Teacher Appreciation Gifts

Teachers play a special--and incredibly important--role in all of our lives. Along with our parents, they usher us from childhood into adulthood. They give us the skills and the tools we need to survive in the world, and in many ways we'll never be able to thank them enough for everything they contribute to our personal growth.

Rewarding That Special Teacher

Everybody knows the traditional way to thank a teacher for a job well done: bring in an apple and leave it on her desk. While this is certainly a nice gesture (especially if your teacher likes apples), there are many other ways of saying thanks to a great teacher. One neat gift designed specifically for this purpose is a bronzed apple mounted on a base that you can engrave with the teacher's name.

When I was in school, we would make an effort at the end of each year to pool some funds and buy a gift for our homeroom teacher. If we knew the teacher well enough, we'd get them something they could enjoy on their own personal time--something related to a hobby, for instance. If you have a lot of fun with a particular teacher, gag gifts can also be a lot of fun.

For younger students, teacher appreciation certificates and plaques can make a very cute gift. You can have them engraved with the name of the teacher and the year, as well as a personal message and even the names of all the kids in the class. The nice thing about this type of gift is that the teacher can display it in his or her classroom.