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 teach secondary in France, we dont usually get gifts, however children often write little notes at the end of the year and they really are treasured (I have a scrapbook which I stick them in each year, it's one of my most prized possessions, and no one IRL knows about it ).

This year, one of my classes asked what I'd like, I replied that I wanted them to do their best in their exams, which apparently they did as the results for that classe are excellent, with lots of kids obtaining "mentions" (a distinction), that made me really happy!

I've been helping out at my DD's school for many years and over the years the question of presents with three teachers. They each individually told me something made by the child (ie card, picture), bottle of white wine and bottle of red wine, although one of the ones preferring wine did acknowledge most parents probably wouldn't feel comfortable with their child taking in alcohol.

There are some great ideas here.
I'm going with the majority and my dc have begun writing a letter to their respective teachers about what they have enjoyed most during the school year.
Fwiw. I don't mind at all if my thank you email goes in someone's "evidence" folder (don't know proper name) to show good relations. What difference does it make? It's better to know your comments have made a positive difference.
For those (misery guts') who think teachers don't deserve presents...... I would like to add IME parents don't give to all teachers, just the ones we feel have given a bit of extra inspiration to our children because those teachers are the ones my children enjoy seeing. Their happiness is my happiness (sick bucket anyone?).

FGS why so po-faced and worthy everyone?
Teachers are adult human doing a JOB they are paid for. The job involves genuine caring relationships and demands a huge commitment to the individual needs and development of our children. Some parents want to give a gift. It's clear teachers don't seem to care one way or another. So gift or no-gift, no one cares in real life. As a teacher's wife - wine, wine and more wine please. If you're not comfortable with that then coffee shop card or a bar of (fairtrade) chocolate for £1. Or nothing. Teachers are perfectly capable of appreciating, re-gifting, donating or scoffing what ever they get. Many have families who are also happy to help out.

Send them all this link:

games.usvsth3m.com/slap-michael-gove/

Happy your comment and all that it symbolises is utter utter bo lax. When your children leave university with debts of 30k upwards or never actually manage to go despite wanting to, while all the wealthy kids get their parents to pay. When you have to look after their kids - whether you want to or not - because they cannot afford to take paternity or maternity leave, when you have to get a second mortgage so that they can put a deposit down on a tiny hellhole, think about that comment and feel the shame of your myopic idiot thinking.

Ds fantastic teacher has a card from me with anice note thanking her for believeing in my son and ignoring all previous reports and seeing child in front of her ( he was classed as MLd despite my objections and on pscales . yet he achieveling levels 3c and 4 in year 4 now and way she made allo9wance for his physical issues and first time ever he has been part of the class and made friends

And from Ds he has painted a flowperpot ( not neat as he struggles hold a paintbrush but all his own work and a packet of forget me not seeds

TheHuman-lovely!

Hi. I'm a teacher and like most of the other teachers who have commented on this thread I never expect presents for doing a job I love. However, it is really lovely when parents and children want to say thanks.

I've been lucky enough to receive some gorgeous presents including note books, pens, hand-painted (by the child) flower pots, baskets of smells, candles etc. My favourite present ever must have cost next to nothing. The child drew a picture on a long thin piece of paper, the parent mounted it onto car, the child wrote a short message on the back and then they laminated it. It was a book mark. I still use it now several years later.

I love receiving notes and handmade cards from children and they certainly don't go into a CPD file, but they do get stored in a beautiful box to be read through when I feel I need a boost. These are special.

(And just in case I sound really holier-than-thou wine is ALWAYS very acceptable - in my case anyway!)

I usually do a big box of homemade brownies for the staff room at the end of each term. Seems to go down well with the teachers & TAs. Booze is tricky at my kids' school because a fair number of the staff a muslim.

Thanks for all the constructive advice from teachers. I appreciate my son's school greatly. More importantly my son loves his teacher, so I want to give a small token of appreciation that is most likely to hit the mark and knowing what those on the "receiving end" want is great.

DH has come home with 8 bottles of wine to give to the teachers. It isn't so much of whether one wants to give a gift or not but whether it is affordable when there are so many to buy for.

DS1 painted those wooden blank shapes and we made magnets, end of his first year. I think I supplemented with something I'd made - biscuits?? I don't know if teachers and TAs actually like having their living space filled up with tat that their pupils have lovingly made, but hey.

This year, DS1's teacher is leaving. School has had to downsize due to falling pupil roll and she was the one who opted to take voluntary redundancy. I'm pretty gutted she's leaving and so is DS1. However, I really don't know her at all well. I have no idea if she drinks. No idea of her taste in smellies or if she wants or needs hand cream. I'm fairly sure she has enough mugs.... DS1 will draw her a card and write some things that he says he likes best about her, and I might get her some pretty Paperchase stuff. Or maybe just a jar of the strawberry jam I've just made.

Some of the mean-minded comments here make me sad. Maybe very few other professions get given presents regularly - but you know what? Teachers are special. We entrust them with our children, with the safeguarding and education of our children. That's worth a tangible token of my appreciation once a year.

DD, DH and I have made this for her teacher. DH cut the hearts, I painted them and joined them together, and DD wrote on it.

Hush that's beautiful. I'm sure the teacher will treasure that.

Why are some people so incredulous that teachers get presents?

Thanks ilovesooty, I was worried it's a bit twee, but that's what DD wanted to do.

As secondary I rarely get presents - but emails/letters/cards always makes the job that little bit nicer and you are keen to go that extra mile again.

Over the past few years some of the presents I have loved - a yr 10 girl made me two amazing cupcakes decorated herself as a thank you for me running an intervention session for yr 9's which she helped me with. Completely unexpected.

I have just said goodbye to my yr 11 tutor group - and I have had a couple of baby outfits as I am expecting in September. Again completely unexpected and from the students not parents.

The small packet of Thorntons chocolates - as again from the student and the card with it made me cry.

I also bought all my tutor group a present when they left - not expected to but I wanted to - I had a mug made of a yr 7 pic of them and a yr 11 pic of them. I wanted to give them a little something to remember there time as my tutor group.

In my teaching days, I always made it clear to pupils that the only acceptable gifts were champagne or Harvey Nichols gift vouchers. By and large they fell into line pretty well.

I have given miniature bottles of wine - 1 red and 1 white. Also small box of chocolates = £4.

Also jewellery from Next with gift receipt so they can return it if not to their taste.

Glad I went with wine for my DD's teacher after reading this....and if she doesn't drink wine, it can always go in the cupboard and save her having to buy one to take to a party or for a tombola. Next year we'll do a homemade gift since that seems popular too.

We had last day last week and the sad fact is that a lot of These thoughtful gifts never even made it home.

Quite how you're meant to get a 2 foot tall plant, plus a bottle and 2 bunches of flowers home on your bike or the bus I'm not sure.

I saw some teachers put stuff they didn't like straight in the bin.

I won't be buying any of DS's teachers anything more than a thank you Card!

Another partner of a teacher here and I would like to put in my request for wine, or chocolate. DP otoh gets all gooey eyed over personally designed cards and letters. Of course he doesn't expect anything, but very much appreciates a bottle of beer and a thank you note come July.

A parent did the same for me and it's my favourite present too!