For a simple, light-hearted centerpiece that pokes fun at the notion of students bringing apples to their teachers, fill a decorative glass bowl with a number of apples. Stack the apples in an attractive way in the dish, and place the bowl in the center of the table. For a more colorful centerpiece, choose a variety of red and green apples, such as Macintosh and Granny Smith. Decorate the bowl by tying a red or patterned ribbon around it, or use a glue gun to attach foam or felt pieces shaped like letters of the alphabet, schoolhouses or books to the bowl. Encourage attendees to eat the apples or take them home after the celebration.
Fill a tall, wide glass vase or bowl with a variety of school supplies to make a teacher-oriented centerpiece. Choose generic items that you commonly find in the classroom, such as pencils, erasers, chalk and rulers or items that are more specific to the subject the teacher in question specializes in. Specialty school supplies can include items such as geometry sets for math teachers or paintbrushes and colored pencils for art teachers.
If the teacher you are celebrating has a dedicated group of students, call on them to make a one-of-a-kind centerpiece. If your event does not have a theme, allow the students to exercise their creativity by making the perfect paper mache craft to decorate the tables. Some ideas include a miniature replica of the school's mascot, a little schoolhouse or a bell. If you have a student who is an especially talented artist, she could craft a miniature paper mache model of the teacher sitting at his desk.
Use books to make a simple centerpiece for teachers. Choose a different subject for each table, such as literature, math, geography and history, and stack a number of books in the middle. The number should depend upon the thickness of the books; each stack should be relatively similar in height. Use books that students contribute or that the school library owns. If you use purchased books, send the books home with the teachers and guests as party favors. Sprinkle glitter around the book centerpieces in the school's colors and if available, add shaped glitter to the mix. Many craft stores carry glitter in a variety of small shapes, so you could add little apples, bells and books in with the colored glitter.