Teachers, will you be accepting gifts this year?

[NullcovoidNovember]

Just wondering, I imagine home made fudge would not go down well 😂😂🎄🎄 but flowers... Booze? In gift bags...

They can be quarantined...

I'm not buying them this year. I never receive them anyway as a secondary teacher. I don't think my gifts will be wanted because I've taken issue with way OTT reopening measures (I advocate for safer reopening of schools, but not to their school's extremes).

Wow, interesting!

To be honest, I only contributed to the class voucher for teachers when I want too and unfortunately, that hasn't been many times over the years.

This year however, whilst over all I'm very let down by the school, I blame the head. My daughters 2 teachers (one ta) have been great and I'd like to thank them because it's very rare in that school.

No candles there BUT I did buy some Sarah raven candles for one of our tutors!
How ironic, I've never seen candles berated on here and now they've been mentioned several times

I feel embarrassed now I thought they would be a lovely gift!

Overall I do agree re the gifts, but I do appreciate keeping 30 primary age dc in line is extremely hard work esp in reception and year 1.

I can't bring myself to contribute to the class kitty when my dc have been let down but I do hope we can give this year...

Our school have been allowing bday sweets being taken in..

• years home made card would be included...

Do teaches like flowers?

Will still be contributing towards teacher and TA present. As a class we always give them the same thing, usually a £200 JL voucher each. Maybe I'll stop when the DC are older but they're still young now and I know the teachers are both very hands on (small village school, thankfully no covid yet).

As a TA I rarely receive anything, but the teachers I’ve worked with are genuinely grateful for whatever children care to give. Notes of thanks are especially treasured.

@MorvaanReed

This is absolutely sour grapes, I recognise this and own it.

I'm support staff, very little to do with the classroom, a lot to do with scrubbing toilets, sterilising desks and dinner tables and other grunt work.

It is, obviously, entirely up to you, you don't have to do what I say, but I would donate extra to a food bank, or give money to whatever funds the school is trying to raise for smart boards or whatever. Teachers are laden down for days with goodies, support staff on crappy wages, except for very rare occasions, get bugger all.

I'm not saying buy gifts for the support staff. This "need" to buy gifts is a horrible burden to a lot of parents. I don't need boxes of chocs and wine (I'm trying not to get any fatter and there are very few wines I enjoy).

What I need right now is good quality equipment and materials that will allow us to get more cleaning done in the same time; an extra pair of hands to help put the dining tables away, because my joints are starting to complain; another tabbard and apron; decent lighting near the outdoor bins so that I don't fall flat on my face in the dark... and so on. None of this is your problem but the school may be fundraising for expensive, exciting things so that there's more money for these little, humdrum ones.

Sorry, I'm a Grinch, I admit it.

I think I’m getting all sappy what with this pandemic, but just wanted to say you are definitely not a grinch and thank you and all who are like you including the fabulous if terrifying woman who fulfils this role at my kids school.

SO much about successfully raising kids is about constant, endless, repetitive low level grunt work - cleaning, organising, making things nice and safe and pleasant and functional for them - and it is not recognised and appreciated by society enough.

Flower blue.

Our tas have absolutely always been included in the vouchers etc.

I will also be giving, if I am allowed the ta something.

It's actually the support who tends to do more hands on stuff in the classroom after all. The more one to one personable stuff... They see more and notice more as the teacher is teaching.

I’m a bit baffled by this idea that no other public sector worker is allowed to accept gifts - when I’ve been in hospital I’ve given gifts to the nurses who’ve looked after me, they’ve never told me they’re not allowed to accept them .

That’s thoughtful of you @NullcovoidNovember . I really don’t mind not getting anything because I do get paid and there’s usually staff room chocolate! I do mind the occasions where a teacher has called me into their classroom to admire/watch then opening their haul of presents though.

I’d imagine that shared gifts like platters or biscuits won’t be allowed as staff shouldn’t be sharing food. I work on a ward and we aren’t allowed to share food that’s not wrapped individually, so big bags of crisps on the nurses station for example.

Public servants do and can accept gifts. It’s usually chocolates on our ward.it’s a nice token of appreciation but being needed supplies would be gratefully received im sure.

We have a class Amazon wish list in lieu of gifts, so buy glue sticks or whatever the teacher has requested. Previously she was buying it all herself.

If schools aren’t allowing presents but you still want to acknowledge them, ask if there is a way of donating some funds. Doesn’t have to be much, every little bit helps.

Our school doesn't need funds they are doing fine and always have.

I work in the NHS and we have to declare any gifts we get. We wouldn't be able to accept large gifts, it could be seen as a bribe.
My dds school said last year no gifts for teachers, and they collected donations to the food bank instead, so will hopefully do the same this year.

@TerrifyingTart

I agree that it's bonkers this still goes on. Nobody else in the public sector is allowed to accept gifts. Why teachers? Who earn more than most other people doing public sector jobs.

I’m not sure any of that is actually true.

I’ve given gifts to midwives and nurses who have treated us-they didn’t say they weren’t allowed to accept them?

I hope so

As with the end of year gifts, they will probably have to be quarantined before we get them.

I hope we can still give the small bags of home made truffles or fudge we always do, the kids love doing it, the teachers ( apparently) do too. We still have to give them to the nursery teacher as she loved them so much even though youngest not been that age for a long time. I did recently just drop in a few packs of individually wrapped biscuits which could be quarantined over the weekend then easily shared hygienically. That may have to be the way at Christmas too

And then they go on MN complaining that they don't want more candles or chocolate anyway

Would you like to receive dozens of boxes of chocolates, candles etc twice a year? Most of it will end up in charity shops or being regifted to get rid of it.

But if gifts are given, people aren't still going along with the quarantining madness are they?

Well your school is lucky @NullcovoidNovember, most state schools are not in that fortunate position.

We usually do class collections. When a parent who had actually worked in a school arranged it she included the care taker and office staff as well as teacher and TAs. I liked the idea but as s parent I felt under pressure to donate more as it covered more people which at christmas sometimes feels a bit stretched.
I've made home made edible gifts before including taking into account a teachers dietary needs but after reading on MN that most teachers (pre covid) dont want them/think they're unhygeinic/throw them away I wouldnt do that again

Lucky? Not sure... They have a person specifically in charge of money and has business experience.

🐴, horsey there is simply no way on earth I would be encouraging any home made gifts right now

You are contagious with the virus before you show symptoms. We should all act as if we are all contagious and every one else is.

My dds school said last year no gifts for teachers, and they collected donations to the food bank instead, so will hopefully do the same this year

That’s such a good idea. I’ve often given a small gift to the nurses who looked after my grandparents in hospital. Wasn’t aware it had to be declared.

[quote DinosApple]@DappledThings some people do, some don't. The best things I get are the home drawn cards.[/quote]
Thank you, that's good to know. That we can definitely do!

@redlocks30 when nurses get gifts, if it's something that can be shared like a box of chocolates, it usually goes in the staff room. As a pp says, we have to declare personal gifts, and when I was given a candle I had to declare it in a book on the ward. We're always touched when we get gifts but I am always most happy with a card or a note written to me! I have kept all of the personal cards I've received from patients and families. Also, in our nursing updates we do every three years, we have to include patient feedback, so these cards and thank yous are great for them!