Oh no, it's started!

[phantomnamechanger]

Self elected mummy emailing other parents in the class to tell people she will organise a collection for the teacher & TA for Christmas presents. No thanks. I will source my own. My child will have an input. I will spend what I like without anyone else knowing how much I "put in". The teachers will know my child thought about them and chose something specially for them. I would rather not be made to feel like "small gifts are rubbish, one big one is better". Bah! It is not what other classes do! we only do joint collection when someone had retired/left/had a baby - and then it is offered as a voluntary thing and done through the school office, not a parent. what are your views, and how do you deal with these bossy "helpful" mummies? or do you think its a great idea are you that mummy ?

Iv never done the teacher gifting thing, one because i dont see the point & two my mum didnt do it so it is not normal for me.

My mum had 4 kids at primary school at one point, imagine if every one of our teachers got 10 pounds 2 or 3 times a year. My mum would have been skint.

We do it as a class collection for dds school - nice bunch of mums and no pressure! Everyone who wants to join in gives £2.50 and teacher gets wine, choc, and a voucher. I suppose it depends on how you all get along!

I hate it when they all put together and the children have no input. Much better for the child to choose and do your own thing.

last year we all put 5 each and then everyone still turned up on the last day with individual presents,i think the joint gift was a pandora bracelet.

wow I like the idea of a sunflower as a gift (small one in a pot). That they could plant out.

TA here, offering to take any home made biscuits others don't want. Can't really go wrong with wine, but the best gift I've been given was a meat pie. Not only great because I love a pie, but because the child loves my love of a good pie!!

As a parent of children in a smallish school, who have spent more than one year with a teacher, I have done a really nice gift for the teacher one the child has moved on. (When I say "really nice" I mean I did some homework about the persons likes.)
I do know someone who happily spends £100 on her 2 children's teachers at year end. Horses for courses, I guess.

We do individual pressies.

Last year my children made gingerbread men and felt mice pencil toppers with candy cane tails. They gave these to the teachers, and all the children, at school, at dance, at panto. It cost me peanuts and everyone appreciated it.

At end of school year my mum made bags for the preschool teachers who have taught all three of my youngest children over the past five years. We filled them with chocs and a decent pen and memo pad and little things they could use throughout their workday.

I politely but firmly say we are already sorted, thank you. I haven't had a problem yet.

That said, I know some of the other parents have put into the fund against their better judgement and been annoyed with themselves. So I don't doubt that if I hadn't been forewarned by MN I might well have spluttered and panicked and paid up and been equally annoyed with myself.

The idea of a $300 annual teacher gift fund per child is just offensive.

Buying a gift for the teacher-as-teacher, like special stationery or something, is recommended elsewhere and avoids the Wrong Wine problem

I get vouchers from my form parents. I don't expect it, but I love it. I do teach at a private school, though. I'd rather have vouchers than 17 boxes of chocolate (although I love and keep all the cards I get.)

I organised a class collection for the teacher and TA once at Christmas. You didn't have to give if you didn't want to or wanted to do your own thing. It's not compulsory - though our teachers did get some vouchers to spend on themselves. It did bring up some issues though and I didn't do it again as I hadn't thought it out properly.

I don't want a sunflower. I live in a second floor flat. I would put it in the bin.

I'd be interested to know if any teachers would rather have a 100 quid voucher or home made cookies, sunflowers or loads of boxes of chocs.

I'd rather have the voucher. I'm not nearly as rich as the parents of the children I teach. Every little helps...

Big difference between being asked to chip in a couple of quid when someone retires or leaves, and being EXPECTED to give much larger amounts more regularly.

I don't agree with christmas or end of term presents for teachers and tbh I think it should be discouraged mostly for the reasons demonstrated in this thread. But also because I don't think it is the basis of a professional relationship, and is unnecessary. Those that do, do you also buy gifts for your doctor, dentist and accountant?

That's nice almapudden

Pandora Bracelet??

It is time to Stop the Insanity

They are doing their jobs - and get paid to do so, a small token is nice - i buy a small pack of lindt choccies (£2!) for teachers and TA and no more than that. FFS their hearts must sink every year when little tommy turns up with yet ANOTHER "best teacher in the world" mug.

I do miss working at the vets though, i never had to buy chocs or wine at xmas, clients were very generous - i am perplexed by the whole thing.

Dd2 is at special school, so there are loads of staff involved in her education and care. I will be writing them individual cards to say thank you, and sending in a tin of chocolates or biscuits for them to keep in the staffroom.

Secondary teacher here, don't get many presents but I am stupidly touched by the ones I do get. The quite challenging girl who secretly left a box of malteasers on my desk with a note saying 'thanks for teaching me' had me sobbing one year. A mug saying 'I love History' was nice too. I wouldn't want to receive an expensive gift, I'd feel guilty.

Teachers in my department have a whip round for site staff and office staff, we usually get booze or chocolates for them to share.

I am amazed by this! I have had 2 go through primary (now in years 8&10) and we didn't have parent class reps and certainly no gift collections! My boys stopped wanting to take gifts/cards in for teachers in about year 5 as it wasn't 'cool' but when we did it was a token gift at the end of the year and just a card at Christmas.

I teach secondary and I have had small Xmas gifts from my tutor group from time to time, usually the older ones who have for their first job and paid themselves and that's so thoughtful. But I encourage them to bring in gifts to share - chocolates etc - on the last day instead.

And often get gifts from 6th formers who I teach when they leave but it tends to be from those who I have 'gone the extra mile' for. It is certainly not the norm.

£10 for pupil is ridiculous!!

It's a great idea for time short parents/kids. Can't see the problem. Also means individual parents don't have to worry about what to get.

I do do group gifts but would probably not join in unless I was happy to. Would just say that I've already got something planned but thank you for asking me.

Meryl, I have been treated by an outstanding GP this year, who really went above and beyond for me. I've asked the receptionists, who say she doesn't drink or eat chocolate, but loves reading, so I'm going to give her a book token if i have the funds at the time. I wouldn't normally, but I feel I want to show my appreciation for how she has helped me.

ubik1: I'm a great teacher and I love the children I teach. but if I'm going to get anything, id rather have something I'll use than random clutter