Seriously – how quick is this year going?  It’s nearly the end of the school year already!  Children and teachers across of the country rejoice, whilst, lets face it -us parents are slightly terrified about the thought of keeping these little ones entertained for the next six-to-eight weeks!

So let’s hear it for those teachers that have done such a good job over the last year.  I find it hard enough looking after one daughter – these guys manage to look after 30-plus children and make it look easy!  They deserve a knighthood – or at the very least, a totally awesome gift.

The “end-of-year-teachers-gift” can be a contentious subject and whilst at Mumbler, we usually like to see both sides of the argument, on this one we are firmly on “Team Teacher”.

These awesome individuals do the most important job as far as we are concerned. They nurture, teach, referee, discipline, encourage & support. They care our about our “babies”. We all know that these days teachers are absolutely bogged down with paperwork & assessments and yet they still manage to put on a cheery face and bring the best out in our children. At Mumbler, we don’t know a single teacher who doesn’t go well above and beyond their job description and so yes, of course they deserve a little thank you from their pupils and parents at the end of the year.

We’ve done a bit of research and come up with some great ideas for the perfect end of year gift for these brilliant, overworked and underpaid teachers.

I asked a few of my teacher friends what gifts they’ve really liked, and those they haven’t. Unsurprisingly, booze comes out on top!  You’re on to a winner with a nice bottle of wine or some beers!  Here at Mumbler HQ we’re a big fan of Cold Bath Brewing Co.

Try to avoid mugs, which I actually thought was a great idea. After a couple of years, teachers have more than enough to see them through to the end of their career! Another gift to avoid is flowers – mainly because most teachers have a flight to catch the day after the end-of-term so they never get to enjoy them.  One teacher mentioned she’d much prefer a plant over flowers – hopefully with a bit of watering by a kind neighbour they should still be going strong when they return from their travels!

Travelling over the summer break is a big thing for teachers, so why not get them something to do with that?  A lonely planet guide, passport holder or luggage tags perhaps?

All the teachers I asked said they loved homemade gifts.  From candles to food – they loved the thoughtfulness of something made by their pupils. My top tip is homemade millionaires shortbread!  I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t like this – and it’s so easy to make.  Follow the BBC Food recipe for shortbread, cover them in caramel (I use the Carnation cans), and then pour melted chocolate over the top.  To make them look like something you’d see on the GBBO – drizzle a different coloured melted chocolate over the top.

Thoughtful shop-bought gifts are another big hitter – one teacher mentioned a book written by their favourite author was one of his favourite gifts.  Others gifts to get a mention were scented candles, toiletries and cotton/canvas tote bags – to carry all that marking home!

Finally, for those of us who are time poor, there is absolutely nothing wrong with clubbing together and throwing money at the situation! A couple of pounds per parent can really add up to something great. If your class rep isn’t organising the whip-around then maybe you can do it? It’s not a big job I promise! Use the money to buy a voucher from a local shop- maybe somewhere that does a nice afternoon tea, or even somewhere like M&S. That way the teacher can choose something nice to wear or for the home (or of course, they could buy a nice big and well-desrved bottle of gin in the food hall!)

Happy shopping/making Mumblers and THANK YOU to all the teachers!