BE CREATIVE
"We buy clear, compartmentalized boxes, and the kids decorate them with seashells and fill them with paper clips or pushpins. They sit on the teacher's desk all year, and the kids feel proud." (Cost: $3)--Patti Ryan, mother of three, Plano, Texas
GIVE TO CHARITY
"I make a contribution to Wilderness Inquiry, a nonprofit organization here in Minneapolis that leads disabled people on wilderness trips. The reaction from the teachers has been wonderful--they can only have so many coffee mugs and tree ornaments." (Cost: $25)--Becky Rom, mother of two, Minneapolis, Minnesota
EXPRESS YOURSELF
"One year we made treasure candles with little charms rolled into them. But my favorite gift was the year my son autographed his own baseball and gave it to his teacher, telling her it was going to be worth a lot of money when he was a famous ballplayer. The teacher still talks about that gift!" (Cost: $5)--Laurie Haughey, mother of three, Chevy Chase, Maryland
CELEBRATE NATURE
"I've run the gamut from totally lavish and inappropriate to very simple. Last year, we picked out a book on Southern California wildflowers for a teacher who takes long nature hikes." (Cost: $15)--Jaye Scholl, mother of three, Glendale, California
BAKE COOKIES
"My two school-age children have seven teachers between them. That adds up, so we bake Mrs. Fields' chocolate chip cookies, put them in a decorative tin and attach a simple gift like a pen or a funny refrigerator magnet to the top. Teachers don't have time to bake, so they love them. (Cost: $7 each tin)--Janey Richards, mother of three, Meriden, Connecticut
