Back-to-School Teacher Survival Kit ~ FREE PRINTABLE!

Kick off the new school year with this back-to-school Teacher Survival Kit. It's gift that's sure to help your teacher make it through that busy first week with a smile!

When I was a first grade teacher, there were three things I required to get through the first week of school: energy, sanity, and a boatload of antibacterial hand sanitizer. Now that I'm a mom of a first grader, hopefully my kids' teachers will appreciate these Teacher Survival Kits full of the same!

The first week of school is a long one for everyone involved. By the end of the week, the kiddos are worn out from absorbing rules and learning schedules, sitting still and paying attention. The parents are worn out from getting up early and staying up late to make sure that clothes are washed, lunches are prepared, and backpacks are packed.

And the teachers? Y'all, the teachers have already been up at the school at all hours of the day and night for weeks now, setting up their classrooms and attending inservices.

Then the first week of school hits and the actual students arrive. Those amazing teachers need additional stamina and patience to make sure that their new little learners are happy and engaged, that they're making new friends and following new rules, and that nobody gets lost! It's a fun but exhausting week. And I think just about every teacher out there would appreciate some caffeine and chocolate to power through it.

As for the antibacterial hand sanitizer? Well, a classroom is not unlike a giant petri dish. So that's to make sure the germs don't get the teachers down and we'll see them back next week.  😉

Back to School Teacher Gift

To put together my First Week of School Teacher Survival Kits, I picked up some pencil boxes in the school supply aisle at Target for 50¢ each.

I used a Starbucks gift card for the caffeine portion of the kit. You can be as conservative or generous as you wish with the Starbucks card. $5 would score your teacher a caffeinated treat one morning or afternoon, or a higher amount would fuel them over several Starbucks runs! Regardless of what your budget allows, the gesture would be much appreciated.

I also threw in some decadent chocolate truffles and a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel. Because, you know...survival.

Variations of the Teacher Survival Kit

However, if you don't want to go the gift card route, there are some additional ways you could use this printable. Instead of putting everything in a box, you could alternatively pick up a 20-ounce soft drink or a bottled coffee drink, tie a chocolate bar and bottle of hand sanitizer on either side with some colorful ribbon, and then use the printable as a tag.

Hence, Exhibit A...

...and Exhibit B.

The whole point of any teacher gift is to let our educators know how much we appreciate that they teach and care for our most prized possessions for so many hours of the day over so many months of the year. It's a gesture that doesn't need to cost a lot. And oftentimes, a heartfelt, handwritten note is the best gift any parent (or student) can give. I know that on the first day of school, you may not know the teacher yet or have much to say, but a simple We're so happy to have you as a teacher and we're looking forward to having a great year with you! is a great first step towards building a positive parent-teacher relationship for the upcoming school year.

And, of course, it doesn't hurt if you choose to throw in some high quality chocolate with that message.

From students to parents to teachers, I hope that everyone has a positive, successful first week of school. Happy School Year!

Teacher Survival Kit Free Printable

Click here >>> to DOWNLOAD TEACHER SURVIVAL KIT PRINTABLE

This Back-to-School Teacher Survival Kit is a high resolution PDF, printing two tags to a sheet. Print on card stock, cut out, and attach to "survival kit" with double-sided tape. Or for alternative gifts, punch a hole in the corner of each tag and tie it on with ribbon.

Please be patient if these take a moment to load. For personal use only, please. Enjoy!

NOTE: As of 2019, I have been using this printable for first week of school teacher gifts for 8 years now! This year, I finally updated one portion of the printable with slightly different wording (that I think sounds better and makes more sense), as reflected in the image above and in the downloadable free printable. 🙂

More Teacher Appreciation Goodies

Back-to-School Teacher Appreciation Kit Mason Jar Gift (2014 version)

Teacher Appreciation Printables