To think these are ok teacher gifts?

[lyralalala]

Both DS2 and DD3's teachers have made a point of telling parents not to go OTT on gifts as they don't want parents to stretch themselves

Personally after working in schools I think that is code for "I have a zillion Best Teacher mugs and I don't eat homebaking"

After helping out in the school I was going to get DS2's teacher a box of glue sticks as they do a big project in Feb and I know she'll end up buying some out of her own pocket. Similarly DD's class has 5 pairs of scissors for 25 kids so I was going to buy a box of scissors. I'm just thinking they'll end up buying stuff like that themselves, but I'm now wondering if its a bit crap not to buy them something specifically for them.

I'm going to get the children to make a nice card to thank their teachers for specific help they've give this year.

Shit or ok idea?

When I left my teaching assistant position (year R class) my gifts to my colleagues were glue sticks and felt pens along with Costa vouchers. They were gratefully received.

Sounds like a fantastic idea. It shows much more thought than the standard chocs, mug, candle gifts that get trotted out year after year.

She’s specifically asked parents not to go OTT on gifts which suggests she has a reason not to want all the standard wine/ chocolate/ mug gifts so that other teachers here might prefer these gifts is irrelevant.

I think a gift that can be used by the class is a lovely idea and one I’d appreciate as, like you said, these sorts of things often end up being bought from own money anyway.

Why do some people feel the need to be thought of very well by their DC's teacher?
Just because you buy glue sticks doesn't mean they think you are a great parent and that they no longer believe your 'little Johnny' or whoever isn't a complete shit.
It seems some people put more thought into what they buy the teacher than what they buy their own families.
It's very try hard and

What a odd way of thinking @spied. You have no idea how much thought the people on this thread put into buying their families presents. And I’m not sure what’s try hard about doing something thoughtful for the teacher or class. Lighten up.

I think making a contribution to the class is a lovely idea, but addressing it to the teacher just doesn’t sit well with me - I would just do that and address to to the class and forego the teacher present. I know a lot of people think differently but I just can’t get my head around buying work supplies and saying ‘here these are especially for you, enjoy these...’ when at the end of the day they are not for that person they are for the children. You wouldn’t buy a load of sweets for the kids and address them to the teacher? If you know a mum do you buy them nappies for Christmas to enjoy?? A mum would choose them over a gift for herself if she was running low, but still...

I've volunteered in schools and the time that gets wasted by waiting for scissors/ glue sticks etc is nuts. I also have a teacher friend who had to have a blue tack amnesty as she noticed all her class had little balls of the stuff to fidget with, meanwhile all the pictures were falling off the displays. So for that reason I buy teachers practical stationery at Christmas and then at end of year when you've maybe had a chance to suss what they'd appreciate I buy something more personal. I've been slagged off on here before for buying stationery but either DC's teachers are all good actors or they genuinely appreciate it. Whiteboard pens go down particularly well.

We’ve always gone for stationery, though more personal than glue sticks - post it notes, a nice notebook, some fancy pens - that sort of thing - so it’s for work, but personal. I’d be quite happy to buy a box of glue sticks for the class, but that’s a gift for the class, not the teacher.

I also hand a bag in for the staff room at beginning of December with tea, (herbal, decaf, builders), coffee and shortbread & mince pies (inc some gf) with a note of appreciation and to acknowledge it's a much busier month for everyone.

I just buy food gifts...I assume that if it's not their own personal taste, someone in their family will enjoy them.

I’d have loved it as a primary teacher. If multiple parents bought glue sticks it’d have quite an impact on my wellbeing. No more trying to prise them out the locked cupboard in the staff room, zero stress planning activities, less arguing and monitoring of the table glue stick...

Honestly it gets hard work trying to manage resources in primary.

Also likes many teachers I live in my own not too big house with my own kids and I’m time short. I struggle to store gifts or manage where they go, I have no space. Lovely idea when I get food gifts etc but my kitchen is tiny and bursting

I usually buy a Christmas tree decoration for the teacher and each of the TA's.

