45 Gift ideas for Math Teachers and Fans of Math
/So it's getting close to Christmas and your are still looking for gift ideas for that special Math teacher or math fanatic in your life. Don't fret, we got you covered with 45 different ideas for that special mathematical person in your life.
We have divided the gift ideas into 5 different categories: 1) Clothing & Accessories 2) Classroom 3) Books 4) Productivity and 5) Random Math Things and Stocking Stuffers
Clothing and Accessories
There is a massive amount of clothing and accessory options on the market for the math fan. Everything from a t-shirt to jewelry can be found online. Below are a few ideas to get you started.
For the Classroom
A typical teacher might spend as much as 7 hours a day in their classroom with students. If you can make the classroom environment better it will help make the whole school year better (for kids and teachers). A few of my fellow teachers are really into the Essential Oil Diffusers: smells great, helps the air quality and takes up very little space. My personal favorite is the clock - I like the idea of having something unique that connects with what I teach.
Books for Mathematicians
The amount of math related books on the market is staggering. I tend to like books that deal with puzzles and logic. There are many great books on the art of teaching, but I really enjoy reading Jo Boaler's writings about growth mindset (she has a couple of books on the market). "100 Tricks to appear smart in meetings," has nothing to do with math, but if you have to sit through meetings this book if full of humorous tips to help you survive. Freakonomics is a bit older book but one of my personal favorites.
Productivity
There are tons of ways to maximize your time. I have included a few below. My personal favorite is the Livescribe Pen. I can't believe this thing has not been a massive success. While you are taking notes with the pen you can record what is being said around you (you can also choose not to record audio). When you go to review your notes you can touch the page and you can hear what was going on at that moment. All your notes are organized online and if you are looking for a certain item (ex. test scores) it can search you hand written notes and find all the times you wrote that item down. It's great for staff meetings, taking classes or even conferences (** If you are in a conference with a parent you might want to mention you are recording them).
Random Math Things and Stocking Stuffers
Below is just a random collection of items that people of math might enjoy. Teachers seem to really love coffee and the Keurig coffee maker is a very popular choice among my fellow teachers. The X-ACTO pencil sharpener is a beast (best addition to my classroom this year!). I received the collection of sticky flag notes as a gift from a principal years ago - Simply Awesome!
