Teacher gifts - yes, no? What do you do?

[ItsTheHumidity21]

My children are pre school age so not in main education yet but ds goes to a school nursery. There are five amazing ladies that work so hard in his nursery so I've got them all a gift to show our appreciation for the end of term. Ds is a challenge so I feel like I really want to say a big thank you for that especially. I got them a small bottle of wine each, a £5 Costa voucher and some M&S biscuits. Plus homemade cards.

I'm interested to know what other parents do? Do you get the teacher or staff a card or gift because there's a genuine appreciation or do you just feel like it's the done thing so do it anyway? Or do you not give anything because you don't think it's warranted or maybe you don't like the teacher? Or maybe finances don't allow (totally understandable at present)?

I'm just curious. Tell me what you do and why 😊

I feel that the opportunity to teach a room full of unruly children with varying degrees of attention, compliance and issues is a 'gift' enough.
😁

Child draws and writes in a card, we email the head as we see fit. We don't buy anything or contribute to anything. To be honest, in the 8 years he's been in primary, no one has done a collection (yet in my friend's kid's school, it's collections every year and expensive biscuits left right and centre). I don't have the money to spunk out twice a year (Xmas) on random gifts for people i don't know.

I'm also a teacher and I want nothing. I'd be very embarrassed to accept vouchers, wine, candles, and have to lug it all home. I don't want or need any of those things.

Where do you get your £5 Costa vouchers from?

Tesco only had £10 ones and Costa online too.

Thanks 😊

@FeliciaFancybottom

Even teachers could be subject to alcohol abuse / trying to go sober.

It depends on the teacher, but I’ll generally try and find what they like (I have a few friends who teach at the school so ask them if the teacher drinks/likes chocolate etc). If there is a class collection I’ll go in on that. Both DC are at primary school.

This year for DS we got his teacher and TA a box of chocolates each. Just a token gift so he has something to give them as he wanted to. I know they both eat them.

For DD we got more for her teacher and TA as they went above and beyond and have been exceptional and really helped her. I got them a £25 voucher each for places I know they shop, which is more than I’d normally do but they’ve both been fantastic with her. We’ve done personal cards too.

We always give something because generally teachers have a tough job and put a lot of themselves into it too, we do try and avoid “stuff” if that makes sense and go for vouchers or consumables we know they like.

My DC have had excellent teachers this year. I got them a good bottle of wine and a thank you card. Even if I didn't think they were excellent I would probably still do it - teaching looks like bloody hard work to me

I've donated £100 to x4 different collections. I have 3 children so have donated to each class collection (split between teacher and TA) and the other collection is for all the non teaching staff (split between the SLT and everyone else.... office staff, lunchtime staff and lollipop lady)

I do this every Christmas and end of year.

I am not wealthy, I factor this in to our budget. I just really appreciate all the hard work our school does for the kids.

@WeeOrcadian I had a spider plant baby from a child at Christmas and I was so pleased with it.

I was also given a stone that was decorated with sharpies that I loved.

My best ever presents have been emails to the headteacher and personal messages in cards.

Another lovely present I had was a fab ice lolly! The parent arrived at pickup on the last day with one for her child and a spare one for me. 😁That was about 14 years ago and I still remember.

If your child is adamant that they want to give something to their teacher (and will be upset if they don't) then just make something or pick something that costs £1 or less. That way your child will be happy. If they aren't bothered then don't bother. Please spend your money on your own families!

If you pick up on the last day and don't give me at least a verbal goodbye and thank you (which is all that is necessary btw), I worry that you are not happy with the way I have worked with you child over the year. You would say goodbye to a colleague you had worked with for a year.

I made little fabric baskets and dgd wrote on them/decorated them with fabric pens, she picked the colours of fabric used too. We are putting biscuits inside too, just to fill them out.

I work in a school and given how much some teachers get, I thought this was enough

As a primary teacher, please don’t worry about a gift. Especially this year, when everyone is feeling the stretch re finances. The gifts I treasure most are the little cards and notes children give me throughout the year; I keep these in a folder and look back on them fondly.

My DD used to make her own gifts when in primary - whatever she was into at the time, like drawing a book mark, homemade cookies, little felt pen holders. But that was because she wanted to.
DS currently in primary has no inclination to make or give a present. I write a thank you note and give a voucher if I want to.

Class collection and then divided by number of teachers and also the class allocated dinner lady.

We normally did prosecco, voucher and a small bunch of flowers.

@Immeltinnnnngggg I went into a Costa to get them. There's also Starbucks too.
I thought that was a nice gift for summer as it's the sort of thing that can be used at an airport or services when you go on holiday. 😊

I usually give £20 John Lewis gift voucher and a bottle of wine or flowers

It depends. Our class will always have money in the kitty for gifts for the teacher and the TA - so a gift + flowers. + vouchers.
Parents then give individual gifts if they want. We always send some vouchers of a certain amount + a card, the value depends on how generous I'm feeling or how nice/ good the teacher was to my children.
So far we've sent something every year.

Always a voucher for me - its easy enough to buy what you want. Even the pizza idea is a put off, I have allergies so I wouldn't be eating it. Nice gesture though.

DD goes to a special school, so there are a lot of staff in her class. They all get a card, then I make a donation to the school as a gift. I work in the same school and really don’t want chocolates etc, especially as I know that It costs families a small fortune given how many of us there are.

My eldest had behavioural challenges and dyslexia so I know she's a lot of work. Did £10 JL voucher each for the 2 teachers and TA this year and was very effusive when I handed them over. Having teachers in the family I don't like buying chocs/ alcohol/ smellies as they can get a LOT. The youngest I contributed (less) to the class fund and the teachers and TAs each received £80 in vouchers, flowers and chocs.

I like to say thank you to them and show we've appreciated what they've done but I kind of feel it's daft to shower them with gifts, especially if you have no idea what they'd like, whether they're allergic to anything or stuff like mugs and ornaments when there are 30 kids in a class. I've taught older students and know how much I've appreciated a thoughtful thank you card.

So, ever since nursery, we've done a homemade card (with DD increasingly writing stuff in them). Her latest one was very soppy and went on at length about how amazing her teacher is. Reception year she had 2 teachers and 4 TAs in her room so I got six naice big chocolate bars, including a couple that were vegan so hopefully they all got something they like. Now she's down to one class teacher and I usually get them a Costa voucher.