Teacher Recognition Gifts

• Gifts are one way to show teachers how special they are. Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

  Children love presenting their teacher with a gift; and buying something for your child's teacher is one way to let her know how much you appreciate her. If she has been teaching for some time, it's likely that she'll already have many of the teacher-specific gifts that are available such as teacher tote bags, teacher jewelry or teacher picture frames. If you know her quite well, you can give her something personal. Otherwise, it's a good idea to stick with a practical gift that she can use for school or home.

Classroom Supplies

• Teachers have a limited salary and spend much of their own money on supplies for their classrooms. He might already have all of the "world's best teacher" mugs that he can use, so think about giving him classroom supplies. A gift card from an office supply store will enable him to stock up on colored paper, scissors, stickers and anything else that his classroom is in need of and he won't have to use his own hard-earned dollars.

Gift Card or Gift Certificate

• Gift cards may seem impersonal, but for teachers, who receive many gifts from their students, they are usually much appreciated. Consider a gift card from the local bookstore. She can use the card to purchase books for herself or her classroom. If you would like to make sure that she uses the gift card to purchase something for herself, give her a gift card from a coffee store, clothing store, or even a jewelry store. If you know a local business owner that has a florist, clothing or gift shop, purchase a card or gift certificate for your daughter's teacher from them. That way, you can do two nice things at once.

Theater or Sports Tickets

• If your daughter's teacher is into hockey, consider giving him two hockey tickets to an NHL game or if he's into basketball, maybe you can wrap up two of your own season's tickets. Likewise, if you are a symphony subscriber, your son's teacher might enjoy an evening with a spouse or friend at the symphony. If you aren't season ticket holders and the price is more than you are able to spend, consider pooling your money with another family or two. An even more budget-friendly option is movie ticket vouchers.

Donation

• Charitable contributions are a good choice for gifts. breast cancer ribbon image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com

  Let your daughter's teacher know how special she is by making a donation in her name to a local non-profit charitable organization. If she or any members of her family have a disease or condition that you are aware of, consider making the donation to that society or foundation.