Back to school teacher gift ideas

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- One of the biggest back to school trends is bringing a gift for teachers the first day of school.

Thanks to social media sites like Pinterest, parents are spreading the message to send their kids with a back to school gift for their new teachers.

There are several clever teacher gift ideas online, some range from chocolate to flowers and school supplies.

With so many ideas out there, we wanted to talk to the teachers to find out what they really want and need. While they don't expect any gifts, they do love getting them.

"I always love seeing a happy kiddo come through the door but if they have a little something for me, you can't go wrong there," said River Oaks Elementary first grade teacher Kaitlin Martin.

While Martin says she loves sweet treats and flowers, some of the items that can really be utilized in her classroom are practical presents.

"Definitely Kleenex, there are a lot of sniffily noses throughout the year," Martin said.

Something else that comes in handy are disinfecting wipes.

"I use wipes every day. We wipe the top of our desks every day to cut down on the germs that are passed around at school," Martin said.

Another River Oaks Elementary School teacher agrees.

"It's nice to have those gifts, but what I really appreciate is hand sanitizer, wipes, Germ X, simple things that parents can get because those are the things that don't come in our supplies packets, and those are the most helpful because we use them throughout the year," said teacher Alisha Hulse.

She says the ultimate teacher gift is something a little more extravagant.

"Paid vacation somewhere to somewhere fun and Caribbean-like" Hulse said.

But she'll settle for a Starbucks gift card.

"Starbucks is a teacher's best friend," Hulse said.

Mrs. Beery feels the same way.

"Give me my pick me up," Beery said.

With 39 years of teaching under her belt, she knows what she doesn't want.

"By this time you have got it all," she said. "No more candles, my friends know when I give them a candle, your kids gave that."

They also say it's best to avoid gift cards at fees. Other items teachers told us they'd love to get on the first day are extra school supplies like pencils, pens, and sticky notes.