What do teachers REALLY want for end of term gifts?

[LunaLoveg00d]

Getting towards that time of year again (we're in Scotland so finish end of June) and I never have a clue what to buy. Think last year I got little metal bookmarks with the teacher's name on them, year before that boring candles and wine.

I want to show my gratitude but as the daughter of a teacher I know how many boxes of Roses she got at the end of summer term and at Christmas. I also loathe with a passion any "best teacher" tat. Or twee little poems.

[PrincessHairyMclary]

Something your DD handmade will be kept and cherished. I get add to write her favourite memories in the year in a card.

Stationary, it's like crack to teachers, a couple of nice pens or note books.

Some craft supplies teachers often buy stuff like that themselves and would be appreciated.

[EvilTwins]

Wine is not boring

But honestly, i don't need a gift. I get paid to do the job. A heartfelt thank you is plenty.

[timelytess]

A card thanking them for something specific they have done - they can use it to support their assertions in appraisals.

[Haggisfish]

Yep, a nice card or letter with nice memories are what I like best.

[rollonthesummer]

Wine!

[EvilTwins]

they can use it to support their assertions in appraisals

How depressing. And even more do that it's true.

[EvilTwins]

More so

[LunaLoveg00d]

Stationary, it's like crack to teachers, a couple of nice pens or note books

I'm a bit like that myself.... I love those posh fabric covered notebooks. My daughter's teacher also appears to have a smelly sticker habit so might buy her some of those too ;-)

[PurpleDaisies]

A card with something personal and meaningful written in it and nothing else.

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

Wine and/or stationery. But mainly, nice meaningful words written in a card.

[Puffinity]

Oww man, all those teachers sniffing stickers at break time, no wonder the education system is going to pot!

I teach, but not in a school-school (EFL). The best gift I got was a card saying 'You're the best teacher ever'. Really, those types of gifts are the best but booze would be fine too haha

[LunaLoveg00d]

What's the teachers' consensus on those Oxfam style gifts where it's a school-related charity donation?

[HerRoyalNotness]

A teacher friend, when I asked, suggested, cash on those prepaid Visa cards. Then the teacher can use if for classroom supplies that they would buy out of their own money (or anything thy like)

I'm still trying to decide if I can afford it this year. Normally do $25 at Xmas and $50 and EOY.

I've found they also appreciate Starbucks cards (or equivalent)

[Haggisfish]

Erm, thanks but no thanks! Oxfam cream off so much money first, surely? Or is this just something I've never heard of before?

[Cakescakescakes]

I do a personalised card (from Moonpig or whatever) with a pic of my child on the front and a nice handwritten letter from me inside with specific thanks for all they have done that year.

And wine.

[LunaLoveg00d]

This sort of thing

www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped/teachers/school-supplies-ou9025in

[PurpleDaisies]

I'm not a fan but mainly because id rather choose which charity I donated to rather than be given a card saying someone else had done it on my behalf. By all means donate to charity-it's a great thing to do but I don't get calling it a gift for somebody.

As I said before, there's no need for more than a card (and even then only if you've genuinely appreciated the teacher).

[SmallLegsOrSmallEggs]

I donated to Mary's meals and gave them card. However I don't know if they liked that!

[SmallLegsOrSmallEggs]

The girls did say in the card it was in the hope that it would give someone else the chance of an education with a teacher as good as theirs

[kelper]

I usually givd my ds's teachers wine, and a little gift (last year it was a pendant with pencil, apple and other teacher type gems in) althpugh this year his teachers is so bad I'm tempted to not bother :(

[Vaara]

Wine and chocolate! Love it!

I work in a private school and sometimes the gifts are so generous it's actually a bit embarrassing. I got a £200 handbag one year....

[FreshPrincessOfBelAir]

What I'd like to give ds's teacher is a piece of my mind but not sure she'd appreciate it...

I'm a teacher, TBH the best pressies are vouchers that I can spend on bits for my holidays or treats. Last year I got an Amazon voucher and I bought myself a nice pencil case (another stationery sucker) and some really sharp scissors. See no-one would have thought to buy me those but they made me very happy - I did email the class parent rep and tell her how pleased I was!
Best of all though is a nice card saying you are appreciated. I remember one year having a little boy who was struggling with a new diagnosis of diabetes, we (TA and I) had to keep a close eye on him as he could quickly become wobbly if his sugar levels were off. At the end of the year we got a massive box of biscuits and really lovely card from the mum saying how much she appreciated our help. That was almost 20 yrs ago and I still remember it now!

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

If you to happen to help your child write their card, please can you make sure it's spelt and punctuated to their best standard? Receiving "your the best tecHur eva miss smith" from a high attaining year 6 child feels like a bit of a contradiction and makes me question my teaching every time!!

[BikeRunSki]

Last year (Y1) DS made his teacher a card with pictures relating to all the topics they'd studied with her stuck on it. I gave her a jar of jam I'd made and done scones I made that morning.

At the end of the day she called me and DS into the classroom to thank us for the card and say how lovely an thoughtful it was and how she'd never had anything like it in 30 years of teaching. She also said that the scones were yummy and she was looking forward to finishing them with her DH when she got home.

[daydreamnation]

I love handmade cards and lovely messages inside but without wishing to sound ungrateful handmade gifts are tricky for me, I have my own dc and mountains of mugs, photo frames etc that they have made for me and honestly don't have the room for the many I receive every year from my class. It feels terrible to throw or give away something homemade