Guess this: we trust our teachers with our children’s education and well-being for most of their day, every day. We know that educators have a great influence on the growth and development of our children. We know that teachers are undercompensated and overworked. We know that education is a labor of love, and that a truly amazing teacher can positively change our children’s lives… In short, teachers are totally awesome, so why do we think a $5 Christmas tchotchke Is Tree Shop an appropriate gift? way to show our appreciation?

I don’t really have kids, but I do have several friends who are teachers, and I’ve seen some astonishingly hideous things diligently brought home in brightly colored gift bags. Seriously people, FACE IT WITH THE APPLE STUFF! (or anything teacher #1 says or has a school bus on).

1. The best gifts are personal—it doesn’t even have to cost money. Teachers don’t expect fancy swag, but they do like to know that they are recognized and appreciated. A homemade card and a heartfelt sentiment from you and/or your child (preferably both) will surely win a sno balloon in a bargain bin any day. However, if you can wrap your sentiment around a nice gift… well then, so much the better.

2. Gift cards/certificates! Chances are, you don’t know where your teacher likes to shop or what she does in her spare time, so generic bank, Target, Starbucks, or mall gift cards are pretty safe. A gift certificate to a local day spa or a good local restaurant is also appropriate. *NOTE* this does not mean APPLEBEES! It means locally owned, a little on the upscale side, and with amazing food. Also, the amount should be enough for a full meal. For gift cards in general, if you can’t afford to give a reasonable amount, then don’t go this route. Just stick with the nice card option as detailed above.

3 things! So if you want to give a concrete “something little”, that’s fine. Just stay away from the Apple/teacher oriented crap (because that’s where you’ll inevitably end up), and try to get something that’s attractive, useful, and of good quality. Some ideas that won’t decimate your budget:

– A really nice (and possibly eco-friendly) travel mug.

– An adorable and novelty flash drive.

– A set of beautiful stationery or blank cards (I’m talking typography here, not a golden crown).

– A nice and sturdy reusable bag (teachers always have a lot to carry!).

– Or make a collection with the other parents and buy one important item, like tickets to a professional sports game, a high-value gift card, or something designed specifically to fit your favorite teacher.

It’s not terribly innovative, but it’s definitely less likely to end up at Goodwill.

4. Traps! Besides not buying junk, there are a couple of other things to avoid in the world of classy teacher gifts:

– A gift for the classroom is not a gift for the teacher. If you want to gift the classroom with something nice, do it separately. Give the teacher something for him/her. You wouldn’t give your housekeeper Windex as a holiday gift (would you?).

– Food is a slippery slope. Anything low fat, low calorie or diet seems insulting. Anything high-fat or decadent is unhealthy (and probably made worse by gifts of saturated-fat-laden foods from at least 10 other parents). Point to something in between. I think they’re tacky, but those edible arrangements seem popular, or maybe just some beautiful, foil-wrapped fruit from Harry & David? Or, if you must give candy, make it the best candy available. Unless they are diabetic or allergic to chocolate, Godiva is usually a no-fail situation.

At the end of the day, teacher gifts are optional, not required. If you can’t muster anything genuinely nice or thoughtful to say or give to your child’s teacher (let’s be real, they’re not all gems), then skip it altogether. Most likely they don’t even realize it.