National Teacher's Day is Tuesday, May 7

Teacher’s Pet – The Dos and Don’ts of Teacher Appreciation Gifts

The end of the school year is the perfect time to show appreciation for your child’s teachers. But how many apple-related knick-knacks can one person

accept with grace? If you’re a fan of websites like Facebook and Pinterest, you can become

overwhelmed by the choices of handmade Teacher Appreciation Gift options (most of which claim to be easy to make but are anything but).

While getting creative is great for some, it’s not for everyone. So before you head down the Pinterest rabbit hole, we asked some teachers to give us their gift requests – and advice for which gifts to skip.

Safe Bets:

1. A handwritten note. Nothing says “thank you” quite like the actual words, which you’d be surprised to learn aren’t spoken or written to teachers all that often. Putting pen to paper – and having your child do so as well – is a thoughtful expression of appreciation that a teacher will treasure for years.

2. Gift cards. Some think gift cards aren’t personal enough, but teachers say they love them. Gift cards to big-name craft supply stores or department stores (think Target, Walmart, Michael’s) allow teachers to get classroom supplies without digging so deeply into their personal funds. If you’re looking for more of a pampering present, consider a gift card to Barnes and Noble, Starbucks or the local movie theater.

3. Homemade goodies. Edible gifts are gobbled up, particularly sweet treats that teachers can bring home and share with their families.

4. Something for the classroom. The vast majority of teachers spend at least some of their own money on things for their classroom, so if you see a need (or ask the teacher directly!), fill it!

5. Something personal. Only go personal if you really know the teacher well. If you’ve been a classroom volunteer and discovered your child’s teacher is heavy into butterflies, getting something for her

collection might be nice.

Steer clear of:

1. Decorations and knick-knacks. The average classroom has just four walls, and not nearly enough shelves to handle the load of trinkets and keepsakes and decorations well-meaning students give to their teachers each year. When considering a gift, think practical, not dustable.

2. Scented gifts. Everyone loves lotion and candles, right? Possibly, but everyone’s personal tastes (and

allergies) are different, so it’s best to steer clear of that raspberry-scented foot lotion unless you’re

absolutely certain your child’s teacher loves it.

3. Apples. No teacher surveyed knew why apples are supposed to be what you give teachers, but they all have received apple-related gifts that just didn’t make much sense. Just because it has an apple on it, or is made with apples, or smells like apples, doesn’t mean it’s a good gift for a teacher. (Note: According to these guidelines, an apple-scented knick-knack might be the worst thing you could give a teacher.)