To feel sorry for all the teachers who are about to be inundated with shite gifts

My , who was a teacher, would never let us tale gifts for teachers and I hated feeling like the only one with nothing to give.

I always sent my DC with cheap handcream. A token. so they had something to give and consumable, so hopefully not quite as wasteful as the trinkets and mugs.

Having home schooled my DDs until 8 & 9, when they decided they’d like to try mainstream school I was delighted. I over-gifted those teachers like a Rockefeller! 😂

As a secondary teacher it might be a bit different but the absolute best thing is a lovely note or card. I have ones in a scrapbook on torn paper from kids that really struggled and felt seen. Gifts at secondary aren't expected and are always gratefully received because you feel like they're coming from the child themselves who's felt particularly supported, but nothing beats a note. I've had a couple of children get me a voucher and it was always wholly unexpected. It's a nice thought from you but especially at primary I imagine that puts financial pressure on parents which is the opposite of what I'd want, esp having worked in some really deprived areas.

Edit: just to clarify not saying gifts are expected at primary either! All I have to go on is my own experience, we always hand made something for our teacher at the end of the year and I'd like to continue that tradition.

I feel more sorry for the poor parents, maybe having to scrape together a few quid to reward a person who is paid to do the job. Make a card, say thank you, the end.

Remember the year where it was up to 40 degrees in the SE? I gave individual handheld paper fans to each teacher / TA which I hoped was liked plus handwritten cards

@RatintheCat our class is similar to the poster you tagged

Think around £280 was raised for our teacher. Split between her and ta's

Guessing most people put in £10 like I did

I love getting these gifts - the children's excited faces, knowing the family went to the trouble of finding something, feeling appreciated.

I spend a lot on each child through the year - snacks and treats, a little gift at Xmas and Easter, and end of year gift, prizes for games and competitions, decorations for the classroom. Last week I bought a beanbag and some cushions for the reading area and some board games for the wet play area. I don't know what it adds up to, and I don't do it because I expect reciprocation, but it's nice to think that someone noticed and appreciated it.

Every year I receive the gift of a child in the third world being fed at school, in my name and I absolutely LOVE it. I actually weep when I open it.
I think that the parents have passed it down through the years that this is what I’d love and that makes it even more special.

Ah sorry. Didn't come through for me!

A relief though 😂

It's out of control at my sons school.

His teachers get holiday vouchers, F&M gift baskets, one got a complete new wardrobe of clothes one year, often they get hundreds of pounds in restaurant vouchers. This year the WhatsApp parents group was full of nonsense about a theatre trip to London for his two year teachers.

I said I'd stump up for a bunch of flowers and we'll do our own card.

I think YANBU, showing gratitude is amazing but you also need to do it in a way that it wouldn't be a burden. Many people don't get presents at their jobs, but I don't think a useless gift is somehow better than no gift at all. Heck, I don't get any gifts and I'm fine with it and would prefer it over a useless stuff any time. A handwritten card or a cute smartshow 3d video with photos is one thing, it's sentimental and nice, but an umpteenth mug is another. Yes, people should be grateful but that doesn't mean being grateful for something they see no purpose in obtaining.

We give one gift. Everyone donates to s pot../Usually a voucher

If it's all ending up in landfill, a better option would be to stop the practice altogether

You can try, but I doubt it would work.

A lot of teachers have already replied saying they don't want gifts, and they've been saying the same thing for decades. It's not being pushed by the teachers or school staff. Every year there are posts on MN saying please don't buy gifts, and if you feel like you have to give something then a handmade card or email would be amazing. I've even worked in schools that have tried to ban end of year gifts or instead suggest donations to foodbanks, but parents still send them.

That's the thing with gifts. Nobody gets to dictate what's given to them. None of us know other people's finances or their circumstances.

Gifts (especially from children) should be accepted in good grace. They're probably really excited to give the present, even if in the teacher's eyes the gift is just "tat".

If it's all ending up in landfill, a better option would be to stop the practice altogether, so there's no undue pressure on struggling families to give more than they can afford.

