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.

DS who has asd is in a small group with one teacher. I got her a Yankee candle for Christmas but I’m struggling what to get her for end of year, she’s helped him tremendously. I need to think outside the box

I liked the mugs, chocolate, plants, the little box covered with sequins that the kid chose themselves, the cards, the thanks, the pictures, etc.

@Timeisavirtue

DS who has asd is in a small group with one teacher. I got her a Yankee candle for Christmas but I’m struggling what to get her for end of year, she’s helped him tremendously. I need to think outside the box

What about a really nice book that could be in the classroom? I got the illustrated Harry Potter and its gorgeous on display

Those were just some suggestions. Everyone is different and likes different things:. I was giving ideas that might help people. Sorry if these have offended you

astqueenofscotland

“I was with you on the best teacher tat
You lost me on clubbing together to get you a £60 voucher.“

This. It’s cheeky for birthdays/weddings. Teachers now, too?

Thank you for posting this!

I was wondering what the hell to buy the nursery staff when my Daughter leaves next month. I was thinking surely they hate all of the usual tat and probably have tonnes of them.

I was going to write on here for ideas, but vouchers are a really good idea! Thanks

Spa vouchers as a 'request/suggestion' is just grabby af tho, isn't it.

If you think the OP was bad, in primary school one of my dd's had a teacher with a public instagram, with her name as it is. She often used to post pictures of "oh no, not another one of these" of things she was bought. You can imagine my horror to see her complain about a loom band bracelet that my daughter with SEN had taken AGES to make. I get that teachers get fed up, but would not have expected them the publicly show their disdain.

@crotchetmonkey74, one of our teachers was retiring and sent out a lovely note requesting no gifts, but if anyone wanted to contribute it should go to the classroom resource fund. I thought that was lovely.

I haven't rtft but Oxfam Unwrapped are doing half price Teacher gifts right now.

@jasminoide

If you think the OP was bad, in primary school one of my dd's had a teacher with a public instagram, with her name as it is. She often used to post pictures of "oh no, not another one of these" of things she was bought. You can imagine my horror to see her complain about a loom band bracelet that my daughter with SEN had taken AGES to make. I get that teachers get fed up, but would not have expected them the publicly show their disdain.

I would have been so tempted to comment on that.

Purple I was so upset and hurt for dd that my comment probably would have got me arrested 😁. I was glad to see the real side of her though.

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

Ah I remember when people just appreciated a thought

Exactly what OP was saying. A "thought" is fine. "Junk" is not!

I had this really good history teacher (and I hated the thing!! Engineer now)
and at the end of the year we wrote her a song

"Junk" is not!
Pocket money stuff, bought by kids with their pocket money...
It won't be in quite the Fabergé egg territory, but junk is a bit nasty.

Maybe they should get you a copy of Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

@Kittyswhiskers

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?

I read the OP with my mouth open.

@MrsSkylerWhite

astqueenofscotland

“I was with you on the best teacher tat
You lost me on clubbing together to get you a £60 voucher.“

This. It’s cheeky for birthdays/weddings. Teachers now, too?

Everything seems to be a swizz now to get swag.

Isn't the weddings thing because most people live together before getting married so already have toasters, lamps etc?
We did the ' if you want to give us a present a contribution to our honeymoon would be gratefully received' thing. We had an eco wedding, so a lot of presents would fly in the face of the ethics really.
Some people just gave a card and that was absolutely fine. Everyone that came got a thank you card because the presence really was the thing that showed the love, not the presents.
I am assuming the op was trying to be eco and give ideas for presents that create less landfill. And of course no present is expected.
Me, I always like a mug, but then I am a prolific tea drinker and very clumsy, so always appreciate a mug.
However, if you want to see the teacher using it get a covered one. We're not allowed mugs in our classroom nowadays, even if it is out of school hours.

@GreyhoundG1rl

"Junk" is not! Pocket money stuff, bought by kids with their pocket money... It won't be in quite the Fabergé egg territory, but junk is a bit nasty.

The problem is not with the kids. It's with the shops that make so much of this stuff. Excuses to spend money on unnecessary things. Even flowers would be a better gift, in my opinion

We had an eco wedding, so a lot of presents would fly in the face of the ethics really.
I assume you didn't then fly long distance with your honeymoon "contributions"?

It was in the countryside. But I wouldn't begrudge someone going abroad if it's a once in a lifetime thing as many honeymoons are.

@jasminoide

If you think the OP was bad, in primary school one of my dd's had a teacher with a public instagram, with her name as it is. She often used to post pictures of "oh no, not another one of these" of things she was bought. You can imagine my horror to see her complain about a loom band bracelet that my daughter with SEN had taken AGES to make. I get that teachers get fed up, but would not have expected them the publicly show their disdain.

I’d have said something about that.

@grey12 Absolutely! We need to teach our kids about giving responsibly too. It’s their future we are playing with when we mass produce token/novelty gifts like this and put expectations on them to consume just for the sake of it. I didn’t grow up in the UK, but did they really have teacher gift sections in the shops 40 years ago? Probably not.