【occidental eroticism】

There is occidental eroticismreally no way to thank teachers, who are vital and woefully underpaid, for everything they do. But you can start by giving them end-of-year gifts that don't suck.

This means stepping away from the corny mugs (sorry) and looking for gifts teachers might actually want -- whether to give their classrooms a boost or allow themselves some much-needed relaxation.

SEE ALSO: Gifts for your snobby friends that you can actually afford

Here are 15 gift ideas for the phenomenal teacher in your life.

1. Some nice coffee

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Coffee is the unofficial official beverage of teachers, and there's a good chance they'll appreciate more of it. (Be sure to verify that they actually drink coffee, though, lest you commit a beverage faux pas.)

Price:$9.49 at Target

2. A trendy new water bottle

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It's easy to get dehydrated while teaching a roomful of teens about the Louisiana Purchase.

Price: $44.95 at Hydro Flask

3. The opposite of coffee

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

If you want to go the end-of-day hot beverage route, try an aesthetically pleasing tin of tea.

Price:$7.48 on Jet

4. Desk honey

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Mike's Hot Honey, which is infused with chilies, is especially good on pizza.

Price:$20 for two bottles on Food52

5. Desk hot sauce

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

There's no such thing as too much hot sauce. This one, from Secret Aardvark, is a bold and vinegary option perfect for fans of habanero. (Like Mike's Hot Honey, it is also extremely good on pizza.)

Price:$24.95 for 3 bottles on Amazon

6. Books for the classroom

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It might be worth asking the teacher which classroom books he or she needs. Sure, it won't be a surprise, but it will address a need directly, which is even better.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Price: $23.80 on Amazon

7. The unofficial currency of classrooms

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Anyone who's tried to use a dried-out Expo marker knows that in busy classrooms, new ones are essentially made of gold.

Price:$14.38 for 16 on Amazon

8. Flowers

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Just be sure they have enough time to enjoy them at their desk before the end of the semester.

Price: $49 at Farmgirl Flowers

9. Fake flowers

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

There is no shame in fake flowers. Plus, they'll never wilt -- a forever desk decoration!

Price:$9 at West Elm

10. Don't forget the vase

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It is against the rules of gift-giving to give a gift that necessitates more spending. Thus, if you give flowers meant for displaying you must give a vase. Them's the rules. And be sure to grab the right size for the amount of flowers you're giving.

Price:$14.99 on Amazon

11. A charging station

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

They can fit alltheir devices on this bad boy.

Price:$39.99 on Amazon

12. A desk calendar for next year

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

A (very small, admittedly) thing to get excited about when everyone trudges back in from the holiday break.

Price: $9.71 at Paper Source

13. A large box of pencils

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It's pretty much a guarantee that a classroom will use pencils. For a fun twist, these pencils come from "overruns and misprints" from other orders, which means they'll probably have some super weird stuff on them. A smorgasbord!

Price:$26.50 at U.S. School Supply

14. A sea salt bath soak

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

You generally can't go wrong with a lavender-scented bath product. Just be sure the ingredient list is relatively short.

Price: $28 at Little Barn Apothecary

15. Honestly, a gift card

If you're stuck on a gift, a gift card -- perhaps to Amazon, Target, Starbucks, or a local business if you can swing it -- is the way to go. Especially during the money-gobbling holiday season, sometimes the best present is a little extra spending power inside a heartfelt note.

Please don't forget the note.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Take a trip back to 1996 with the updated Tamagotchi

---

(Editor: {typename type="name"/})