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.

I’m a TA and I would really love a mug. If a child and their parents thought enough of me to gift me something it would make my week and I would be sure to drink my coffee from it everyday.

@Xiaoxiong

DH and I fight over this one for Teams calls.

worrylines.bigcartel.com/product/regards-mug

My ds is in reception and tonight has independently started making his teacher and teaching assistant a card each to say thank you and that he loves them. All off his own back. We will send those with a box of chocolates. I think a card with a lovely message far outweighs a John Lewis voucher!

YABU

I'm a teacher and whilst I do agree with less tat for environmental reasons, I do have to say my year 2 cup with all the children's pictures and names on it was a lovely present.
Mind you it's one cup instead of many and is massive enough even for my tea needs. I do live in fear D's will knock it over as it's one of a kind and I will never teach that class again.
The same class also got me a voucher for John Lewis which was a lovely thought.
I know the thread seems grabby grabby, but I think it was intended to be eco.
We're both teachers and have a box of tat which gradually adds to each year. A present is a lovely thought but consumables are better than landfill and chocolates can be shared with the class 😉

I also have a questionably mouldy handmade jar with a kids name on it DH keeps trying to chuck.out.

[quote starsinyourpies]@Xiaoxiong

DH and I fight over this one for Teams calls.

worrylines.bigcartel.com/product/regards-mug
[/quote]
Oh my god. I just pulled a muscle in my stomach at this mug. Ordered there and then. Still chuckling... Thank you @starsinyourpies

About not getting thanked...Lots of people in lots of job don't get thanked. That's life. It may not be good manners, but unfortunately that happens many times. Not just to teachers.

No-one should feel pressured. Just get whatever you feel is a nice personal gift and I'm sure it will be appreciated.
I know some parents feel pressured when giving to a collection - not knowing how much to put in etc.
Each mug/ Best Teacher gift represents an individual child and each one was given with appreciation.
I'm sure most teachers appreciate them.

@puguin86

The whip round happens in our DCs class

If you don't contribute your child's name doesn't go on the card

I despise it quite frankly as it identifies who can't afford it

I did raise that point but was shot down. Affluent area but there are definitely parents who can't afford it

I'd be having precisely fuck-all of that. Fucking bitches.

@SpongeBobJudgeyPants

About not getting thanked...Lots of people in lots of job don't get thanked. That's life. It may not be good manners, but unfortunately that happens many times. Not just to teachers.

Absolutely. Not saying thank you is just rude, but as you say in all jobs. I've just felt it a bit personally as teacher when you've taught a child for a year, even two and the parent collects them on the last day of term and says nothing at all. A year or two is a long time.

A guy in our office, his wife is a teacher and they are both tee total. We love end of term presents as he brings in the alcohol and we share it 🤣

It's interesting to hear about teachers accepting tens of pounds in vouchers. I work in the public sector, and we are told that anything other than token gifts should not be accepted. If refusal is impossible then bigger gifts are supposed to be donated to a charity raffle.

We send Betty's cakes to the primary teacher and TA. Secondary and music school get a few boxes of biscuits and Krispy Kremes two weeks before the end of term for the staff room to share. Where I work no-one would throw those back in your face, so I assume most staff rooms would appreciate them.

@Snowisfallinghere

I think most kids will be far more excited about lovingly picking out a piece of 'Best Teacher' tat and gifting it, than they would be about their mum contributing £2 to a fund organised by some other mum on WhatsApp.

Exactly that - it's about the child choosing something they want to give you. Get a grip.

The teachers and tas in my school would fall on those cakes like a pack of ravenous wolves!

I think the vouchers thing may have started in international (so essentially private) schools. They certainly weren't a thing when I first started teaching. I think they're fine as long as they are not mandatory and only given to a teacher at the year's end from all parents (from just one parent feels a bit like favouritism to me). As a previous poster said, giving £2 is less than most parents will spend and is less faff than a trip to town to buy something.

Obviously presents aren't expected, but the way things are now if you get nothing then you are likely to look at your colleagues with presents and wonder what you did wrong all year. But that includes handmade cards and the like. I'm talking about getting nothing, handmade or otherwise can feel like you have done something wrong.

It's the sort of thing because it's been allowed to happen it's unfortunately out of control.

I've seen a few personalised bottles of wine with a picture of the kid on and 'I'm the reason you drink' on them. Quite good for a tongue in cheek present.

