What do teachers really want for the holidays? Hint: It's not mugs or tote bags.

Many U.S. teachers are overwhelmed with hefty workloads, overflowing classes and low salaries. So when the holidays come around, parents often want to thank them for the hard work they take on.

For people considering what might be the right token of appreciation this holiday season, USA TODAY assembled a list of gift suggestions based on what teachers told us they wanted.

They mostly agreed that families should skip the mugs and opt for more thoughtful and affordable gifts, such as books for the classroom or an offer for parents to volunteer to help at school. They also encouraged families to acknowledge support staff in their gift-giving.

Here's their guidance for the best educator gifts this holiday season.

Teacher gifting etiquette: What is (and isn't) appropriate this holiday

Gifts that save them expenses

Giving books and school supplies helps teachers who often spend their own money on these items.

Jen Lopez, a high school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, is constantly replacing pencils, hand sanitizer and tissues for the students in her ethnic studies classes. She said parents can help by replacing the items their children use day to day, because, "It gets costly coming out of my own pocket."

Classroom books that align with a course's subject matter can be a great way to supply and amplify a teacher's library, she said. Parents should be aware that many teachers may have a wish list of what they'd like, she said.

Tiffany Moyer-Washington, a public high school teacher in Hartford, Connecticut, said one of the best gifts she's gotten was the sequel to the book she was teaching.

If your child's teacher doesn't have a wish list, copies of the new, bestselling or notable children's books are great additions to the classroom library, Maralee McKee, founder of The Etiquette School of America, previously told USA TODAY.

What is the 'best' children's book? Kids, parents, authors on what makes a classic

Lunch or dinner on us

Teaching has been especially difficult in recent months for Moyer-Washington, from Hartford, because she said her class size increased from an average of 20 students to 28 students.

A gift card for dinner or "something to do after work" to help cope with the stress and added workload would be best this year, she said.

Gift certificates to local businesses that offer lunch during the school day also come in handy, said Jessica Saum, a special education teacher in Cabot, Arkansas.

"It's rare that we can get away for lunch, but sometimes small businesses will deliver to us," she said.

Gift cards and gift certificates for food or experiences are most likely to make a memory, according to McKee, from The Etiquette School.

"Things like two tickets to a local museum or attraction, an upcoming play, or even two movie tickets and a concession stand gift card ... will leave a fantastic memory the teacher will always associate with your children and family," McKee said.

Thoughtful notes and handmade items

Homemade gifts and thoughtful notes often go further than more expensive items, several teachers told USA TODAY.

Adriane Bradley-Gray, dean of students at Suffolk Public Schools in Suffolk, Virginia, vividly remembers when a student's family decorated their car with a written note sharing their appreciation of her.

"I cried because that was validation," Bradley-Gray said. After 20 years in the profession, Bradley-Gray said she's found that educators crave acknowledgment, and gifts don't need to be physical items.

Lopez, from Los Angeles Unified, still remembers when a student brought back a soccer-themed pencil holder from his trip to Mexico. She's a soccer fan and was delighted because it resonated with her interests. Each day, she looks, for encouragement, at the notecards and letters of appreciation students have written for her over the years on a wall near her desk, she said.

McKee, from The Etiquette School, recommends including your child in these thoughtful notes of appreciation.

"Have your child write a thank you note," McKee said. "Younger children can draw pictures and include them with the holiday card for the teacher."

Support staff and administrators also appreciate these kinds of thoughtful gifts during the holidays, Bradley-Gray said.

Parents of students in special education should remember that there are paraprofessional helpers in those classes, said Saum, who teaches special ed in Arkansas.

"I'd always rather my parents make sure to remember paraprofessionals because they are teaching partners in the classroom," she said.

Think about the entire staff

Many teachers who talked to USA TODAY said what they really want is positive change for their schools and students as well as parent support.

For Diane Castro, a bilingual elementary teacher at a public school in Chicago, "housing for our students, healthy meals, a happy learning environment, clean and green schools" are at the top of her holiday wish list.

Parents can make teachers' lives easier by preparing kids for the day.

They can help by "teaching the little ones to zip their coats and to use tissue," Castro said.

Bradley-Gray, the administrator from Virginia, said the teachers she works with want parents to get to know them, heed their announcements and listen to the constructive feedback they offer about students so their children can benefit the most from their classes.

"With the economy the way it is, there's a trifold of ways that all work together. And parents can give without spending," Bradley-Gray said. What are those intangible gifts? "Respect, autonomy and a productive ear."

Emilee Coblentz contributed.

Contact Kayla Jimenez at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gifts teachers actually want for the holidays this year