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?

An Oxfam "school bag" in a card on the last day of term. A bunch of flowers on the first day of the new term.

Sorted. And probably outed- I've been doing it for years!

Homemade card or little gift. Means more than anything xx

Dd1 has spent the last week looking for something she can give to her teacher before breaking up and going on to secondary school. DH went down to the shop and bought a lovely card but dd1 wanted to give her teacher something else more than a card, after spending alot of the last few days searching onliine i came across this www.chambers-homeware.co.uk/product/blue-teachers-whiteboard-message-mug i brought this mug on tuesday and it is great, my dds love it we then ordered another one, dd1 loves it and its something her favourite teacher will remember her by .

A stop whining buzzer, so every time the teacher starts whinging
They get a shock.....

Agenda, much BBQ?

Yawn

I think someone got out of bed on the wrong side again. What a grumpy pants.

So many people have suggested mugs. Don't they use cups and saucers any more? Where do they put their spoons?

Teachers like a card or letter thanking them for something specific they have done - if its 'extra' to expectation so much the better. For support when...for helping X with... for always being kind and helpful... for bringing maths to life for Y... thank you for listening... etc...

No other gifts required.

As i always say a nice letter copied into their Head that will directly affect their career

Thanking you.

why do people think that teachers want bags with their NAMES on all the time? Appliqued or not. This was on the last thread about gifts too.

dont spend your money on teachers. Say thankyou. thats the best gift

Again, anything too extravagant is quite embarrassing!
I do think it's got a bit ridiculous! Card or something homemade. I once got a selection of home baking and was delighted!

Flowers can be a funny one, nice but often teachers go straight on holiday so seems a waste. One of the most random but well kept/used presents (7 years on) was a pretty umbrella!

I have no issue with teachers using heartfelt messages in cards for files etc. I wrote ds's amazing reception teacher a note detailing how she'd exceeded any expectations we had partly for that reason. She was an nqt and was so outstandingly brilliant I felt it was important her superiors were made aware how much difference she made to ds. I have no idea if she used it or just kept it but she would have had my blessing. She really did go above and beyond for ds though.
His teacher this year has been good, not as outstanding as his first teacher but she's really nice and there have been no problems. I will write a nice note in her card too.

stealthsquiggle can you get a present for me! I love prosecco!!

As a teacher I would also second a lovely card with personal note from parents saying if I've made a difference, if child has enjoyed the year etc, I keep these. Present wise, it's nice if people want to but I don't think it should be a necessity. When I was at school we never did this, I remember sometimes bringing in flowers from the garden wrapped in foil. Saying that, a present is always gratefully received. Wine always good! Handcream too, chocolates nice but some of the best stuff I've had are homemade cakes or biscuits made by child and parent. Also tins of biscuits are good as there's always time for a biscuit and they keep well whereas chocolates you don't eat as often. One of our families who have multiple siblings gave a massive bar of dairy milk to each teacher, we all really loved it as sometimes you can't beat a pure chocolate hit. Flowers are nice too esp for people watching their weight. I second the no 'best teacher' tut, there's only so much of this stuff that one can really use.

The teacher that said she didn't like chocolates and shared them out- how un thoughtful!! Even if I didn't like the present I would always say thank you and I give them a thank you note.

As a secondary teacher I don't often get presents but I love it when a student brings a card or a parent sends an email or even just has a chat and says thank you if I am at the gate.

I have NEVER seen a teacher be unappreciative as one poster has suggested. So few people say thank you that it is lovely if anyone does anything.

Many of our staff, me included, do end of term parties or presents for their form groups or really special classes- all paid for by us, not the school. We have staff who make cupcakes, buy chocolates, do a tea party, have badges made with special messages, give everyone in the group a thank you card. My best class last year- who were middle ability and could be badly behaved in other subjects but we had got on really well and they were going to get great results at GCSE- I made them a card with a class photo on the front and wrote them a personal good luck message each with a little memory in it of something funny that had happened or a reference to something good they had done and we had cups of tea and cakes on their last lesson. They bought me a box of chocolates. We all hugged at the end!

DS teacher always comes into school with a Costa drink so I have bought her a Costa card loaded with £15 so that she can use it for her morning coffees. She had been great. Last years teacher was dreadful so I didn't get her anything.

My daughter and her A level chemistry class made a periodic table of the elements out of fairy cakes for their teacher. She was very appreciative.

Yup, and they used my kitchen. I was impressed at how organised they were.

Ah, I would love a periodic table of cake.

I have a periodic table mug from a past student and I drink my tea out of it every day at school.

I bake a cake (or two) each week for the y6 teachers and TA's (and HT who helps himself) I will make them one each now I know their personal favourites and a bottle of prosecco. HT will get a cake and a letter saying thank you. I know they eat them as they are usually cutting it up before we've left the playground.

I'm a teacher and you've just made me laugh out loud. I agree whingy teacher syndrome is not good!!

Whoops that was a reply to BBQ steak.

I have bought for staff I don't feel have done a good job because DS wanted to give to the TA and there is no way I could do that and give no gift to the teacher. I told him both or nothing and he plumped for both.

My dd is in preschool And I was clueless - so I bought them a £5 voucher for a coffee and cake in the local nice cafe. Not sure if that's rubbish or not!