Teachers deserve an immense amount of recognition and appreciation for all that they do. Not only are they working diligently to ensure that they’re giving their students the best education and resources in the classroom, but they’re doing it out of their own pockets and on their own time. Unfortunately, a lot of their hard work doesn’t really ever get noticed, especially by their superiors and administration.

Such was the case for a teacher named Melanie Woodwho shared that for her 10-year anniversary of being a public school educator, the school district decided to present her with a few gift options that she could choose from. However, many of the gifts weren’t exactly what Wood had expected.

A teacher shared the list of ‘unhinged gift options’ for which she was eligible after 10 years in the school district.

“In the school district where I work, once you hit a certain number of years of service, you get to choose a gift,” Wood began in her TikTok video. “Last spring, I hit 10 years in this district, so I got to choose a gift, and today I went shopping for the gift, and I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, and I just feel like someone else needs to see the options.”

The gifts included a replica Wilson volleyball from the film “Cast Away,” a YETI Rambler MagSlider Replacement Lid, which didn’t even include an actual YETI to use it on, some rustic curtains, a one-time use camera, fishing bait, engine oil, a carpet, and an Idaho-themed shirt.

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The teacher insisted that she had no complaints about working in her district; she just thought the gifts were funny.

“But really, I’m appreciative of my school district. I just thought these were the most unhinged gift options I’ve ever seen,” Wood continued.

As one commenter put it, “It’s like trading in 10,000 tickets for a pencil topper at Chuck E Cheese.” To add insult to injury, an Australian commenter noted, “In Australia if you’re employed 10 years you get 12 weeks vacation paid as a reward. And after the first 10 you get a week every year.” Yeah, that’s definitely better than boat oil.

While the gift options from the school district don’t represent how they probably feel about their teachers, it’s definitely a wake-up call about the lack of funding that exists to give these educators gifts that actually matter and they would use.

Teachers are often told that the best reward from their jobs is being able to make a difference in their students’ lives, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be getting actual tangible gifts of appreciation, especially when such a large number of teachers are feeling overworked.

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Most teachers have admitted to feeling burned out.

In a Gallup Poll on occupational burnout44% of American K -12 teachers reported feeling burned out often or always. For teachers at universities and colleges, the figure stood at 35%.

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“Teaching is more than relaying knowledge. Teachers must keep students focused, attentive, and engaged in material most adults would be bored to tears with. They are also one of the most prevalent adults in our children’s lives — shaping their morals, attitudes, and disposition,” explained clinical psychologist Simon Sherry, Ph.D. “For students with unstable or insecure home lives, teachers also act as role models and guardians.”

In the United States, three-quarters of teachers (73%) reported frequent job- stress, 59% reported feeling burnt out, and 28% reported symptoms of depression. This was even worse for teachers of color and female teachers. Ninety percent of teachers consider burnout a serious problemand one-third of teachers say they will likely leave their job by the end of the school year because of the toll on their well-being.

So, considering how much teachers seem to be suffering in their fields, it would be more than reasonable for them to at least have the option of being able to receive more meaningful gifts, but alas, despite how needed teachers are, it doesn’t seem as if this country is dedicated to actually showing them that.

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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.