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?

I'm not bothered about a gift, I appreciate them but don't expect them. I do love getting cards and notes, either from the children or, where parents feels I have been particularly supportive, from them.

Anything handmade by the children is always cherished, a card or drawing is brilliant. I have had a few very appreciated hand-made gifts, including a small hand-painted canvas, a clay rabbit (I love rabbits!) and a photo-frame decorated by the child. Something that reflects my personality is otherwise good (I have gotten a lot of rabbit stuff in my time but I do like it all!).

Outside that you can't really go wrong (for me) with chocolates, wine or toiletries. Not necessarily very imaginative/personal but I will use at least use them. I have been given things like scarves or jewellery before which, whilst I appreciate the thought, is so often not to my taste and just ends up going to the charity shop. Pens are also always appreciated! I've never received vouchers but for a small amount or a specific experience (eg: afternoon tea) they'd be appreciated, I would feel uncomfortable receiving anything with a very high value though. I've never known a school where they did collections for the teachers rather than individual gifts and don't know how I'd feel about that.

For me the sad thing about the end of the year is having to say goodbye to my current class who I have grown to love and so having a hand-made card or gift to remember the child by and cherish is lovely, I am quite sentimental! Other gifts are appreciated but in honesty if I want wine/ a new mug/ chocolates etc I can go out and buy them myself. I could never go and get myself a beautiful card hand-drawn by one of my students and the memories that would evoke so that makes it special.

My favourite ever present was a Twix clearly(hopefully!) bought from the newsagent's on the way to school. Shoved into my hand by a faintly embarrassed 7 year old. Still makes me cry. :)

Any idea what to get a male (PE) teacher from a Year 10? DS has loads of SN and he's honestly the only one that's been nice to him and understanding...would just like to say thanks. (Booze? What kind?)

I have given a 'miniature' bear made from the school uniform this year.... www.lovemeforeverkeepsakes.com/

Again I would say a card with a heartfelt note IWant. Let this teacher know why you want to thank him.

Panzee You have reminded me of the year 5 boy who gave me a bottle of shower gel at the end of one term. At the Easter I had been supporting him as SS had taken him and his brother into care away from his abusive and alcoholic mother. We were both in tears as I was leaving the school too.

I'm a teacher. The best gift I have ever recieved was a card with a very long thank you note from a student (worked my arse off with her all year to help her pass her GCSE in my subject- started the year predicted an E and actually got a B so I was very pleased with myself.) I still have it in my planner three years later. :)

Michael Gove's Resignation?

Pourmeanotherglass!

The envy in the staff room are the mugs given by a child at the end of last school year. The little one had drawn and coloured a pic of the teacher and teacher assistants- this had been printed onto 3 mugs and then each mug had a name emblazoned on the side depending in whose mug it was. No-one pinches the Reception mugs!
At the school my Dses goes to, we all put money in and one mum changes it up for Bluewater vouchers.
I have give a little pamper pack before - face pack, frozen cocktail pack, trashy mag and novelty sunglasses.
As a teacher, anything is unexpected and lovely. A card or homemade bookmark are lovely.

One of my friends is a teacher and says herself the presents are out of hand. I was over last year when the schools broke up.

Her presents were split into 3:

charity shop: Best teacher mugs/teddies/magnets etc (there's only so many one person can use.

give away: Toiletries set, boxes of chocs etc

keep: cards, gifts made by the kids, drawings. She's expecting a lot of loom bands this year lol

She said herself she wishes she could tell people to keep it simple

Love Mumsnet - always good for a laugh. Happy:teachers need all the support we can give them. Our only hope is education for the next generation so that slowly the electorate ceases to be rammed with ignorant twats believing whatever the redtop owners shove down their throat.

Also, the CPD issue. Isn't it nuts that teachers might want to cite parental endorsement for their professional performance? After all teaching is only a charitable hobby done out of love - not really a professional vocation where positive end-user feedback might reflect on career-shsping hard work.

I almost for a moment thought sillly me that I might find out what teachers actually do want - given their over representation on MN and continual moaning, butting in to any thread started by a concerned parent and the ONLY profession that is guaranteed to give a detailed minutae of the job they do.

But of course all they want is a card. chocolate and WINE (whine).

Natch, the response by the 'professionals' will be :

And what do you do Float?

And natch, my response is:

None of your fucking business - chocolate is cheap, go get your own.

Wow, Float. Such vitriol. You don't hold the teaching profession in high regard, do you?

Tell you what - I'll buy my own chocolate if you promise I'll never teach your child.

With performance related pay looming why shouldn't "client recommendations" be used as evidence? All these people wanting us to drag ourselves into private sector mentality, then getting shirty if we do.

Six more days...six more days...:o

Well I don't like wine so I have to buck the trend on wine, sorry! I'd also veto flowers, not because I don't love them (I do) but often staff are heading off on holiday straight after the end of term.

Yes I love getting cards or notes from the children. I remember one year getting a mug from some very cheeky twins, the best bit was when the mum gave it to me she said sheepishly 'sorry, they wrapped it themselves' - it was in a piece of wrapping paper that looked as if it was on its second outing and about half a roll of Sellotape, I still remember it now, they weren't keen on school and I was so touched they had made the effort to wrap my present themselves. This was about 12yrs ago and I still remember it!

In honesty I love it when the parents club together and give me vouchers too. Easy for parents (I've just paid my contribution for my son's teacher!) and most appreciated. I always make sure I go and buy something extravagant rather than necessary with mine, quite often for the holiday ahead. I don't expect anything from the parents at all - my job is to teach their children and I do that to the best of my ability every lesson regardless of anything they say or do, but vouchers are fantastic .

I used a card from a parent during my training as I needed to show evidence of parent teacher relationships.

I'm happy to by my own chocolate Float.

*buy

I agree that people like the heartfelt thanks. Great when there is a card from both parents and pupils.
As a parent too, to those of you organising class collections, can I BEG you not to start with an amount of money/gift in mind before you do your collection,working backwards to how much everyone needs to give. This is so divisive and excludes people. Instead, have a truly open and voluntary collection and just see what you collect and go from there. And allow everyone to sign the card, regardless of if they contributed or not. Teachers really won't mind if someone gave 50p or nothing. And if all you collect is enough for a bottle of wine from the whole class,that is absolutely fine.

In my job any gifts received have to be logged in what we call the 'bribery and corruption' register

I'm a teacher and there is nothing better than getting a lovely thank card with some appreciative words off your students. Makes the year seem worthwhile!! I never expect presents though!

We grew patio sunflowers in pots this year, the pots were flower buckets from supermarkets and free. I had the dilemma of whether to give to all the Ta's there are 3 in dd2s class one of them was mean to her so she says but in the end we did. Gave them yesterday as it happens, couldn't quite get the blooming time right!

Grew 12 in all which will flower till Autumn. They liked them although I felt a bit twatty carrying them in as they were so big!

Grew 12 in all which will flower till Autumn. They liked them although I felt a bit twatty carrying them in as they were so big!