Gifts for Teachers -- No More Apples, Please

Ask any teacher, and she will tell you it isn't necessary, but many kids give their teacher a gift at the end of the school year. Especially the younger kids-it almost seems as if the younger the child, the more likely it is that he will give his teacher a present. I don't know about you, but I haven't seen too many high school kids rushing around, trying to find the perfect gift for each of their teachers.

"What are we going to give to the teacher?" is probably the first question your child will ask after you makes the suggestion to give the teacher an end-of-year gift. This is to be expected-most kids haven't had too much experience in giving presents to adults, so your child will need some guidance. You might need some assistance, too, if you want to make sure to get a gift that will actually be appreciated. Here are some basic ground rules:

Do not get a gift that says "Number #1 Teacher" or "Best Teacher." You may think that mugs, desk calendars, magnets, and tote bags that say things like "Teachers Are Special" or a soup bowl that says "You Are a Soup-er Teacher!" would be a perfect gift for a teacher. Trust me, though-any teacher is likely to already have dozens of items already like this. She may think it is cute, but it isn't something she really needs or wants.

Apple-themed gifts are also a no-no. Again, any teacher probably already has a lot of items with apples on them. If you want to gift a gift that she will really like, stay away from the apples.

Let your child help choose the gift. It may be easier for you to swing by the mall on your lunch hour from work and pick up a present, but allowing your child to help you will make the gift more personal. Your child will be a lot happier to give a gift of which he is proud.

Homemade gifts are a great idea. A gift doesn't have to be store-bought to be meaningful; there are plenty of things you can make with your child to present as a gift. Any teacher would love to get a gift that your child helped to make.

The gift you and your child decide to give to the teacher should be a personal decision, based both on what your child likes and on the type of person the teacher is. That said, here are some recommendations for gifts that most teachers would enjoy-use them as is, or modify them to suit your own needs.

School supply goodie basket: Start with some kind of container (a basket, a plastic storage container, maybe even a decorative tin) and add in some good-quality school supplies that your child chooses. Tell your child to select items that he knows the teacher uses throughout the day, such as multi-colored pens, dry erase markers, colored pencils, and the like. To round out the gift, add a gift card from a school or office supply store. This type of gift is much-appreciated among teachers since most teachers end up having to use their own money to purchase supplies for their classrooms.

Snack break basket: If your child's teacher drinks coffee, start this gift with a travel coffee mug. Then, nestle it in a basket or shopping tote along with some unique snacks. Let your child select some (with some assistance-don't allow your child to choose the snacks he would enjoy; stress the idea that you are buying snacks that the teacher would enjoy). Possible ideas include hard candies, exotic chocolate bars, small bags of nuts, microwave popcorn, and trail mix. You can finish off this gift with a small gift card to a coffee shop, if you like. The idea behind this gift basket is that teachers deserve to take a break, too.

Gift for the classroom: It may seem impersonal to you, but believe me-teachers would appreciate a gift that their classroom could use the following year. Ask your child what his class could use-maybe they need a few more puzzles or games for indoor recess time, or perhaps they could use more books for their in-class library. Let your child choose.

Or if you like the thought of a homemade (or semi-homemade) gift, here are a few suggestions:

Give the teacher an indoor plant: This is a pretty easy semi-homemade gift. Purchase a medium-sized clay pot and any variety of indoor plant (make it one that is easy to take care of-you don't want to give the teacher a headache of a plant). Let your child paint the clay pot or decorate it with markers, then spray it with a protective glaze when he is finished. Place the plant in the clay pot and then add a nice bow around the pot. A nice touch would be to include a small card with care instructions for the plant.

Decorate a picture frame: Get an 8x10 or 5x7 picture frame from a dollar store-just a plain wooden frame is fine. Then give your child buttons, beads, and plastic jewels to glue (using craft glue) all over the frame. Have your child cover the entire frame, including the inner and outer edges (be sure to provide a variety of sizes of items to glue so that this is not an impossible task). After the glue has dried, spray with protective glaze.

Stationary set: Go to a craft store or office supply store and get some blank cards with envelopes. Then set your child loose with crayons, markers, and/or rubber stamps and have him decorate the front of each card. The cards don't have to be the same-he can make each card different if he wants to. After he is finished, tie the stack of cards and envelopes with a big bow and present it to the teacher.

One of the best ideas you can do for a gift, though, is to simply write a note to the teacher. Tell the teacher just how much you appreciate everything she has done for your child throughout the year (and give some specific examples). Let your child dictate part of the letter to you as well-have him tell you his favorite things about the teacher or the class, and write those down. Teachers love to know that they are appreciated, so a note like this would be a great gift.

Remember, too-teachers do not expect or require your child to give a present at the end of the year. So, it isn't necessary to stress yourself out trying to choose the perfect gift. Just knowing that you care and that your child has enjoyed his school year is gift enough for most teachers-anything beyond that is a bonus.