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

We have to declare ever gift we are given.

@Sherrystrull
That's miserable all round. Have the parents noticed or not? I feel sorry for the buyers and the none buyers of glue in your school.
In mine we're not supposed to tell parents how broke the school is.
As we're in the South East we might have a bit more money from PTA fundrasing but that always ends up on 'extras' when we don't have the basics.

The past couple of years I’ve started buying those individual slices of choc/ lemon/ Victoria etc cake that you can get at Morrison. These go down a treat with everyone and don’t break the bank. This way I can afford to get one for the t/a and the pe staff too )my dc love the pe teachers )

I'm not bothered about the thought; obviously it's very kind of anyone to buy a gift, but it's the environmental impact I hate.

It's a joke that parents are thanking someone who's positively shaped their child's future, while simultaneously royally fucking up their child's future by dumping more toxic plastics into the world.

@OrwellianTimes wow - how extremely shortsighted.

@pleasehelpwi3

If I ask if I can claim I'm told not to buy it and just do without!

Some colleagues do the same as me and some definitely don't. Their classes just don't do cutting and sticking and use pencils and paper instead of white boards.

Oh especially don't do it if you can't afford it!!
I've found writing cheesy/cheeky begging emails to companies sometimes works wonders from a school email address works wonders for freebie classroom stuff. Not the usual ones- you can offer a line in the newsletter etc. Metro Bank give out free pens- they're not great quality but if you've run out of them and you're about to buy your own. They also love to have children in on a school trip.

Try to resist the urge next year. Your own children take priority. Do other colleagues buy stuff? Is it expected? If you are being guilt-tripped into this, this is not right. Can you not claim anything back at all?

I know quite a few teachers. They have never complained and talk about how sweet it is that the kids get excited about it all. Often presents are thoughtful and much wanted. Plants for a gardener. Sports shop voucher for a cyclist. So many examples they've told me Other times, not right but still thoughtful. Cards are precious. It's lovely to feel appreciated and I think it can be quite overwhelming in a nice way.

There may be a number of things that are not used by the teacher but shared with friends and family and colleagues - chocolate, alcohol, toiletries.

I've bought beer, prosecco and chocolates for the teachers/TAs, if they don't like that they can re gift it

The best gratitude I expect many parents gave was in the ballot box last week. Then the next is treating teachers with respect and courtesy. The parent who will never say their child does something wrong and then buys a gift to the teacher is in a way a hypocrite.

Honestly I love the gifts (HLTA here). My favourite is a costa voucher😂

I buy the school glue sticks, pencils, rubbers, white board pens etc. and a couple of books for the library.

If they run out and there’s no budget to replace then the teachers feel they have to replace.

Its been taken incredibly well and they’re all incredibly grateful.

As the child of a teacher, between Christmas and end of year presents the chocolates kept us in treats all year.

DD went to a state primary (hence my gifts in years gone by of Pritt sticks and tissues). She's at a private school now and what happens is someone puts a message on the year WhatsApp with bank details and a request for money. They share it out among the form tutors and buy an end of year and a Christmas voucher for each person from everyone. Very efficient. DD also writes personal cards for teachers she likes.

When mine were at primary we had a good system - £10 per parent and a John Lewis voucher which was usually £300.

Never bothered with secondary school.

Better about what?
I've had some truly weird and wonderful gifts over the years. I don't think Bob was trying to make himself feel better when he bought me a pot noodle.

It's more than the rest of us ever get, just for doing our jobs.

DS and his friends who are leaving secondary, went into town and got gifts and cards for their favourite teachers which I thought was really lovely. He got some kind of stationary for his English teacher that he knew she liked and needed. Not expensive but I am sure she will appreciate the thought.

Bugger. I refused to listen when people told me to be a teacher.
I need a giant kestrel.

You do not pay tax on a cash gift, but you may have to pay tax on any income that the cash gift generates. For example, if you place the cash gift in a bank or building society account, you may have to pay tax on the interest you earn on that account.

Does this actually happen to you? Are you a teacher? Or just generally miserable moaning about something that has no affect on you at all?

What is shite for you isn't necessarily shite for others though.

What's the alternative? Give it back to the child and say "no thanks, I don't want this tacky shit" " ?

I love my gifts, I don't expect them and I have never had 30+ mugs. I do get too many candles but got those in secret Santas as well in my old job, it seems to be the thing. I am new to teaching (2 yrs) and never got much in my old job so it's still a novelty but I definitely don't expect one. My favourites this year were an orchid and a bottle of wine, but the label had photos of all the leavers on it and a message. It was wonderful and that bottle will not be going anywhere!

Well exactly! Just means paperwork for the head!