Teacher Gifts: Gift cards top list of faves; decorative dolphins don't

My mom is a retired teacher. My sister is a teacher. I know that while gifts are very much appreciated, some of those trinkets come in handy more than others. My mom, for instance, has more apple-themed mugs and Christmas ornaments than anybody could possibly need. She's given most of them away.

Here's what she has held onto: A simple watercolor painting of a cat that a grade schooler gave her decades ago. It still hangs on her wall.

On Go Ask Mom's Facebook page, teachers said they don't need anything big or fancy ... or scented.

"Yes please: personalized notepads or thank you notes, Starbucks cards, any gift cards," wrote one teacher on our Facebook page. "No thanks: coffee mugs, scented lotions, candles."

Wrote another: "I always appreciated gift cards to places like Walmart, Target, or Amazon.com. Something handmade from the parent or child is always nice too! Least favorite gift I ever received: A very large decorative glass dolphin. I appreciated the thoughtfulness of the family who gave it to me, but I just didn't have any use for it, so I re-gifted it to my aunt as a joke. She kept it and might still have it somewhere in her house today. Ha ha!"

Another teacher echoed her appreciation for gift cards and reminded parents to not just remember their child's classroom teachers.

"Coffee gift cards are always the best gifts as you know that the teacher will use it for him/her. Target, Walmart, etc., gift cards are great too, but we tend to spend them for items needed in the classroom," she wrote. "Parents, don't forget your child's specialists (P.E., Art. Music, other). They teach your child as well."

Finally, whatever you give, don't forget to put your child's name on the gift!

"LOVE, Love, love the gifts, but PLEASE attach your name to the gift," wrote a teacher on our Facebook page. "When receiving multiple gifts on the last day of school, the brain has so few cells that continue to function, it is often difficult to remember who gave what and every Southern woman wants to send thank you notes to the giver and do so correctly."

Sounds like she might like some personalized thank you notes!

Whatever you give, be sure you and your child sit down and write a thank you note. Teachers are underpaid and underappreciated. They need to know how much we truly value everything they do. In fact, for one teacher, a nice note is the best gift she can get.

"No soaps or lotions, please (I get skin reactions!)," she wrote. "Gift cards are nice, but my favorite is definitely a heart-felt note."