What's the best gift to give a teacher?

The gift that teachers would most like to receive costs nothing at all, according to a recent poll conducted by the National Education Association. Teachers overwhelmingly chose "hearing the words 'thank you'" or "receiving a thank-you card" as the gift they would most cherish.

That's why NEA teamed up with the National PTA to launch the nation's largest teacher thankyou card. Taking part in the project is easy. Through the end of the year, students can log on to www.teacherthankyoucard.org to personalize an e-card and let their teacher know he or she is being honored.

"Genuine expressions of gratitude for their work, impact or influence are the best gift teachers can receive," said NEA President Reg Weaver. "We want to create a tapestry of thankyous dedicated to the millions of teachers responsible for shaping, nurturing and educating the nation's 50 million public school students."

The cards collected- including teacher thankyous from famous actors, musicians, athletes, politicians and notable public figures- will be compiled into one gigantic card that will be unveiled next spring.

Want to give a more conventional gift? Here are some tips to help this holiday season:

•Check the school policy first. Some district policies discourage buying gifts.

•When buying a gift, there's no need to break the bank. Keep it simple. Sometimes the best gifts come in small packages.

•Organize a class gift. A gift's value grows when the whole class contributes. Scrapbooks and photo albums are popular class gifts.

•Buy a gift card. Gift certificates came in second on the teacher gift survey. Treat the teacher to a night at the movies or a gift card to a favorite bookstore.

•Bag the apples. Only 1 percent of the teachers polled said they like to receive apples as a gift. So try a unique spin with a bottle of sparkling cider or applescented hand lotion.

•Give the gift of time. Give the teacher a book of coupons that can be redeemed for volunteer hours in the classroom.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.