As a teacher myself I would suggest that you stay away from anything with apples on it or things that say something on it about teachers because most likely if he/she has been teaching for a few years he/she has a TON of this stuff! Over the years I have taught second grade and preschool and I personally LOVE the stuff the kids pick out themselves! I got the tackiest ceramic eagle one year that a little boy picked out at Dollar Tree but he was SO proud of it and so eager to give it to me that it just meant the world to me! This year my daughter is in Kindergarten and we purchased snowman mugs and she is going to help me make Snowman Soup for her teachers. Usually the special teachers (librarian, art, music, phys. ed., secretaries, principal, nurse, custodian, bus driver.) get forgotten at the holidays but buying for everyone can get expensive so we make snowman soup for everyone! The total cost for 10 mugs of Snowman Soup $20!!! We will also get a little something for her teacher too probably a gc for a manicure or some Bath and body stuff!