Teacher’s Gifts - Not another mug 😫

[Jessprimarytutor]

With the end of term approaching, the adverts for "Teacher's Gifts" seem to be doing the rounds on social media.

As an ex teacher, I never expected to get any presents and was always grateful when I did. However, if you are considering buying a gift for your child's teacher, please consider what you choose. It's unlikely they need another "Best Teacher" or personalised: mug, notebook, keyring, plaque, bag etc etc.

The best gifts I got (that were also well received by my colleagues) were when a few parents or a class of parents had got together and gave us a voucher e.g. for an experience (spa, massage, local pub to put towards a meal) or so we could chose something we wanted/needed (e.g. book token, John Lewis). Vouchers for the frozen meal company Cook, M&S, Waitrose would be great to help them to buy easy to cook meals once term restarts.

Or if you have more time/energy, try and find out what the teacher enjoys doing in their free time - you could get a keen gardener a voucher for a local garden centre etc if you wanted to make it more personal.

If every parent who spends say £2 on a box of chocolates/mug, came together - that would be a lovely £60 voucher (in a class of 30) for a teacher and would make their day.

There’s enough Teachers Tat in the world already! Please don’t add to it.

Ah I remember when people just appreciated a thought

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

Ah I remember when people just appreciated a thought

Yep.

This was a brave thread to start.

Posted too soon! We’ve got a very organised mum in our class who does a collection and sorts out a class voucher from the whole class whether or not you contributed 50p or £20! Much easier

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

Ah I remember when people just appreciated a thought

Aye

Yeah, we always do a whip-round and usually John Lewis vouchers plus flowers/chocolates and cards for the teacher and TAs, bottle of wine for the Head and the janitor, chocolates for the administrators and box of biscuits for the catering staff.

It's a school with a wealthy parent demographic so the vouchers are normally for quite large amounts - usually in the £100s. Hope they spend it on something nice and enjoy it!

And I don't blame you for not wanting more "Best Teacher" tat! In your shoes, I'd want wine. Or gin!

I'm a teacher and I'm so grateful to get anything, particularly home made cards from the children. FWIW I don't contribute to my own kids' end of term teacher collections - we are very well paid as a profession with good holidays, and many parents are really struggling atm. A hand written card is wonderful.

You sound utterly entitled OP.

Jesus

Seriously?!?

No parent is buying these things because they think you need them. It's usually the children picking them.

The common scenario is the parent takes the child into a shop, stands them in front of the 'teacher gifts' display and lets them pick something.

The 'teacher display' is the safe bet, if I was to take my child up the town and let them pick something 'thoughtful' either I'd end up bankrupt (and you'd get a Nintendo switch) or you'd end up with Pokemon cards.

My SIL has received quite the collection of mugs over the years but she loves the thought and has embraced them.

Surely this is fishing for a newspaper article???

NO, NO NO
I cannot imagine any of my colleagues expressing their wish to choose their gift.
The best thing we ever get is a really nice card or letter- and if a kid brings you in a small 'cheap' gift like a mug or pen they are often thrilled - and it feels personal to them! Their face when they give it over is all part of the niceness!

I have never before seen a teacher present thread with a teacher asking parents to club together for a spa or meal.
Maybe this is why Jess is an ex-teacher.
Teachers almost to a person say a thank you letter is the most appreciated.

Wowzers

Is this why you’re an ex teacher? Couldn’t bear to fake a smile when a small child handed over a gift they’d chosen themselves even if it was tat?

Holy shit. I teach secondary. When I get a card it's like the best thing that's ever happened to me. I can't believe what I just read!

I think the OP perhaps reads a bit like a wish list and it doesn't sit well with everyone, however, there is a valid point there. We need, as a whole population, stop buying novelty tat just for the sake of buying it. It's destroying our planet and nobody actually have the space or a need for 40 best teacher mugs. A smaller contribution to a group present, which the person actually would appreciate and use, is surely a better option, if you do want to/can buy anything at all.

Destroying the planet thoughts aside, sometimes a primary school child may want to give their teacher a 'best teacher' mug because they actually believe it.
That should be the take home point here surely?

I agree that the 'best teacher' mugs etc are not a great idea environmentally and I doubt many teachers really want them, but it's about the thought from the children. Personally, I think the whole teacher gift idea has gone crazy and it would be better if it became more normal just to give the teacher a card/e-mail/letter of thanks if you feel it's deserved rather than clubbing together for a voucher.

My DH is a teacher in a deprived area and every Christmas/Summer he comes home with bags full of presents (usually chocolates, mugs, keyrings, wine, beer) that must have been an extra expense a lot of the families could have done without. I know that the things that he's been most pleased to receive have been hand written letters from children he's helped.

Is getting teachers nothing at all an acceptable alternative?

Ah I remember when people just appreciated a thought

Not good to prescribe end of term presents really OP.

@DuchessSilver

Is getting teachers nothing at all an acceptable alternative?

Works for me.

We always did hand made card by DC and stationery (post-its, white board markers, biros etc.) plus an ikea bag as they're handy for marking, laundry if you go on holiday etc. We tried not to litter the staff room with more best teacher mugs.

DS is at secondary now, so we'll either do nothing or send a box of biscuits to the staff room.

@DuchessSilver

Is getting teachers nothing at all an acceptable alternative?

I think that is the expected thing to do. Anything else is just a bonus.

I used to get an Oxfam gift with a card and accompanying Fair Trade Chocolate bar. One of dd's teachers chased after me in the playgound to tell me how lovely it was and how she will treasure that gift card for ever.