forgoing the usual mugs and lanyards they commonly receive during Teacher Appreciation Week. Sandra* suggested that instead of mugs, reusable travel coffee cups that work for iced or hot coffee would be especially helpful. After all, a teacher needs his/her caffeine on the go to get all those papers graded on time.
Sandra* said, “We love personalized items, especially teacher t-shirts, bags, and clipboards.”
Pittman agreed, saying, “Teachers are looking for connection and partnership,” adding that a heartfelt note is always appreciated. The NEA has e-cards you can send to your teachers. Pittman also suggested personalizing the gift to the teachers’ hobbies.
You can’t go wrong with gifting school supplies
All three educators we spoke to emphasized how grateful teachers are to receive their own school supplies. Jenny Jennings, a former NC teacher who worked for 25 years, said teachers especially love getting “special office supplies.” Sandra mentioned that some of those special supplies she loves include felt-tip pens, sticky notes, and cute stationery pads.
Pittman agreed that teachers especially love sticky notes and other fun supplies that bring joy to their day, adding, “Most teachers love fun materials like colorful pens, markers, sharpies, and expo markers.”
With May 7, 2026, being National Black Teachers Day, you can also gift Black teachers with stationery from Black-owned brands. According to Essence, you can give the mightiest of all gifts with this six-pack set of Daily Mantra Affirmation Pens from Be Rooted for $15. Be Rooted also has several planners and journals that make great gifts.
Fox Carolina also brought up the fact that teachers often have to pay out of their own pockets for the class supplies that students use. To help alleviate the financial strain, Teacher Appreciation Week is a great time to gift teachers school supplies and help them save money. Buying tissue boxes, colored pencils, and markers is especially helpful for teachers.
Advocate for teachers and education policy reform
If you like to show your appreciation through acts of service, then a great way to support teachers is to speak out on issues affecting public education. According to the NEA, a major way to show solidarity is to use its online form to send a letter asking Congress to reject President Donald Trump’s proposed budget, which would decrease funding for education and even eliminate programs that address teacher shortages.
NEA also encourages getting involved locally, whether that means attending school board meetings or writing op-eds to increase awareness on education policy issues. If you’re more of a social media activist, then you can also use the NEA’s pre-made graphics and social media toolkits to help promote the significance of Teacher Appreciation Week.
Grand gestures can go a long way
Juli Simmons, a PTA president based in Austin, Texas, said that the local PTA organizes a three-day celebration that consists of serving a breakfast on the first day, lunch on the second day, and pooling money to buy a big gift for the teachers on the third day. While organizing a large multi-day celebration may not be feasible for you, try asking other parents if they can chip in to cater a special lunch.
One person recently posted a request on the Asheville Foodies Facebook page, asking for caterers near Marshall, NC, to offer a taco bar for Teacher Appreciation Week. Within a day, the post received 31 comments offering taco catering options. If catering food isn’t an option, Jennings said that teachers also love store-bought candies and snacks to munch on throughout the day, but to avoid giving anything homemade.
According to Fox Carolina News, teachers thrive on coffee and chocolate. So you can gift them a “dopamine-maxxing” basket, and even add a hot plate so teachers can keep their coffee hot at all times.
The gift options are boundless, whether you want to express your gratitude with a heartwarming letter or gift the “whole enchilada” for National Teacher Day, which happens to fall on Cinco de Mayo this year.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Related: Video: North Carolina teachers getting hoodwinked on pay raises
