to buy Gift Card as teacher gift?

[BrainAyche]

Is a gift card/voucher ok as a teacher gift?
We usually try to give something a bit more thoughtful, and include a nice card/hand made token, but I am so completely swamped this year, Christmas is suddenly here, I'm totally unprepared and we haven't even got our tree up.
I don't have the mental energy or time to try to think of something nice now and I'm thinking at least with a gift card they can get something they actually like? What gift card? Amazon? Marks & Spencer? Something else? Or is it a naff idea?

YABU - Gift card is a lame teacher gift
YANBU - Gift card is an ok teacher gift

We've bought £50 gift cards for the teacher and TA as a group plus a few chocolates and a card. I'm sure they will like it.

For DS’s class we have all pooled our money and got the teacher and TA one for all vouchers. They can be used in so many places so gives them lots of options.

One 4 all vouchers are good, lots of choices of places to use them. Also this year consider some places might not be still around so go for a stable company.

Agree about think of location - our nearest John Lewis isn't too far away, but I got one for tutoring and I wanted to buy something to treat myself and I struggled to do so.

Please everyone with unloved John Lewis vouchers use them online. Lots of vouchers can be used online they have a scratch off panel with a code.

I wouldn’t buy a gift card in the current economic climate , so many businesses are in trouble , can you not buy a nice candle or chocolates

Amazon. A low-value voucher there goes a long way, and it can either be spent on something for the teacher, or class supplies if they usually spend their own money on glue sticks and the like.

Amazon are unlikely to go under and their gift vouchers last for ages - I want to say 10 years? It will get used.

I only come across people fiercely boycotting Amazon on MN.

Amazon would be fine, John Lewis we hope will be fine probably supported by their food, M&S again probably supported by food sales. I wouldn't go for certain stores.

I have received vouchers from pupils and it’s lovely. When I worked in mainstream the class parents organised a voucher that many had contributed to and it was utterly amazing to receive (and completely unexpected).
When in a special school I received a voucher for a local pub restaurant which was amazing - and the card which said how much of a difference is made to their child and family life meant everything