Teachers gifts. Do you buy gifts?

[KB921]

At the end of the year? I previously but I have 2 in school now. Both have a teacher and 2-3 Ta's in their class so £££. Last year we did not do gifts because of covid - but we did do cards.

Do teachers expect it?

I was thinking a £5 gift voucher each but what kind of gift voucher can get you much for £5. Can't afford anymore. It'll be around £40.

I'm sure teachers are fed up of chocolates, mugs etc.

I had an idea about Costa gift cards at £5 each. Is that lame? How much can you get in Costa for £5? I am not a coffee drinker myself so I have no idea!

Wwyd? Do teachers expect it? I do really admire teachers but money is tight!!

I contribute £5 to to the class collection. If everyone gives a £5 that’s £150 which is usually shared among them as vouchers and a bunch of flowers.

I used to teach and honestly a heart felt card saying why you have appreciated that teacher, something your proud of your child learn or a funny story your child shared is something which is appreciated way more than a gift.

£5 coffee voucher is a nice gift.

This comes up every year. No, teachers don’t expect presents and I know I would much rather parents didn’t stretch their budgets further than they can afford to buy me a present. A card with a heartfelt message is much more meaningful for me.

My favourite present was a packet of bourbons. The child who bought them was so excited that he’d gone out and bought me something he thought I’d really like. He saved up to buy them for me and I felt really quite emotional when he gave them to me.

@Pissinthepottyplease

I contribute £5 to to the class collection. If everyone gives a £5 that’s £150 which is usually shared among them as vouchers and a bunch of flowers.

I used to teach and honestly a heart felt card saying why you have appreciated that teacher, something your proud of your child learn or a funny story your child shared is something which is appreciated way more than a gift.

Thanks. Some has done the class collection on a previous year with DS's class. It is a better way of doing it!

I plan to get dc to write cards (7-8 cards, wish me luck 😂)

Cards are all you need to do - and you don’t even need to do those!

Teachers don't expect it and a thank you card with a personal message, maybe mentioning something specific they did that was appreciated or made an impact is more than enough.

£5 Costa card will get you 2 coffees (or 1 coffee and cake). Its a nice sized thank you gift - and has been my go-to gift for teachers since DD was in nursery.

Teachers don't expect it. They don't want anything. If you are happy with the job the teacher has done then a card is lovely but the trend for gifts is embarrassing, ridiculous and totally unnecessary. Parents need to stop this. I've been a teacher for 17 years and I absolutely hate this carry on. I NEVER give gifts to my own kids' teachers. I email to say thanks or say in person if possible and the child makes a card. Card not as "standard" just if they've been someone my child has really enjoyed being taught by .

Teachers are doing a hard job and they are (mostly) pretty good at it. They don't need a voucher or a candle or anything else. Say thanks if you want to but don't ever feel beyond that is "required".

Teachers don't expect gifts. I would be over the moon with a £5 costa card though, that would be a coffee and cake on my own with a book in the holidays- a real treat.

@lovablequalities

Teachers don't expect it. They don't want anything. If you are happy with the job the teacher has done then a card is lovely but the trend for gifts is embarrassing, ridiculous and totally unnecessary. Parents need to stop this. I've been a teacher for 17 years and I absolutely hate this carry on. I NEVER give gifts to my own kids' teachers. I email to say thanks or say in person if possible and the child makes a card. Card not as "standard" just if they've been someone my child has really enjoyed being taught by .

Teachers are doing a hard job and they are (mostly) pretty good at it. They don't need a voucher or a candle or anything else. Say thanks if you want to but don't ever feel beyond that is "required".

Really good insight thank you. I've never known what's the norm. When I was a kid my mum always made us take gifts if even for the teachers I didn't like. She sent us in with lagers for a male teacher once. I found that cringey!

No teachers don't expect gifts.
You can just get a gift/ card for a teacher or TA who has particularly helped your child, it doesn't have to be all of them.

If you do get a gift it doesn't have to be anything big, it's the thought that counts.

Class collection here across both classes in the year group, add it all up then divide up (equally!) between all the teachers/ta’s etc - we get ‘one for all’ type vouchers from the post office that can be spent almost anywhere. Although I think one year group might be getting body shop hampers this time (as the body shop at home lady organised it!).
Home made cards from the kids.

