Teachers deserve recognition for all their hard work

Teachers touch the lives of thousands of children throughout their careers. A good teacher can help a child who hates math learn to love numbers, a shy child become a social butterfly or enable a child who can't read to learn the wonder of books. If you have children in school, you know firsthand how hard their teachers consistently work to ensure they learn, have fun and grow.

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 7 to May 11 - this is the perfect time to thank your children's teachers for the important role they play in your lives. A hard-working teacher deserves something special, so why not gather your kids and brainstorm some ways to show your family's appreciation? For some ideas and a chance to win a gift basket for your teacher you can visit Facebook.com/InternationalDelight. While on the site, you can nominate your favorite teacher for a chance to win a new iPad.

Check out some other ideas below on how to make your own gift basket.

Give a deluxe coffee break
Give your child's favorite teacher a much-deserved coffee break and sweeten up the faculty break room with a fun coffee-themed gift basket. The line of International Delight flavored coffee creamers are a teacher favorite, so work with your kids to create an International Delight Teacher Appreciation Kit by collecting some treats that the whole faculty will enjoy. Here are some items you could include:
* Fun mugs - colorful or personalized mugs will make a great gift that can be used over and over again.
* Coffee creamer - a few bottles of International Delight in flavors like French Vanilla, Caramel Macchiato and York Peppermint Patty.
* Coffee - such as Folgers or another favorite blend.
* Thank you card - Nothing beats the classic thank you card, whether given alone or along with another gift. Younger kids can color and create fun drawings. Older kids can decorate the cards with images and words inspired by the topics they learned throughout the year.

Give a plant
Perfect for during springtime, buy a perennial plant and have your children decorate a pot to plant it in. Then have them create a gift tag that says: "Thanks for helping me grow!" You might even include a picture of your child decorating the pot or holding the plant. The teacher can then enjoy the plant at home on their patio or in their garden. This lasting sentiment is sure to make any teacher feel special.

Create a unique and personalized tote bag
Unlike students, teachers typically don't use a backpack to lug around the text books and homework that they have to grade each day. Why not make something useful and meaningful for your teacher by designing a personalized tote bag? Decorate the tote bag with iron-on designs or puffy paint. For an added personal touch, have your child collect signatures from their classmates so everyone can get involved and sign their name and write a short message to their teacher on the tote.