Teacher presents. End of term.

[rackhampearl]

Aibu to ask you teachers what your best and worst present experiences have been from --parents students. Also has anyone got any ideas? I'm thinking of miniature bottles of Hendricks gin and a small can of fever tree in a gift bag for the teachers heavily involved in my DDs school life and some loaf cakes for the staff room. Is that abit naff?

Class collection all the way.

I love these threads.

There’s an element of Bingo here as you get people popping up with

Long holidays
Well paid for their job
It’s their job
The spelling from so called teachers on this thread is appalling.
Other people work just as hard or harder

BINGO!

Got a full house here

Cards from students are lovely. I keep all of mine in a box.
No need for a gift IMO.

At the wife of a teacher...wine, beer and posh stationery are much appreciated! Some home baked/grown items have been great - sausages from farmer child, honey, amazing biscotti once but some home baked things have looked a bit suspect and haven't been eaten.

We have far too many teacher mugs and coasters, but they do get used. We normally get so many chocolates and biscuits we give them away....

I don't think teachers work any harder than anyone else and presents should be banned. The collections cause enormous arguments and are stressful for parents who can't afford them, especially when they have more than one child at primary. I know loads of teachers (family and friends) and every single one of them had massive martyr syndrome and their social media is full of moaning and counting down to half term (usually from week one of term), and constant 'im exhausted' posts.

Thanks @Cuddlecouch, it’s always nice to be appreciated

“The collections cause enormous arguments and are stressful for parents who can't afford them”

What kind of school do your children go to?

Why would collections cause arguments? Surely you give if you want to and sign the card, buy your own thing and do own cards or do nothing if you feel the way some do. No need for arguments.

I never understood the "pressure" argument. You either want to give someone a thank you gift or you don't. Since when has saying no to something become suchan issue?

I am grateful for gifts and have received my fair share of them over the years, despite being a secondary school teacher. I have taught in leafy suburban schools and inner city hell-highs and it's never made much of a difference.

However, we always had to declare them. In my last school, in case the children had nicked stuff from their parents' booze cupboard Apart from the aforementioned cards, the nicest gift I have received was a hand-knitted teddy from a student for the baby I was about to have. It was by far not perfectly done, but the sentiment behind the gift was such that I have treasured it above all other gifts I have been given.

Class collections are stressful! This year there's been a real campaign by the mums leading the collection to ostracize those parents who have refused to be a part of it. It always seems to be an initiative to garner the more vocal mums the most brownie points.

I'm fine with collections as long as there is zero pressure to join in.

But who cares? They're just school mums; why is their opinion so important? The school run needn't be a social occasion.

@Tessalectus your comment about stealing booze really made me laugh.

Yes class collections where no pressure for a specific amount are very different to the school mafia mums demanding more than some that can afford or indeed want to give .

I have always done my own thing. However one year of 2 jobshare teachers I bought nothing.

I don’t get the they should be banned . I bought my neighbor a bottle of wine for looking after my g. Pigs for the weekend. Why would I not want to thank the teacher who has spent infinite time helping my Ds . It isn’t just a case of delivering the curriculum, they have always gone way beyond

I know loads of teachers (family and friends) and every single one of them had massive martyr syndrome and their social media is full of moaning...

Cuddle maybe you and your friends are just the negative, moany type? You get them in all professions....

Utterly ridiculous, lunatic parents all smugly trying to outdo each other
As for sending doughnuts in during an Ofsted inspection ,I'd have eaten them while laughing at your arselickery

There are some martyrs but that could be said for all professions.
The 'praying for a snow day posts' do irritate a lot. Actually snow days make life incredibly difficult for a lot of professions, of course understand the children must be safe, but perhaps better not to display so much glee about them.

I have 3 kids, eldest just finished A-levels and not once have I bought a gift for end of year or Xmas. Occasionally one of the kids has done a card if they chose to , but no prompting from me. Never had anyone organise a parents collection either. I didn’t know that was even a thing until reading on mumsnet. I’m a full time working single mum so not around school playground politics anyway. Youngest DD sometimes makes an ornament out of a cardboard cereal box if she likes the teacher

Yes the snow day glee is a bit much, especially when the rest of the country are expected to, and manage to, get to work. Last term there was a burst pipe at ds school. I'd just got to work (one hour commute) and had 2 texts and 2 calls by 9.20am telling me to pick my child up as school was closing for the day. It took hubby and I about an hour to sort out who could clear it with manager/ rearrange meetings/ get permission to go home before I got to school just after 11. The staff were not happy that some kids had not been picked up asap. Absolutely zero regard for the difficulties and practicalities of leaving work to pick kids up. I get that they want to go home and enjoy their day on the sofa but closing school for the day has massive implications for working parents.

Incredibly rare we'd get a snow day at my kids' school... half the teaching staff live within 2-3 streets of the school building itself! (I'm not joking - an entire year group's teachers, not just the TAs who tend to live nearer, live on the next street to the school building!)

why should a teacher even get a present - totally ridiculous they are only doing their job - do you also give the dinner lady something and the caretaker who picks up the dropped litter NO a card at most

As a teacher, I am completely in agreement with all those in the 'no present' camp.

A sincere 'thank you' - wonderful, all I would ever expect, and that not from everyone.
Card or note - fantastic.
Note to the head - something for those who feel their teacher has gone 'above and beyond'

leavethelamsalone

Many teachers go above and beyond their job description. That's why.

My son is 16 and autistic. I have so many wonderful memories of amazing teachers who have supported him. Several stick out in my memory as going the extra mile.

So yeah if you have "normal" children you are likely to take the teachers for granted who are just doing their job. But I would say they are just as likely to go above and beyond for your child as they have done mine.

A thank you card is all that's needed

Leavethelambsalone - you sound jealous.

I am absolutely not saying teachers should get a present, a personal thank you note means just as much if not more, but the “why should teachers get a present they’re just doing their job” line always irritates me.

Most teachers go way above and beyond “just doing their job”. This may be in terms of hours spent or by spending their own money or in other ways doing the very best for the children they teach. It is really lovely that this is recognised by children or parents saying thank you. Teachers are not alone in doing this and I would say an extra thank you/give a card or small present to any person doing this for me or my family (I sent a thank you card and huge box of chocolates to the nurses who cared for me after a recent hospital stay).

@leavethelambsalone. If you read the thread I also put that I'll be taking in cakes and things for the whole faculty for their joint effort. But no i wouldn't get the care taker something of the same value as a TA for instance because hes not sat down every day reading with my child, enjoying class projects with my child ect. Often, teachers do go out of their way for the children. We have one TA who sowed seeds for all the children in lovely little pots for them to take home and look after and track their progress. She did this as a separate project from the curriculum. I think people like that need to be shown a thank you. However, it's not compulsory. Don't agree with it? Don't do it. Don't like threads about it? Scroll on by.

@leavethelambsalone

I think the site manager and the office staff at my school probably get more cards & gifts than many of the teaching staff. A lot are from parents but also many teachers give them something to say 'thank you'.. y'know, 'cos it's a nice thing to do