Teacher Gifts for Going Green in the Classroom

Give a gift celebrating a teacher's commitent to a green classroom.recycle image by Tammy Mobley from Fotolia.com

The concept of "going green" only works if it is more than a special occasion Earth Day activity. If your child has a teacher who has excelled at bringing the philosophy of respect for the environment and reduce-reuse-recycle into the classroom on a regular basis, honor the educator with a green gift. You will find a host of options available to give to someone who exemplifies the green lifestyle and teaches his or her students green living.

Green Teaching Tools

Give your favorite green instructor a green version of any of a number of tools he or she will use in lesson planning and grading assignments. Buy -- or better yet, recycle -- a gift basket and fill it with items, like a package of recycled pencils along with a selection of notepads and journals made from recycled paper. Add a mug bearing the logo of her favorite environmental cause along with a pound of fair-trade coffee and some organic snacks for him or her to re-fuel between classes.

Give a gift related to the teacher's off-duty time. If you know a bit about the teacher's interests outside the classroom, give green gifts for those hobbies. If several people are chipping in together, a gift such as a rain barrel or compost bin will be welcomed by any organic gardener. For a teacher who practices yoga, give a mat made out of eco-friendly materials. You can also find eco-conscious gifts for people who love to cook, camp or bike.

An eco-conscious teacher will appreciate a membership in an organization that supports the environment. Many of these groups, such as the Sierra Club, offer perks like members-only magazine subscriptions, special membership gifts such as T-shirts or backpacks, as well as discounts on trips or items the organization sells to raise funds. If there is a local environmental cause your teacher strongly supports, such as a group working to save a particular river, you can make a contribution in the teacher's name.