to ask you not to buy Christmas presents for teachers.

[Crabapple99]

I have seen several threads on the topic, so want to give my point of view and experiences.

1. Many staff are not allowed to accept a gift above a certain value ( £3 in my school) so these big gifts, especially class gifts, leave staff in a very difficult situation, causing all sorts of paperwork and recording, and leaving us open to accusations of favouratitsm from families, and other allegations

1. Many staff don't want gifts, quite often the item is unwanted, even edibles, if the box is big, heavy, and we already have too much to eat over christams. It is also embarrassing to have to accept.

1. Many staff worry about the reason for the gift, especially if it seems some pupils and their parents feel pressure to keep up: I've been given gifts in the past that when I know the family can't afford even a couple of pounds, it makes me feel terrible. I've had gifts in the past which I suspected were stolen, which makes me feel worse.

1. I don't really think there is a problem with Christmas cards, but even then, as someone who could easiluy have 300 pupils on my timetable, even then that can get a bit overwelming, not to say meaningless.

1. A very small token, such as one of those tiney boxes from thornton's with just two chocolates in, is a nice way of acknoledging when a teacher has really gone above and beond, for your child, but even that is unnessesary rreally.

Hope I'm not coming across as a scrooge! I love christams, but dread this aspect of it.

If you are a teacher in an inner city comp then you must be thought of as a good teacher because it comes from the DC, mine never took presents at secondary age. At primary they like it and it is parent driven, on the whole.

I always give DS's teachers a present. We both enjoy picking it. I don't spend a lot but we try to make it thoughtful.

As a teacher I would never expect a present or card but am always delighted to receive them.

Once again OP I believe your circumstances to be unique and would hope that this thread has demonstrated that your views are not shared by 'many teachers'.

I

A stray 'I' - sorry.

Yes, this teacher giving is usually just a primary school thing really.

Teenagers generally grow out of it unless they're vulnerable teenagers and dependent on their teacher - as appears to be the case here.

Read a lot of this thread but not every single comment. I cant believe the flaming crab got for this. I mean Really?! She voiced an opinion... The only thing I think she did wrong was to come accross that she was talking for all teachers. I personally think that the flaming she has got for her dyslexia is terrible. I assume you all know for certain that there are no teachers out there with this???? If not where the F* do you all get off??? I am truly disgusted. I dont know whats happend to MN recently but there are accusations flying around everywhere. It seems no one can be trusted, people have to prove 'who' they are before their opinions can be taken seriously.

Swearing is permitted on MN, Icolana - you don't have to say F*.

Posters don't have to prove 'who' they are before their opinions are taken seriously. There are several views that crabapple has that I can't see anyone taking seriously, ever.

Many parents reading the OP's posts may well have had their feelings hurt by the thought of gifts being dumped in a skip, that the presents might be too heavy to bother carrying home and that their cards are meaningless.
That may be her opinion, many of us disagreed and were shocked at her cold-heartedness.
Hence the forthright opinions to the contrary on offer.

Carry on :)

No, the OP didn't simply "voice an opinion." She asked parents not to buy Christmas presents for teachers. That was not her call to make. She also implied that the vast majority of teachers didn't want them and were not allowed to accept them. The latter is untrue and the former based upon "3/4 of the teachers she'd heard expressing an opinion, which is a misleading statistic in itself. That could have been just 3 people out of 4. Hardly representative of the teaching profession as a whole.

I agree with clam. It was all untrue, except possibly two places in the country- and what she was saying made teachers sound cold and ungrateful-she deserved it.

I have bought 7 teachers a bottle of wine each. Half price, NZ white. I had never tried it before and when i got it home i tried it and yuk! Oh well. We do not have any family to buy for. It is the reason i give my son's SN teachers a present.

*brought

I am a teacher. Not read whole thread. If OP was teaching my dcs I'd be unhappy as her grammar, spellings and views are rubbish. Wouldn't buy her a present anyway.

I get presents as a supply teacher - never anything OTT or unacceptable - and I very gratefully accept them in the spirit they are given then I write thank you notes to the children. I also give tiny gifts to all the children at Christmas and the end of the year.

Have got small but yummy Hotel Chocolat chocs for dd3's teacher and TA. When ds (dyslexic) left primary and made it to grammar I know his teacher appreciated the bottle of Bolly.

OP was probably drunk. If not she should not be teaching without learning how to type/spell.

Er, just read the dyslexia thing. If her dyslexia is so bad she can't write a decent post then I think as a dyslexia specialist with a dyslexic son she definitely should not be teaching my child. I am unmoving on that one. It's a profession. There are many ways to get round poor quality posts. DS is 15 and severely dyslexic - I'd never let him post such poor spellings. I have a dyslexic friend who is a head of English - she went to Oxford. Can't see her posting poor quality stuff like that either. No wonder standards are dropping. Spellcheck, dictionary, friend......

When I was 7 I had the best teacher in the world who I adored. I saved my pocket money all term to buy her a box of chocolates for Christmas. Because I was a little kid I thought size was the most important thing, so I used my money to buy the biggest box the store. Looking back they were probably some awful fake brand, but the box was ginormous which made me very happy. 23 years later I still remember how happy and proud I was when I wrapped it and gave it to my teacher. I would be terribly sad to think that she didn't appreciate the sentiment behind the gift (at a time when gifting didn't happen at all especially in our school) even if the choccies were crap.

well that distracted me from the scary noise outside my window (or in my wall) what an interesting thread

GoingForGoalWeight you were right the first time. Bought (as in buy ) BRought as in BRing.

clam - Oh yes! I shouldn't post when i'm so tired. Thank you :)

On the last weekend before christmas, our gang of 'Girls' (most of us mums in our 30's now) get together and have a drink and get pissed enjoy a cilvilised chat. There are three teachers in the group and we wade through the choccies, wine and other offerings their classes bring them. We are always very grateful

I'm a teacher and I love receiving gifts and cards from children and their parents. I also buy a small gift and card for each of the children in my class and a gift for reading volunteers etc.

Thanks a lot OP. you've just ruined my excitement about helping dd make a bauble gift for her reception teacher and TA. They'll probably just throw it in the bin? You horrible mean spirited person.

you are quite right, op. no presents for teachers. a card if you must. but best of all a card or note at a time when you want to thank a teacher for a particular intervention or because your child has enjoyed something at school. these are of real (and even, monetary) value to teachers.

I think the kids love giving presents to their teachers.It makes them feel good and whats wrong with that absolutley nothing.
Did you tell the kids not to buy you anything cause wiith your attitude you would not be getting anything off me.

This is an old thread

This thread is from last year