Best And Worst Teacher Gifts

That apple paperweight might seem like no-brainer holiday gift for your child's teach, but that doesn't mean she's actually going to like it. Redbook polled teachers from across the country and in this segment, editor Camille Chatterjee revealed their best and worst gifts of all time. We'll show a tabletop of the do and don't gifts for visual.

GIFT DON'Ts
• Apple Ornament - Your teacher probably has enough apple ornaments, paperweights, and mugs to fill a classroom (and collect dust there). Better to get her a real apple-at least she can eat it

• Ugly Coasters - Just because you've met your child's teacher doesn't mean you know her taste-and these just beg to be regifted.

• Cheesy Soaps - Soaps send a strange message: Are you saying her personal hygiene needs work?

• Scented Candle - Candles in and of themselves aren't a bad gift, unless your teacher is allergic to, say, pine needles or hates the scent of peppermint. You just don't know.

GIFT DOs
• Papersource 20 folded cards, stamps, inkpad - Your child can use the stamps and inkpad (with your help) to personalize these cards with his teacher's initials, a special design, or whatever he dreams up. Paper-source.com. Folded cards (range from $3 to $7, depending on size), ink pad $ Ink pad - Brilliance line is $8.95, Color Box is $4.95 Stamps - image start at $5.95, depending on which ones you show, letters are $6)

• California Club Wine - Teachers are adults too. Help them toast the end of a busy semester in style. cawineclub.com $34.95 for 2

• Film Movement DVDs - Appeal to your teacher's intellectual side with these indie and foreign films she may have missed at the art local theater. Filmmovement.com. $35.95 for 3 months of membership and you get to keep the DVDs

• Bodum Bean French Press - Forget watery faculty-room coffee-teachers can easily make a great cup of joe in the classroom with this French press. Bloomingdales.com $29.99

• Starbucks/iTunes Gift Cards - Teachers tell us they LOVE gift cards, since they are actually useful and practical, itunes.com and starbucks.com

For more holiday gift ideas, visit www.redbookmag.com.