In my experience teachers get gifts every year but definitely do not expect a gift and could not tell you which child's parents did not give gift. My close friend is a teacher and I asked her exactly this. She says she really appreciates a genuine card with a proper message, she appreciates the gesture of chocolates/mugs/personalised tat etc but doesn't actually enjoy carting it home and finding a place for it all (she's paranoid to donate as she lives in a small town). She likes a good gift card (she thinks the parents conspire to get them from the same place as she always gets either all JL or all amazon so she can combine to get herself a nice treat). She has told me about times when she has got overly extravagant expensive gifts and found it embarrassing. She absolutely would not want anyone to spend money on her they can't afford. She's kept hand drawn cards with messages from children for years but can't remember who gave what in terms of actual gifts from last year.

Yes. I'm a teacher so I know how hard they work! My kids' teachers deserve a gift, most definitely.

Another teacher here! Most of the gifts I receive get recycled to my DC's teachers.
(I have 4DC, 1 who is ASD and has a large team of wonderful therapists behind him, so it does get very expensive). I recognize that my DC and my students love to give their teachers a gift, and so no matter what the gift might be, it is always received with enthusiasm!

Honestly, the only things I kept are really special cards which say where I have made a difference or funny drawings. They keep me going on the hard days.

If you really want to offer something, I always appreciate bath bombs, hand cream, a nice box of tea that I would never usually buy myself (I love fruity teas).

But really, it is really not expected. Please don't feel pressured.

We have a class collection every year and it tends to be rather excessive to my mind but I don’t express that- previously we’ve made a present but I know from MN that it’s considered “grim” and will likely be binned immediately. This year I’m just going with a £10 donation. I’ve just checked and our collection currently stands at £180 which is probably on the low side compared to previous years. One year the teacher actually asked for Primark vouchers… I imagine they came out with armfuls. My sister is a teacher and is touched to get a box of Maltesers.

Yes, there's a score-board in the staffroom where we tot up the value of our presents and compete to see who is most popular!

No, not really, obviously. I teach A Level and genuinely my favourite and most memorable thanks come in the form of handwritten leters and cards. I keep them in my desk drawer and look back on them often.

When we were in the UK and the kids were in primary school I gave the teachers a gift, at Christmas and the end of the school year. I also gave the lollipop lady a gift. How she could be cheerful everyday, in every weather, surrounded by little horrors…well, I just felt she deserved a wee gift.

We don’t buy gifts, we grow something on the last year of nursery/primary. This year we gave “Thank You” named patio rose bushes we’ve grown from clippings of our own bush to nursery staff inc cook. Next year my other daughter wants to give an Honesty plant to her headteacher and is already growing it now in readiness. Aloe Vera always goes down well and is incredibly easy for kids to propagate.

In my niece's school there are always class collections, parents contribute and then there are either flowers or vouchers or both. Last year all parents contributed and made a Smartshow 3d video from the whole class as there were no possibility to acknowledge teachers' hard work in person. It's not obligatory though, teachers do not expect gifts and children are free to come up with their own handmade cards, too. My niece gave her math teacher an embroidered drawing 2 years ago which she did specially for her.

If you wanted to get them something without spending too much, how about a big box of biscuits to share? It’s a nice gesture but doesn’t have to cost lots.

Another teacher here and I’m another one in the “no” camp. It’s not expected or needed.

I’m a secondary teacher so gifts are few and far between, seems more of a primary thing. I keep all the cards though displayed by my workspace. They get me through the tough days, I really appreciate them.

Last year I wrote a letter to my son’s TA and posted it to school due to lockdown. When I saw her in September she approached me and said when she opened it she cried. Heartfelt words are priceless.

I have a bag here with a nice pack of uniball gel pens (£1.99 from home bargains), a notepad and 100g bar of milka. X5.

All done for £20 ish.

I steer away from ‘keepsake’ type things, as I think teachers get enough and what DO you do with a 50th ‘best teacher’ mug? Consumables all the way!

Another teacher here. I find parents often give gifts for the sake of it when in reality a quick “thank you” email or a goodbye card/letter from the young person is the most memorable and well received amongst the team.

Having said that, I buy so much out of pocket that a box of glue sticks one year was a pleasant surprise!