Hoping this is a nice gift? Not too big, not too wasteful if they have a strict colour coordinated tree and can't use it!

How would this go down with the teachers reading this thread?

This is depressing-
Teachers needing basic supplies as gifts/ treats!
We all know how to vote in December eh?
But- teacher here- love gifts of stationary!

That's the thing. I would see it as a gift for me. Less time wasted. Less of my own money going out on school supplies so I can afford to spend more on a treat now and again.

A great present was Chalkboard pens as we could write on the windows and this helped no end with Literacy and made my displays more interesting which had a small impact on my career as it went down well with SLT and OFSTED.

It really depends on what you want to achieve. A thank you card and an email to the head with specific examples of what the teacher has done that you appreciate is the best personal thank you.

A pack of glue sticks or class stationary is brilliant, but it's a present for the class, not a personal thank you to the teacher. Stationary that the teacher can use personally is a nicer idea imo.

Lots of teachers will say they're don't want any more best teacher mugs, and obviously you should listen to that if your own dcs teachers have said that, but there are a lot of NQTs around that would never say it and would love their own stash of best teacher stuff.

Hmm mixed thoughts. It was much easier in the last school as the class rep collected from everyone then they bought a gift that included a voucher for somewhere like John Lewis plus glue sticks/scissors or something like that.

January grin
We'd just think you were re gifting to give away stuff you don't want.

It's always a specific January blues biscuit selection produced locally so they know exactly that it's not that!

@Witchinaditch clearly doesn’t know any teachers. Glue sticks are precious currency in the black market of school resources.

^absolutely this

I love the home made cards (although the wine is always appreciated too). Last year I got a lovely personalised biscuit tin. “Mrs BuggerOff’s Office Biscuits” and it is very much used and makes me smile every time I open it for a chocolate hobnob (or two).

I’d be delighted with glue!! If you want to get something for them though a nice notebook or something stationary based would be good too! I’ve never met a teacher who isn’t delighted by stationary!

Secondary school here - glue and biscuits would make my year. To be fair, we rarely get presents so anything I've ever had has been gratefully received, whether from the lovely mum of one of my form or the year 13s leaving for uni. But biscuits always brighten up a tough day and there is never enough glue - I shouldn't have to buy my own but it's that or re-plan lessons and I'd rather spend money on glue sticks than time on re-planning.

I'd love the glue sticks or scissors! Better than bubble bath sets and boxes of chocolates.

'It's always a specific January blues biscuit selection produced locally so they know exactly that it's not that!'

I should have guessed

I should have guessed wink

@MarthasGinYard The first time I did it the regifting thing only occurred to me after I bought the biscuits so ended up buying the January Blues ones as well and ruined my own slimming world plan with the first tin Now I buy them on my way to pick up - less chance of accidentally eating them!!

I'm conflicted on this one. Taught for ten years, secondary.

One the one hand, yes, glue and scissors are like hen's teeth, it would be useful and make my life a little bit easier.

On the other, it is normalisation of the habitual underfunding of schools. Schools shouldn't have to rely on parents buying basic essentials.

It also creates division. Mrs X's class have a glue stick each and enough scissors for one between two, but Mrs Y's class don't. School A has loads of stationary and can do lots of arts and crafts because they get bought a large number of resources from the parents (who can afford it) whereas School B has rationed the arts and crafts materials, and kids don't get to do as much, because their parental body can't afford to buy it.

On balance, I'd say don't do it.

I'm in two minds here. I work as a TA, so I see first hand just how much money teachers spend on resources such as glue sticks, to ensure the children don't go short. Along with most of my colleagues, I've also bought resources for school out of my money, so I know how much these gifts would be appreciated. However, I think that by doing this, as a pp said, we are making it acceptable for schools to be underfunded. On the other hand, I'm beginning to think about what to buy my year group for Christmas this year. We have so many with different dirty requirements /allergies, that any sort of sweets are off limits and the cost of buying anything else is quite restrictive ( there are 85 children in the year group), so I'm wondering about a class gift of something to be used for wet break. Any thoughts?