What do teachers actually want?

[bellarations]

At the end of term?
I know teachers don't actually expect presents, but what would like they most like to receive?
Please share your thoughts and ideas.
Is a class collection a better option?

Wine is always well received, but really not necessary. When I left my old school I received some LOVELY flowers, wine, even a Chanel soap....I think the parents knew I was leaving for "difficult" reasons, hence the generosity. It was deeply appreciated, but I did feel a bit guilty seeing as we were on a deprived estate.

wifeandmother I am sure the parents made sure they all had clean hands before they started making a cake for you.

I'm a teacher and genuinely want nothing, not a card, not wine not anything. Parent's are busy enough (me included) and to have to nip to the shops or waste time thinking of a gift for a teacher is madness. Just don't it. Save your money and buy your child an ice cream over the holidays, don't fork out money to say thank you, just say thank you (if you want) and be done with it. Like I said, I can't be faffed rushing around trying to buy presents for my child's teacher and TA's so I don't expect anyone else to have to stress about it. It really doesn't matter - rant over.

Who else gets loads of presents in their job? Not me! Why do we do it for teachers?!?!? (Dd not yet in school so not sure what I'll do when it comes to "thanking" teacher at end of terms...probably fall into line and buy a box of Bronnleys like everyone else ;))

I don't expect it at all. Agree that cards or emails are the best.....but failing that, WINE!

My DS is 14 and leaving his secondary next week. Want to get 2 teachers (glamourous 40ish female and older man) something. Will have to be vouchers as DS would die of embarrassment taking in anything else. What do you think, Costa, M&S, Amazon, Tesco, John Lewis??

DD and I have recently started sewing so we are going to make some tote bags and applique their names on them. Her TA will get an extra present as she is leaving to have a baby so we're applique-ing things onto baby vests. We did the same for her teacher who left after half term.

We'll do bags for DS's teachers and TA as well.

Last year DD and her Dad made some home made notebooks, and we put in a selection of reward stickers and a bookmark.

The year before I crocheted then felted little pen pots for everyone and filled them with chocolates.

Bit of a crafty theme going on!

After reading all these threads I seriously wonder if the time has come for head teachers to clamp down on all the present buying and certainly on the class collections.

I have always appreciated verbal thanks, notes and cards from parents and most of all the cards and little gestures from the children. Priceless IMO!

If you could take a hot out on Gove I reckon that'll be the best end of year present ever.

or maybe fabricate and sell a sleeve story to the press resulting in him being forcefully ejected from government never to work again, seems a little less final than killing him

Made me laugh...

Wine and any handmade stuff. My class made me a dvd of themselves once saying what their fave bit of the year was that made me cry.

I always give wine to my kids teachers or really nice coffee.

For my class this year I am making bookmarks and little bags of loom bands with instructions on how to make apokemon charm. I like to send them home with a gift and a postcard wish for next year.

Boo, autocorrect fail! Hit Gove is definitely not hot!

Wine, small amounts of good chocolate or nice stationery. I am not so keen on homemade stuff and random trinkets although I always appreciate the thought. A card with a nice message is more than enough. I love vouchers but wouldn't want anyone to spend too much.

A card with a thoughtful message is what means the most, and is what I keep year after year.
The "Best Teacher!" keyring, while I appreciate the sentiment, goes in the bin within a week.

But this thread has just given me an idea of what to get my 3 teaching assistants! Costa coffee gift cards, or similar (with a little extra something for my favourite of them ;)), would be absolutely ideal!

Just to give you ideas. Not expectations. Some of my favourite presents in the past.
cat charm for mobile phone; tiny papier mache box decorated with cats; Liberty print case for sunglasses; glass with my name on; chain for spectacles (always losing them); desk tidy(terribly untidy desk) book token; foot spa, cream, scrub etc; decorated jam jar filled with teabags; jam jar filled with homegrown cherries; bunch of sweetpeas; (I can't grow them); wooden spoons. All these things were given by children who noticed what I liked, things I did; much appreciated.

I asked my two ds's teachers what colour they'd prefer if a bottle of a certain beverage might be winging it's way toward them - one replied "I'll drink anything at this point!" with a sheepish grin, and the other "Oh there's really no need, but I'm a red girl at heart!".

Wine always wins!

It would never have occured to me that you are supposed to give teachers gifts at the end of the year. Dont remember any of that growing up. Kids havent started school yet.

We're going to make a flower fridge magnet for each of dt's teachers. They are really cool (and easy to make) and hopefully they'll be happy to have them adorning their fridges. We'll make cards too.

As a mum, I give a gift to the value of the teacher and TA to DD (if that makes sense). I gave her Year 1 teachers a voucher for afternoon tea at a lovely hotel as they were fab. Her Year 2 teacher was chronic so she got biscuits (that we're second hand . I always write a card being explicit about what I am thanking them for.
As a teacher my favourite two presents were hand picked flowers from a boy's garden and from the boy who wanted to be a chef who made me the most massive cake ever which I shared with the class of 30 children. I do also like vouchers or wine and ... I might be the only one to say this (haven't read all responses though) but I LOVE smellies and candles too. I don't expect anything, but I do love a personal thank you letter or card, which I keep, but not in a professional way!

Not hot on proof reading ... were, not we're

My favourite presents have been the ones that show a child has had an input.
One year a child presented me with two pens she had covered in Scoobies. One was red and one black. She had put a loop at the top of each one. She also gave me a sticky backed hook. She had noticed the morning panic I went through before the register as I could never find my pens and thought I could put the hook above my desk and hang the pens there.
Another year I was given a pen with my name engraved on it. The child knew I was fed up with my PPA cover wandering off with my blue marking pen!
As a teacher I don't expect anything and I am genuinely thrilled to be thought of. Handmade cards are lovely!

The nicest things (and I've kept them all) are handwritten cards from former pupils. Any gift is appreciated, but one that has had some personal significance is really nice. My pupils know some of my favourite things and it's always nice to receive something that reflects this.

I wish people wouldn't assume that everyone drinks wine - I don't and I hate the thought that people have wasted money buying something that will just be the next raffle/bottle stall prize.

The two best presents I ever got were:

• a little box of Maltesers in the brown paper bag from the corner shop, that the pupil had bought himself. They weren't a present from a mum 'just because', they were a present from a pupil who wanted to say 'Thank You'. He was so proud of them too, of being able to give a gift of his own. That really touched me - it's 8 years ago now but I'll never forget it.
• a set of two delicious homemade cupcakes with the BEST butter cream topping ever.

I still use several of the mugs though, and a couple of the pens.

I've got Ds's teachers and the nursery nurse who has looked after (v young, v shy) ds2 during reception year a liberty print notebook and nice pens each, plus a big box of chocs for the year group team / TAs as they seem to have hundreds of different adults working in the classes and I can't keep up with them all.
I'm a teacher and (when I'm not striking just to keep my 13 weeks holiday and not at all to protect your children's education) I like notebooks and pens too, wine, nice smellies - hand cream etc, plants for the garden, homemade biscuits....but as everyone else has said, a heartfelt note of thanks from children and parents is worth much more.