Gifted & Talented Education

The holiday season is upon us, and it’s time to start thinking about the perfect gift for your favorite teacher. Whether you’re a student, a parent, or a fellow educator participating in a Secret Santa gift exchange, finding the right present is crucial. Here are 24 perfect Secret Santa gift ideas for teachers.

1. Personalized Teacher Name Plate: A customized name plate is an excellent addition to any teacher’s desk and shows your thoughtfulness.

2. Inspirational Quote Art Print: Choose an art print featuring an inspiring quote to brighten up their classroom.

3. Magnetic Poetry Kit: Let their creativity flow with a set of word magnets they can arrange and rearrange on their filing cabinet or whiteboard.

4. Reusable Shopping Bag: A sturdy, reusable shopping bag featuring educational designs is practical and eco-friendly.

5. Planner and Organizer: Help them stay organized with a stylish and functional planner designed specifically for teachers.

6. Monogrammed Tote Bag: A personalized tote bag makes carrying homework to grade a little more enjoyable.

7. Desk Organizer: Give them a place to store all their pens, pencils, and other office supplies with a unique and decorative desk organizer.

8. Adult Coloring Book: Educators need to unwind as well! Provide them with some relaxation through an adult coloring book filled with intricate designs.

9. USB Coffee Warmer: Help keep their coffee warm during those long days grading papers or during parent-teacher conferences.

10. Mini Whiteboard Set: Teachers can use mini whiteboards for group activities or as portable writing surfaces during lessons.

11. Scented Candles: Give the gift of relaxation with stress-relieving scented candles designed to bring calm to any room after a long day at school.

12. Personalized Note Cards: Stationery featuring their name or initials is always appreciated by teachers who send notes home to parents or write thank you cards.

13. Stylus Pens: Combine technology and traditional writing with a versatile stylus pen they can use with tablets or notebooks.

14. Fun Socks: Add some fun to their wardrobe with a pair of unique and colorful teacher-themed socks.

15. Office Snack Kit: A box of healthy, energy-boosting snacks keeps them going during long afternoons in the classroom.

16. Sticky Note Dispenser: Make sure they never run out of sticky notes again with a quirky dispenser that adds personality to their desk.

17. Indoor Plant: Bring some life to their classroom with a low-maintenance indoor plant that helps purify the air.

18. Bluetooth Speaker: A portable Bluetooth speaker allows teachers to incorporate music or audio into their lessons without needing access to large audio systems.

19. Novelty Desk Calendar: Keep them entertained and on track with a fun, themed desk calendar they can flip through each day.

20. Flexible Cell Phone Holder: A bendable phone holder is perfect for hands-free video calls or navigating through lesson presentations.

21. Inspirational Bookmarks: Encourage their passion for reading with beautiful bookmarks featuring inspirational quotes or illustrations.

22. Thermal Travel Mug: Give the gift of on-the-go caffeine with a high-quality, leak-proof travel mug designed to keep drinks hot or cold for hours.

23. Customizable Classroom Door Sign: Help them welcome students each day with a personalized door sign reflecting their classroom’s theme or mindset.

24. Puzzle Toy: Allow them to take a mental break during the day by working on an engaging puzzle toy between tasks or during lunch breaks.

Choosing one of these thoughtful and unique Secret Santa gifts will surely make your favorite teacher’s holiday season extra special and brighten up their classroom throughout the year.

Are you looking for academic enrichment apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

Enriching Students – This platform helps to identify students’ weaknesses and provides suitable help for them. This tool can be used to schedule personalized enrichment or interventions for all your students. It also helps to track student performance, teacher participation, and the effectiveness of teaching techniques.

FlinnSTEM Powered by IMSA Fusion– IMSA Fusion is a complete STEM program that provides additional enrichment to students interested in science and mathematics. The name IMSA Fusion comes from the blending of inquiry-based student content and in-depth teacher content. Instructors who implement this program receive much more than teacher instructions with student pages and a box of supplies; they also receive hours of video-based, on-demand online training that truly sets IMSA Fusion apart from any other solution available. 

Splash Math – Good for catching up, regular practice, or enrichment, Splash Math uses games and a built-in reward system to make math fun. Real time progress reports are available for teachers and parents to pinpoint areas of concern or celebrate improvements. The app also has an option to email weekly progress reports. With three themes, space, candy, and jungle, Splash Math is customizable to students’ interests and includes all major math skills from Kindergarten through 5^th grade.

Renaissance-U – is a blended service that pairs an expert coach with engaging and evolving on-demand content in best practices for Renaissance’s reading, math, and assessment solutions. The expert coach helps plan the implementation for the school year and provides ongoing expertise for conversations around data, implementation roadblocks, and facilitating collaboration among educators in the school. The on-demand content offers a variety of videos, tutorials, and activities that fit the flexibility of an educator’s schedule.

Mangahigh – This is a web-based platform that features a variety of math games and tutorials. It teaches students useful mathematical concepts from counting to algebra. To foster healthy competition, students earn medals, badges, and rewards for their hard work.

Monkey Word School Adventure – The Monkey Word School Adventure app uses six exercises to help children learn the basics of reading using phonics and word groups. The app allows children to enter their names to personalize the jungle-like experience, led by the Word Monkey. The completion of a round is rewarded with animals and plants that children can add to their terrarium. The app supports up to three accounts, so different children can use the same app.

Student Support Time – This is a complete solution for academic intervention and enrichment programs. Student Support Time also provides other tools such as teacher availability, academic resource center, college and career center, and after-school programs. It is easy to use and intuitive.

7 Speed Reading– This app can help you become a proficient reader in the English language while eliminating old habits that hold you back. With 7 Speed Reading, students can learn to recognize large clusters of words and read without first vocalizing in their heads