Perhaps you are a student who is wondering what to do for your teacher for Teacher Appreciation Week. You want to thank him for presenting the year's material in a way that you could understand it and for helping you to have a good year. What can you do?

One thing you can do is buy something, such as a coffee mug that bears a message like "Thank you". A coffee mug is an item that your teacher will be able to use. However, mugs can be chipped or broken. Also, you may not have the money to buy anything for your teacher. What else might you do?

Another idea is to make something. If you make your teacher a plate of chocolate chip cookies, for example, he will have something yummy to enjoy while he grades papers. You may have recently bought some cookie mix, and you are looking forward to your cookie-baking session. You are eager to have the smell of baking cookies fill your house and eager to play your favorite music as you bake. As you mix the batter, drop the cookie dough on the cookie sheet, preheat the oven, and let the cookies bake, you plan to listen to your favorite songs, like "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves, "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco, "She Bop" by Cyndi Lauper, and "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. Music like this, you believe, will help you to have a great baking experience and will help you to work faster so that you can move on to other activities, such as running. You cannot wait to see the expression on your teacher's face when you give him the cookies.

However, cookies and other tasty treats will pack on the pounds. Teachers, like other people, may be looking forward to hitting the beach this summer. Many are also planning family vacations to popular destinations like Disney World. They will want to look great for whatever they plan to do this summer. Because they want to look good, they will want to avoid gaining weight. Therefore, when considering what to give your teacher, you might give the best gift of all: a thank you note from you.

When writing your note, tell your teacher, in your own words, how good it feels that he was able to get through to you and help you to understand difficult concepts. Your teacher will appreciate this heart-felt message, and it will mean more to him than a mug or a plate of cookies.