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The most useful gifts for teachers

By Kylie Logan
November 16, 2021, 2:00 PM ET

Whether it’s elementary school or college, teachers get the title of MVP this year (and every other year). This holiday season, find the perfect surprise for the teacher in your life; these gifts are sure to ease their stress and make them smile.

Pinch Me Therapy Dough

Courtesy of Pinch Me

Give the gift of top tier relaxation with these tins of “handy little mood shifter” dough. Founder and clinical hypnotherapist Nancy Rothner takes a holistic approach to stress reduction, infusing nontoxic kneading dough with unique aromas like minty Refresh, cedarwood Chill, or fruity Sun, that are proven to relax the body. Pinch Me Therapy Dough also uses their sales to support the Wounded Warrior Project. Suggested retail price: $25

Ember Smart Mug

Teaching for eight hours and need your coffee to stay warm all day? With the Ember app, you can set your own preferred temperature for a cup of joe using this Ember smart mug. It’ll keep your coffee warm for up to and hour and a half unless you set it on it’s charging coaster – in that case, it’ll stay warm until it’s time to make dinner. SRP: $130

Teacher Tote Bag

Courtesy of The Teacher Tote

Especially useful for grade school educators, this nylon tote with leather handles is designed with teachers in mind. It’s got a built-in insulated lunch box, laptop compartment, various pencil holders, a phone pouch, and two outer pockets for water or coffee. Traveling on summer break? This bag is carry-on approved and fits in both overhead airplane compartments and under the seats. SRP: $80

Chefman Multifunctional Air Fryer

Courtesy of Chefman

Sometimes a healthy home cooked meal just falls by the wayside. This multifunctional air fryer lets you cook meals quickly and fry food with 98% less oil. It also serves as an oven which you don’t need to preheat, offers a rotisserie spit which can cook a whole chicken, and has a dehydrator for leftovers. At 10.6 quarts, it’s big enough to cook for friends and family without much notice. SRP: $140

Rocketbook Flip

Courtesy of Rocketbook

For the sustainably-oriented teacher who’s prone to sudden bursts of ideas, gifting them a Rocketbook Flip is just logical. It’s a reusable notebook that’s made with synthetic paper and was designed as an ambidextrous writing book, suitable for right-handed or left-handed people. You can upload your handwritten notes to the cloud with the Rocketbook app and then wipe the page clean with a damp microfiber cloth for more space. SRP: Executive – $32; Letter – $34

MasterClass membership

Courtesy of Masterclass

Give the teacher in your life the chance to learn something new. MasterClass offers an extensive library of over 100 craft tutorials about 10 minutes long from experts like Annie Leibovitz, Simone Biles, and Anna Wintour. You can also tune into a live class or watch the recorded version afterwards. SRP: Rates start at $15 per month

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