to buy the teacher a card and a cheap pen

[samithesausage]

The dreaded end of year presents. This year I've bought 3 "Best Teacher" pens and some cards for the children to write.
AIBU to think that this is an ok present and that the teachers probably will end up getting a load of mugs that they won't know what to do with anyway!

It's a lovely present. I am a teacher (Secondary English) and we don't get many presents - it's our primary colleagues who get the bulk of the mugs and chocolates! I am always looking for a pen as someone always takes mine. Pupils are less likely to walk of with a 'Best Teacher' pen as it is pretty obvious it isn't theirs. Perfect.

Sounds great, I really like it! A nice way of showing your thanks without being OTT and the message is good.

The teachers will love them, and it is always a useful thing to have in a classroom.

I used to volunteer in a charity shop, and was amazed at the number of Best Teacher mugs that came in after every Christmas, Easter and Summer end of terms. I remember one lady bringing in 8, still in their boxes! I understood completely, but also felt a bit sad for the children who had given them, iyswim.

• I remember one lady bringing in 8, still in their boxes! I understood completely, but also felt a bit sad for the children who had given them, iyswim

I agree I would rather there was no presents rule or something.

Yep. I use my 'best teacher' mugs, mats and pencil pots in class as they are useful. And I can always use pens....

I'm glad I'm not being too cheap. Every year the kids bring muffin trays, mugs, flowers which are quite massive. There's even a collection which is 5-10pound donation!
I thought I would put it in aibu because if it was too cheap, someone would tell me!

The lady bringing the pens into the charity shop might not have been a teacher who had been given them as presents.

A couple of years ago I had to charity shop six of those tacky Clinton's best teacher Christmas baubles because I bought them in the January sale, forgot about them by the following year, and the year after that my youngest was at secondary school and too cool to take presents in for the teacher.

OP, any gift will be appreciated, but yours sounds perfect. As a TA I love getting little gifts like this from the children because it's clear how much they enjoy giving them, and it's nice to know that the parent appreciates the time I spend looking after their children. It doesn't really matter what the gift is, the thought really does count.

Where the fuck did this 'annual tradition' come from anyway? our village school shut down and it never happened there before but at the new school in town this seems to be normal to buy the teacher an end of year gift? what the..... When did all this start?

xCountry I always took my Primary school teachers a summer and Christmas gift and I left Primary school nearly 30 years ago.

There is no reason for teachers or any age range to have presents at the end of term/year.

A card is always appreciated but presents are sometimes a burden -vis the PP with 8 teachers mugs. Flowers are nice but sometimes we start our holiday the next day so are wasted in an empty house. Chocolates tend to get shared with colleagues but are unnecessary for many people. I prefer a bar of nice ordinary chocolate all to myself really. Im afraid Im a bit suspicious of homemade foods if I dont know the conditions they were made in. I always appreciate the thought though and would never waste things.They may not be used by me though.

A pen would be exactly right in my mind.A token of appreciation without burdening the recipient.

Xcountry I am nearly 50 and my parents were both primary teachers. I gave, and they received, presents at the end of term in the 1970s. It isn't new, although some schools may not have had the tradition. As a teacher I have mixed feelings about it and would prefer something the child has obviously chosen than something extravagant if there is a present.

We gave presents when we moved up a year at primary school (I'm in my early thirties). Usually a little card and some chocolates. In secondary school, not so much really, although I can remember giving money for particularly beloved teachers who were retiring - the women usually got a massive thingy of flowers, the men a gift card

My dad is a teacher. One of his favourite gifts was a simple desk tidy pen holder full of bic red, blue, and black pens. Couldn't have cost more than a couple of quid, but was immeasurably useful!

My mum was a primary teacher. She never expected a gift but was pleased most with the ones that cost nothing eg a picture drawn by the child or at Xmas some kids made baubles that went on our tree

Upshot is most teachers really just value the thought and tbh my mum got quite embarrassed by OTT gifts and thought they were inappropriate.

I'm a secondary teacher, so it's not quite the same. But a card is always more than enough! Even an email of thanks from either the student or parent is enough to make me well up!

Although this year a student gave me a tiny cactus. She knows I'm hopeless with plants but I hope this one lives for a long time and reminds me of how hard she worked! (Simple things!)

As Tulips said, it really is the thought that counts.

A card yes - usually home made ones but a gift? no, never.

Times have changed. I think mum got a box of choc once. A pen is good but I bet the teacher prefer a nice card.

Handmade

OH is a primary school teacher and gets cards and small gifts from his students. He loves getting handmade cards with nice messages from the kids, he keeps them in a box. The parents usually write a message to thank him for his efforts and it means a lot to him. He gets little presents and would love a pen cos he is always losing them! The teacher will be delighted OP.

Oh I would love to get a pen as a present. I'm also secondary, so presents are uncommon. Having said that, I've appreciated (and used) every present I have received.

I also agree with others that I treasure the cards and emails the most.

I'm in FE, pressies are rare, but I have fridge magnets photos of 2 students in daft poses - came out of a heated class debate. They are my favourite gifts.

Sister is in primary, her best was an empty wine bottle.... the bottle was unusually decorated... she still uses it as a single flower vase.

Sorry, meant to finish, pens are fine, but I too love the cards and emails most. I even have a scrap of paper with a sorry I didn't get you a card but I will really miss you style message!

Last year dh made strawberry jam with the dc's. We had empty jars here anyway, we bought white labels which the dc decorated and circles of white paper which they decorated to put over the lid, tied with ribbon.

They looked amazing and the teachers seemed genuinely pleased. We always make jam anyway so the extra was almost unnoticed, the jars we had, the paper and labels were pennies. We'll probably do the same this year.

I'd love that, Washing!