Feel fed up when parents don’t say thank you to TA’s at the end of term.

[NaturalBlondeYeahRight]

I’ve been in this whole time. Had key worker children and a bubble of my own. We have worked so hard to make this last term fun and as normal as we can, buying ingredients for baking and crafts out of our own money etc and today as 3 of the children finished for the holidays I didn’t even get ‘have a good summer’ never mind ‘thank you’ from the parents.
I don’t expect gifts, just a bit of thought. I’m just having a moan really. TA’s get really good relationships with children, we often have more time than the class teacher. Just feel a bit deflated. Only 4 days left I suppose.

I know what you mean op but I think primary teacher gifts are way out of hand.

Ours get £100s at Xmas and end of year.
Usually spilt with all class staff.
I prefer rewarding where there has been exceptional experience.
I don't like it. I hate being made to feel guilty about it too. There have been years where dh and I didn't, couldn't buy each other a gift!
Let alone give 20, 30 quid to teachers.

We had a few exceptional teachers and we gave cards with messages, flowers or wine at the time.

I’ve bought my sons class TA a gift, It’s not end of term yet, you may still get a Thank you from parents!

@GameSetMatch

I’ve bought my sons class TA a gift, It’s not end of term yet, you may still get a Thank you from parents!

Our term has finished (England) so I imagine others have too.

Sorry, just saw the OP said she has 4 days left. In which case yes, plenty of time for thank you’s.

@Drivingdownthe101 she said she had 4 days to go so it’s not end of term for her.

I've been in education 8 years and always hate the last day (last week really) of term.
It's such a big change in routine and the last day feels like such a big event. It's not the giving and receiving of gifts that feels important, more that it should be marked in some way so it feels strange when you have a 'goodbye' just like any other day.

I always plan something to do straight after school on the last day of term now to fill the void. It's such a weird feeling.

Yes sorry I realised and acknowledged that!

Do parents generally get to know the school TA's? At my daughters school you tend to get introduced to their teacher at the beginning of term and you meet them at parents evening and speak to them if you have any concerns etc but parents don't really have any direct relationship with TA's.

I was really surprised to find out at the end of term that there are 4/5 TA's in my daughter's class (I'm assuming they work on some sort of rota) as she had never mentioned them!

I guess it had also never occurred to me as TA's weren't a thing when I was in primary school in the late 80's / early 90's. You just had a teacher. TBH I still don't really know what they are for (Do they read with the children or help them make friends or something? )

@CoronaIsShit

Do you really need a personal thank you for doing your job?

Totally agree.

I’ve got four days left as we aren’t finished until Friday. Those parents mentioned didn’t need anymore key worker help this week so that was it for them. Two are training days for staff.
I think like @Allmyfavouritepeople says, end of years feel like a big marker and I think this year is more intense than most. Normally staff would go out to celebrate too but of course, not this year. I keep saying it, but it isn’t about presents.

(Do they read with the children or help them make friends or something? confused)

The ones at my DCs schools take small groups for work in the classroom, they plan and teach groups for others and teach the class once a week. I don't think any TAs only listen to children read any more, they have a million and one things to do.

For those who don’t get a ‘thank you’ for their job then I will. Thank you.
It’s a small thing that makes everyone feel better about what they do, whatever the pay.

OhSuch, teachers don't generally get £££ at Christmas and at the end of the year -where do your kids go to school!?
So far, I have got a £3 bunch of tulips, a packet of Revels, a handmade necklace spelling my name and two cards. My TA has been given exactly the same. This is probably 'it'. We serve a deprived inner city community, and I know it's a big deal for tulip mum to spend money on gifts for us, so they are very precious.

@AdultHumanFemale

OhSuch, teachers don't generally get £££ at Christmas and at the end of the year -where do your kids go to school!? So far, I have got a £3 bunch of tulips, a packet of Revels, a handmade necklace spelling my name and two cards. My TA has been given exactly the same. This is probably 'it'. We serve a deprived inner city community, and I know it's a big deal for tulip mum to spend money on gifts for us, so they are very precious.

We’re at a pretty middle class, certainly non deprived primary and the teachers don’t get £££ here either! Usually token gifts made by the DC or wine/chocolates/flowers. On the other hand MIL taught at a private primary and used to get things like Gucci sunglasses!

Ohsuchaperfectday
Every time a thread on teacher gifts comes up I think I'm working in the wrong schools.
Just kidding.

Some of what I read on here with gifts worth £100s, class reps chasing people for money, spa days and so on is like another world and it's far removed from any state school I've worked in.

@LolaSmiles

Ohsuchaperfectday Every time a thread on teacher gifts comes up I think I'm working in the wrong schools. Just kidding.

Some of what I read on here with gifts worth £100s, class reps chasing people for money, spa days and so on is like another world and it's far removed from any state school I've worked in.

I think a lot of the stuff about £100 gifts etc is made up.

I have never not had children and parents thank me.

This year a child did give a gift to the teacher but not me. I think this is the first time in 10 years it's happened. The teacher has had a lot more interaction with the class this year as she has been able to interact with them online, but I wasn't (we will be changing this incase we have another lockdown).

I always thank children for a lovely year, and that's when they thank me back, and we wish each other a good summer.
I also thank children for a super day, and for a great term either verbally or or in their communication book, or Christmas card. If I hand something to a child I expect them to say thank you, as do other staff. Eventually most children learn to thank staff members, even if their parents don't.

Thank you for your hard work, OP.

Some people are just rude OP. How hard is it to say thank you to the adults who educate and care for your child? Bizarre!

My children did “Thank you” letters/cards for teachers and managed to include something in them about what they had enjoyed in the class that year. I had no idea what TAs were involved. They don’t feature on school reports or at parents evening. Perhaps they should?

I don’t quite know why people expect a “Thank You” in an obvious way. I think a cheery “Have a great summer” or similar is perfectly ok to a member of staff you don’t really know. I would thank the staff I knew. I do see teachers and TAs as doing a professional job but we didn’t give individual presents. I always contributed to a class present at prep school when asked.

@My0My

My children did “Thank you” letters/cards for teachers and managed to include something in them about what they had enjoyed in the class that year. I had no idea what TAs were involved. They don’t feature on school reports or at parents evening. Perhaps they should?

I don’t quite know why people expect a “Thank You” in an obvious way. I think a cheery “Have a great summer” or similar is perfectly ok to a member of staff you don’t really know. I would thank the staff I knew. I do see teachers and TAs as doing a professional job but we didn’t give individual presents. I always contributed to a class present at prep school when asked.

I just asked mine who their TA’s were.

I have no idea if there even is a teaching assistant in my son's class. There are quite a few teaching assistants at the (not that big) school but I have no idea what their names are or what they do.

If I was on the school grounds at the end of term I'd certainly say 'have a nice summer' to any staff that I meet, but I only see my son's teacher about twice a year and have never been introduced to a teaching assistant.

I didn’t think mine had a TA in the class all the time. Schools are not all the same.

Not allowed past the painted line at my kids' school - only allowed to see the head who hands the children over from the bubbles like they're contaminated waste. Chance to thank anyone at the end of the year is minimal - I did ask if I sent cake in were they going to quarantine it for 72 hours like reading books are... never seen the head say no so quickly!

I'll be emailing the class teacher to thank her as I have her individual email address, and emailing the head to thank the year group team but it's the head who is preventing us thanking staff in our case - not the parents.

TBH I still don't really know what they are for (Do they read with the children or help them make friends or something? )

Do you genuinely not know what a primary teaching assistant does?