To be irritated that people buy the teacher but not the TA presents at the end of term.

[Lucyellensmum99]

This really annoys me! My DD had both a lovely teacher and TA this year. Her TA helps her loads, but when i asked other mothers if they bought for both they made a face at me and said that they only bought for the teachers. I think this is really sad, as the TAs often have quite close contact with the children. My DD loved her TA this year and was quite clear she wanted to buy the same for TA and Teacher. We didn't buy much, some cheap flowers and choccies, we spent no more than £8 as DP and DD managed to find some bargain chocolates (i hope they weren't minging!) that looked nice.

Why would you not buy for the TA too?

I buy for neither. That way no one is left out.

When my oldest left primary we also got a pressie for the caretaker who always went over and above and was very well thought of. He actually had tears because nobody had ever done that before. And yet people all knew how good he was and thought a lot of him.

You're not a 'just' anything, you're an important and valuable member of staff and mean a lot to the children :) imaginate

Dh is a teacher and sometimes our kids go into his class after school to wait before they all head home together. Everytime they are in the cleaning lady brings them both a treat (hot choc or a sweetie) plus a small easter egg every year.

The poor woman cleans the entire 6th form alone and barely has two pennies to rub together (that is her 2nd job) yet last year as all the staff left with small gifts etc this lady wandered home with nothing and still smiling and telling everyone to enjoy their holidays. This must have annoyed DD as she asked to spend her piggy bank money to buy the lady a treat [insert proud of my child smiley!]. The following day DH and I took the DC's to see her with a bunch of flowers and an dine in for two deal (not paid for with piggy bank money)to let her relax for once.

It turns out her husband was ill and she had to take on a 2nd job to make ends meet, yet never once did she look glum or complain. People like her really deserve a treat from time to time.

OhTheConfusuion :) AWWW YOUR DC'S ARE LOVELY

My dd's TA this year saved my sanity. She made me laugh when I wanted to cry, hugged me when I was feeling lost and alone and helped me keep my head up rather than die of shame.

Dd's teacher was amazing but the TA was heaven sent and hopefully I showed her just how much it was appreciated. I don't have much cash but bought her a bunch of flowers and dd made a card and we both wrote a note in. Her teacher got a charity shop tie (a nice one) and a shop bought card

well of course you must buy presents for everyone. Otherwise you may not win the competition.

I rarely buy teachers presents.

I do however clean sweep the bakery section before school and put trays of cakes into the staff room for everyone to share along with a letter acknowledging everyone contributes to educating my child, from the cleaners up to the Head..

I was Mrs Popular this week!

I am rather anti giving presents but my ds said 'everyone is giving them'. So we had pack of blank cards and he wrote a message [in worryingly appalling writing] in about 5 [teacher, TAs, leaving teachers]. I had some felt and he had glue and glitter and stuff and they each got a wonky glued up heart in each envelope. He was chuffed with all the hugs he got.
Others brought in champagne, cakes, chocs, flowers, gift bags, vouchers.
My ds felt ok though because had done a pressi...

If they have worked especially with my DC I have sent them a present.

Oh I love end of term / Christmas, we get all the best nibbles at our parents group ( ie all the biccies, choccies etc are shared amongst the school, no one wants 1001 tins of cadburys )

Our school supports water aid so I make a donation to them instead, I also set up a sponsor a child thingy which dds class are involved in ( I would have done it anyways but seemed a nice idea to have the class involved )

TA gets includes for dds class (class collection). DS in special school has one teacher and 6 TAs for his class - I just do a general treat for them all, this year it was strawberries and cream!

We made things for both the teachers and the TAs, but the teachers got different presents, however both dc have had the teachers as their key workers, neither of them have 1 to 1 with the TAs and the gifts for teachers were classroom supplies in a 'handcrafted' box (which they really seemed to like), so might be a bit wierd to give to the TAs who were all happy with their biscuits!

I felt very ,very lucky this year, I had just as many cards and gifts as the teacher!
It is lovely to receive something, but I never ever expect it. MY favourite thing is when the children are huddled in a corner making a card out of scrap paper, looking furtive and trying to hide the fact they are doing it, (I was made to stand in the stock cupboard for a length of time yesterday!!! ) and then nominate someone to present it to you, signed by all of them! I always make a great show of being thrilled and surprised...and I am, really!

As others have said, some children have loads of contact with TAs, others have little. DD writes cards for people who have had a big impact on her throughout the year.

DS1 has just finished at preschool. Although his key worker is lovely he had taken a huge shine to one other girl & I didn't want to be buying lots of separate gifts. So I made a massive homemade chocolate cake for the staff room which went down a treat. Job done!

I'm a Teaching Assistant. I did get lots of lovely presents, but I don't mind one bit when families only give to the teacher. I work with a wonderful teacher and she deserves everything she gets. I am well aware that families need all the money they can hang on to for the six weeks ahead and if you start buying for all the TAs it can be an expensive business. I did get lots and lots of handmade cards from the children which was very touching.

i think a lot of people don't actually know what the ta does. I met some parents for the first time this week and they said 'oh so you're mrs x!!' one of them then said 'so what do you do with the children?'

i do pretty much the same sort of stuff that the teacher does- obviously the teacher does the planning and does the main bit of the lesson-we then split into groups and i lead a group-teaching the stuff that the teacher has introduced. i listen to them read, i help with things like phonics assessments, i prepare artwork for displays, etc etc'

however i am not the person that the parents have contact with every day and that makes a difference.

We did a collection from the whole class this year. Parents were very generous and the 2 job share TA's plus the lunchtime lady each ended up with a decent amount of money in vouchers as well as the class teacher. Obviously the amounts that people put in varied, as we didn't specify an amount, as I organised it and felt a bit awkward about telling people what to do.

gym TAs in primary arevery different to TAs in secondary.
Secondary TAs don't work with the whole class.

i am a ta in primary so that is what i do

i got a few lovely cards and some nice chocs

i think it's right that the teacher gets more gifts though tbh as they are the ones marking and planning every night and weekend!

gymboywalton - I think that's true.

I don't think people realise that whilst the teacher is responsible for the planning,assessing etc and the initial input and delivery, that TA's are involved just as much in working with the children,and giving feedback,and for behavioural aspects, as well as doing displays .(All for a fracton of the pay, I might add!!) We don't 'just' wash paint pots any more!!!

And I agree, I have more of a life than my teacher....marking and planning to OFSTED standards is a complete and utter nightmare, and I wouldn't want to have to do all that.