@puguin86

The whip round happens in our DCs class

If you don't contribute your child's name doesn't go on the card

I despise it quite frankly as it identifies who can't afford it

I did raise that point but was shot down. Affluent area but there are definitely parents who can't afford it

It’s not done as a group here, people do individual gifts if they choose too.

I like to choose my own so wouldn’t contribute to a group collection and wouldn’t expect our names to be added. Likewise many don’t do gifts by choice.

I know my year twos were pretty excited at their organised joint present- collecting signatures when I was out of the room etc.

Nothing wrong with 30 parents banding together to personalise something. Very thoughtful I think.

I like a mug ....best one was plain white and the child had written and drawn on it in sharpies....still got it on my desk full,of pencils !!!

Just realised my last post didn't make any sense! 😂

We do a class collection and buy the teacher vouchers. Saves them getting 30 bottles of wine / boxes of chocolates / mugs etc!

At end of term when DD was leaving Infant Block and going into Junior Block (so 7 at the time), her teacher was retiring. She asked the class to not spend any money on gifts. What she would love is a home made card from any children who would like to make one, but they didn’t have to if they didn’t want to. Each child was given a sheet of coloured card to take home and could choose materials from the arts and crafts cupboard to decorate it. She suggested - if they wanted to - the children could write a line or paragraph about something special they remember about being in this class. But it has to be all the child’s own work.

DD worked on the card all week and wrote - (in her best handwriting, complete with spelling mistakes, which I won’t attempt to remember). Here’s the gist -

You have black hair and blue eyes. Your eyes are the same colour as the lovely blue bits in our carpet. I love it when you wear that nice colour skirt which has lots of colours. It makes me feel happy. When I grow up I’m going to have a skirt just like that but with more purple because purple is my favourite colour. I like smelling your hair when you mark my work or I have a question. I think you are a lovely teacher and a little bit shouty sometimes. I’m sad that you are leaving. My new teacher is very pretty and wears a beautiful purple dress. I’m going to have a dress like that when I grow up. You know everything but you didn’t know that it wasn’t Marcus who broke the sharpener because it was Joshua. Don’t believe him if he says it wasn’t because it was and I saw him.

I had finished work at midnight the night before and didn’t have time to look at the card until I had parked up in the car to drop her off. I was mortified! 😳

Teacher called DD later in the week and told her how proud she is that DD used appropriate descriptive words!

Surely you have to disclose gifts over a certain value under contract/ policy. I always have been required to do so! @Jessprimarytutor

Personally, grateful for just the thought and lovely cards with kind words are very appreciated.

What a lovely message Kimmy
"Saves them getting 30 bottles of wine"
Not a problem!

@KimmyAndMe

At end of term when DD was leaving Infant Block and going into Junior Block (so 7 at the time), her teacher was retiring. She asked the class to not spend any money on gifts. What she would love is a home made card from any children who would like to make one, but they didn’t have to if they didn’t want to. Each child was given a sheet of coloured card to take home and could choose materials from the arts and crafts cupboard to decorate it. She suggested - if they wanted to - the children could write a line or paragraph about something special they remember about being in this class. But it has to be all the child’s own work.

DD worked on the card all week and wrote - (in her best handwriting, complete with spelling mistakes, which I won’t attempt to remember). Here’s the gist -

You have black hair and blue eyes. Your eyes are the same colour as the lovely blue bits in our carpet. I love it when you wear that nice colour skirt which has lots of colours. It makes me feel happy. When I grow up I’m going to have a skirt just like that but with more purple because purple is my favourite colour. I like smelling your hair when you mark my work or I have a question. I think you are a lovely teacher and a little bit shouty sometimes. I’m sad that you are leaving. My new teacher is very pretty and wears a beautiful purple dress. I’m going to have a dress like that when I grow up. You know everything but you didn’t know that it wasn’t Marcus who broke the sharpener because it was Joshua. Don’t believe him if he says it wasn’t because it was and I saw him.

I had finished work at midnight the night before and didn’t have time to look at the card until I had parked up in the car to drop her off. I was mortified! 😳

Teacher called DD later in the week and told her how proud she is that DD used appropriate descriptive words!

That is lovely, and hilarious @KimmyAndMe

@SummerHouse enjoy!!

Kindest regards,

Stars.

I sneaked alcohol in!