Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

AIBU to say no to giving gifts to students?

37 replies

Glitteratii · 02/07/2017 20:20

There are teacher wars where there have not been teacher wars before...

A colleague of mine bought her tutees (a class of 30) wrapped Xmas present and card each, an Easter Egg each (full size), and is now preparing a summer pack.. HOW can she afford it? WHY does she think it's necessary? I wouldn't mind but it makes me the rest of us look bad

Meanwhile the student teachers are leaving and engaging in similar 'oh, I've just made some gift bags for mine with personalised notes because somebody should tell them they are special..'
We work in a secondary school - it's not a posh school, and we're not rich teachers.

I've always done something small / homemade / played party games instead (classroom karaoke is always worth the tidy-up) because I'm poor and think buying other people's children gifts excessive... but maybe I'm just a teacher-bitch

AIBU?

OP posts:

Screwinthetuna · 02/07/2017 21:15

My English teacher bought us all a meaningful book and it was such a lovely gesture that I remember it years later and still have the book.

YANBU to do a nice activity instead though and shouldn't feel like you have to get a token gift.

We have just had to give £10 for a collection, which is then split between 2 teachers and the teaching assistant. They end up with £100 voucher each and flowers...so perhaps a pencil with their name on or something like that would be nice ;) Only joking, the hard work that the teachers have put in that has gone above and beyond what's expected, such as organising trips and visits from different entertainers etc, means I don't begrudge a big collection and I don't expect anything else in return.

Lonelymummyof1 · 02/07/2017 21:15

Not a school teacher but reminded me haha
My daughters dance teacher just bought my DD a 35 pound gift because she saw it shopping and thought it was cute haha

bluechameleon · 02/07/2017 21:19

I tend to buy my class chocolate (or alternative in case of allergies etc) for Christmas, Easter and end of term, spending £1-£2 each, but I teach in a special school and have never had a class of more than 8. When I worked in mainstream I would buy multipacks of mini bags of sweets, so probably spent a similar total amount but obviously less per pupil.

dairymilkmonster · 02/07/2017 21:23

Ds got a pencil at the end of reception and a tiny bag with a few tiny eggs/ choc coins in at easter/ xmas in recep and this yr.
Yes to that type of thing but wrapped gifts no. Teachers can't afford it!
Our class does a collection (suggested £5, split equally between teacher and TA) for john lewis vouchers at the end of the year. Kids tend to make cards to take in. Think this is a better use of the money than little things they might not need.

elevenclips · 02/07/2017 21:24

You could just live and let live op.

Some teachers do gifts, some parents do gifts.

Does anyone care?

I see people with bags like Santa with gifts for teachers. I don't have to do it. It doesn't affect me.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 02/07/2017 21:39

At the end of Y1, DD got a little bag with a pencil, book and some other little bits in from her teacher and TA. The books were definitely a Red House bulk buy but it was a lovely thought. Not expected at all, and they only usually get a little bag of sweets (from a multi pack).

alphajuliet123 · 02/07/2017 21:45

My kids don't normally get gifts from teachers but one year they had made a tree picture in class, each doing a thumb print leaf with their name underneath. The teacher printed off small versions and put them in some 3-for-£1 frames from Poundland. Lovely gift and still on dd's bedside table.

Copperspot · 02/07/2017 21:53

We have one of those teachers in my school who is always treating bribing the kids with excessive stuff like easter eggs.

We all think she's mad....

Im a TA in y4 and at xmas the kids in my class got a xmas card signed by me and the teacher with a chocolate coin and a shiny sticker in. Cost us £3 for the class thanks to poundland

On our last day before summer we are having a class party and are doing party games with little prizes. Eg pass the parcel with haribo in the layers and a pack of animal rubbers in the middle.

Our pfa will supply each class with a box of space raiders and a box of qwenchy cups they will then run round the hall to 'pop party 6' or some shite for an hour.

GriseldaChop · 02/07/2017 21:56

I'm a secondary teacher and I usually do sweets/chocs for all my classes in the last lesson of each term. When my y11 leave I usually write them a card each and buy then a nice 'lucky' pen to use in their exams. Each to their own tho, a wrapped pressie for 30 sounds quite a lot!

user1497480444 · 02/07/2017 22:01

My tutees were devils for folding my carefully crafted , lovingly photocopied worksheets into parer darts. For Christmas I gave each one a piece of paper with fold lines marked on it and instructions for proper paper stunt planes

Aaviiii · 02/07/2017 22:04

I work as admin in a primary school. All the class teachers are given £30 each at Christmas and end of summer term for presents for the children.

DumbledoresApprentice · 02/07/2017 22:18

I do a gift for my A Level leavers. I was given one by a teacher when I left school and have always done it for my classes. I've never had more than 15 though. I never spend more than a few quid per child. If I had 60 I'd have to knock the practice on the head.

Flip

1 2