If you were about to buy a "#1 Teacher" coffee mug, you really need to see this.

Buy the right gift(s) for the teacher(s) in your life can be a difficult task. My fiancé was shopping for some of these special gifts recently and got some great advice from a retired teacher who happened to be working at this store. The suggestions given included things that teachers love and things they don't.

Let's begin with what NOT to consider buying:

NO COFFEE MUGS.

Let me be clear, teachers certainly don't expect to be given a gift and they are all appreciated, but wouldn't it feel better knowing your gift is truly enjoyed?

So, now that we've discussed the coffee mug nonsense, I'm also adding all trinkets and knick knacks. According to some Teacher Gift Buying research I found at Community.Today.com, teachers have lots of students EVERY year and these things become very difficult to store.

Also on the DON'T buy list; candles, craft projects, large framed photos or art, home-made treats and anything apple-themed.

WHAT TEACHERS REALLY WANT:

That retired teacher suggested my fiancé buy a fancy notepad and pen, something a teacher is likely to use every day.

What teachers most want, from the 'teacher gift buying' article I mentioned earlier,

It was hand-written notes from kids or parents about what the teacher had meant to the student. Nearly every teacher mentioned that these notes and letters were the thing that they kept, treasured and reread again years later, the things that really meant the most to them.

Maybe write that special note on the first page of that notepad you're giving them.

Other gifts teachers want; a gift card to a favorite place, a coffee shop near the school or a store where the teacher may spend their own money on classroom stuff. Make sure you don't grab a gift card for $10 from a high-end store where nothing costs $10.

The teacher gift research even broke it down to best gift ideas and stuff to avoid based on what grade they teach.

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