Our primary school asked parents to buy books from their Amazon wishlists, it's the only time I've bought a 'gift', usually my kids do a handmade card. DD1 has just left secondary and made cards for some of her favourite teachers, her English teacher got a picture of Mr Soap in Da Forest, both mnenomics for GCSE English, which he has framed and put on his classroom wall sothat obviously went down well.

Love this book idea, it’s one I’ve suggested a lot because I know many teachers buy books for their classroom otherwise out of their own money and they really don’t get paid enough for that . A paperback or Picture book costs about £8 now. Yes ideally schools should get more funding but they don’t and libraries are closing down left right and centre so more books are so necessary in many schools.

It also gets parents into the habits of buying books. I have two childhood friends who marvelled at where i got the diverse range of books that I sent to their children from.

It was literally just Amazon and my local bookshop - no mystery. Found it sad that they had 3 kids each and still weren’t into the habit of buying books.

The handmade cards and gifts are a nice touch. That means that all kids get to show their appreciation even if their parents can’t or won’t buy a gift.

Charity shops are full of the best teacher mugs, coasters etc. Parents don’t realise that teachers have mugs at home.

As with wine. My friend is a teacher and she gets the bloody awful Myton Hill (Morrisons), Wild Valley and Penguin Sands (Sainsbury’s) cheap wine. Just spend another £1.50 and get Barefoot, Hardys, McGuigan etc. It’s only £1.50 more PER YEAR!

Teachers swap the wine - a couple don’t drink red for example. Any wine left over, bottles go towards the tombola/raffle that the village Xmas craft fair has third weekend of November.

You don't need this tat to show gratitude. Made a teachers day years ago by having a 1:1 chat to thank her personally for all the help she gave during a difficult time. I wouldn't have progressed the issue without her.
No amount of tat would have come close to it, it would have felt a bit of a lazy cop out to be honest.

I bet you are an absolute bundle of laughs to go out with. Have a lovely day!

My dds' junior school had an Amazon wishlist in the years before dd2 left. It was quite popular amongst the parents and teachers could specifically ask for things they wanted for their classrooms. Things like bean bags and cushions for their book/reading corner etc. The Head announced in a newsletter one week and put the link in for us.

Our classes tend to do collections and get vouchers or a couple of nice group gifts so the teachers don’t get 30 mugs/ candles etc. Last year one teacher got an ‘experience’ gift for something he is known to love and later sent the parents pictures of said experience , so presumably enjoyed it!

my kids usually also make a handmade card and sometimes a small handmade crafty gift. In Reception my DD gave her teacher some seeds as he is very into nature and they’d had lots of conversations about gardening/flowers etc.

This year my DS’ teacher has been incredible with his SEN so I’m planning to write her a note/ card myself expressing my gratitude. I know she’s ’only doing her job’ but it’s not an easy one and I want her to know how much she’s helped DS. She can always Chuck it in the recycling after reading 😂

Don't feel sorry for my DD
Never had anything that says best teacher other than cards - not a single mug in 5 years
Never anything that's been binned or unused either

My children write something about their teacher, ie their favourite thing about their teacher etc plus a homemade card. Then we usually get a gift card so they can treat themselves

Well spotted @Combattingthemoaners as probably it's more like 7/8 of my post isn't directly related to the thread. However there's very few threads that I can inch in my very valid pov and this one suited; evidenced by having received more thanks than your 'moany' post.

Why do we get this thread every single Christmas and end of year?

I don't club together because the gift is from my kid, not from me. He chooses something and giving it is very special. I then give nice biscuits to share. In my experience teachers love snacks. But if they don't, they don't! It's just a way of saying thanks.

It's not expected but most do a token gift end of the school year and Xmas.
We do chocs simply because they can pass in if they don't want , they are generally on offer £5/6 ish a box.
1 teacher 2 TA in the class. X2 dc it all adds up

Our school don't do group collections

I'm in my 40s and I remember taking teacher chocolate at end of the year.