Teacher gifts - ungrateful shit!

[Hufflemuff]

More of a rant than a question to be fair!

I was listening to Heart radio this morning and they had a teacher on called "Mc Grammer" (a rapping teacher - cringe) who was discussing teacher gifts and "what not to buy"...

He said one of the worse gifts he ever got from a student was a Rock - because the pupil said "he rocked" (aww) and some Doritos because that was the pupils favourite crisps (bless). He also said mugs were mostly an unwanted present "there's only so many cups of tea you can drink" apparently.

He said in the past he's gotten an Arsenal shirt, Nando's gift sets and gift cards... He said you should get to know the teacher to find out what they like and buy them something personal to them.

AIBU to be totally pissed off by this mans arrogance. It was totally tone deaf during the middle of a cost of living crisis to suggest parents buy gift cards (the minimum of which is usually £10) and other expensive presents in order for it to be considered a worthwhile gift. The fact he poo-pooed that boys rock as "one of the worse" gifts, which admittedly you wouldn't put on your mantel piece but the sentiment was there. He didn't consider that the boys parents might not have the money to buy a 'real' gift but he still wanted to give him something.

Ah!!! I was so very cross. It was the expectation to get something as a certainty and even then, he might not have been satisfied with it.

I have teachers in the family and they are always happy to get anything at all, no matter what it is. I think he was a really bad representation of all those caring teachers and Heart did the profession a real disservice by having him on.

Rant over! Gah!

One of the most touching gifts I got this year was a painting of a panda and small bag of panda stationery from two pupils. They even stuck a panda picture on a cardboard folder.
They know I like pandas.
I was grateful for all the gifts I got, but really liked this one and don’t believe it cost too much.

At Christmas I took my DD to the supermarket and asked her to (within our budget) pick something for her teachers and TAs. She's 5 years old so obviously picked stuff that she loves thinking the teachers would love it as well eg Gummi Bears, etc. I worried the teachers wouldn't appreciate it and think we are silly or ignorant so tried to steer her towards more conservative things like chocolate or short bread gift boxes but I did feel bad as I had wanted her to get involved in picking things for her teachers and thought next time I'll genuinely let her pick. Maybe that's not a great idea after all.

I remember teachers on Mumsnet saying that what they would appreciate the most is a card with the kids saying thanks in their own words and for this end of year I asked DD to make cards. I'm reconsidering that as well now. She takes a few hours for each card and I don't like the idea that it might get ridiculed or deemed not good enough. I don't mind if they bin them because I suppose they'll get dozens of cards every year but was hoping they'd appreciate the effort before binning them. I can also imagine that at some point too many mugs become more of a nuisance especially if they are personalised and can't be regifted.

I don't know. I've got a feeling that this teacher is the exception. Most of dd's teachers have been lovely and helpful and I can't imagine them being so scathing.

@BrieAndChilli stationery is a perfect present. Most teachers love that stuff for themselves and it's also nice to have special pens etc for the writing table/corner in infants.

I have never in my life given a teacher present, 2 kids have gone through primary school, it's not compulsory. I once wrote a card to thank for something specific, that's it.
Save your money.

At the school it was home made tablet and a written card by their pupil my lad

one year the headmaster cheekily asked if I’d make more as he rather liked it 😂 😂 as lads teacher had offered some to him.

So every year I made some just for him and his wife till he left to go to another school.

kids all grown now but I remember this fondly.

@FlappyMcFlapFace I'm retired now and have kept a box of handwritten notes and cards. I truly believe most teachers treasure these things.

Awful! As a teacher I’m always grateful for anything. One year a child bought me pink elephant gummies cause I’d talked about pink elephants in spelling lessons all year. It was a brilliant thought and one of my favourite gifts ever!

Have I missed something? Why on earth would a teacher be given a "present"?

There were always jokes in the Beano about kids sucking up to the teacher by giving him an apple. A teacher is paid by the state or a private school to perform a service, i.e. to educate minors. Surely any further interaction is inappropriate anyway and carries the potential to be inappropriate (albeit maybe just in 1 in a 1,000 cases, but still...).

Anyway, regarding this specific case, whatever happened to "it's the thought that counts"? Personally, I would be very touched to get a "rock" as a gift!

Last 2 years, I have managed to persuade some parents to give me a second hand children's book for my class library with a message from the child I taught. THE best option!

This is brilliant. I was at school in the 1960s & 70s & nobody gave teachers presents back then, at any of the schools I attended. Is it more creeping Americanisation, like school proms?

I always get my DCs to make thier teachers a card but I find it akward buying a present for someone I only know in a professional capacity. I see kids coming in with massive gift bags and wonder what is actually in them and how much it costs, especially when the summer holidays are coming up and new uniform needs to be bought.

My sister was a teacher pre DCs and she lived in a tiny flat, I did feel sorry for her because she didn't want to get rid of anything that had been given to her or seem ungrateful but she had very limited space.

In DCs class there is a collection and we buy a voucher with the money.

that's what we do too.

But then you have threads on MN of people OUTRAGED, shocked, horrified, that a teacher could get something worth more than a tenner. (because 10 divided by 30 children is realistic...)

What a waste of money and time for the parents and child who give it, unfortunately, it went in the bin.

Yep, and I know a teacher who tips them all in the bin.

I realise that, but if a pupil who has just finished Year 13 gives me a present, that’s obviously not a bribe!

Teacher gifts weren't a thing when I was at school, thank goodness.

YANBU - we stopped bothering after the first couple of years and did just a card with a nice personal message. My youngest finishes Primary soon and he will write his own card and that will be it.

Joking about mugs and "world's best teacher" memorabilia is fair game.

Using gifts that students have put thought into to get cheap laughs is really mean of him.

Budikka
Have I missed something? Why on earth would a teacher be given a "present"?

Of the fake confused post... why do you think.

I bet you are one of these posters that try to ban class gift vouchers for the teacher, because that's too much money.

I think that some parents in DSs class definitely go overkill and last year the collection for a 'class gift' was very pressured and highlighted frequently on the class what's app group and a note home with the kids who still hadn't contributed (minimum of £10) and only allowed those that had to put names on the card which I felt was very mean especially in a very mixed class. Thankfully this year the lady who organised it has other commitments and nobody else has stepped up.
DS is giving a copy of his favourite book for the class bookshelf & a handmade card telling her why he chose it. Hopefully the book mad teacher will appreciate it.

Many years ago our son aged about 7 or 8 found a piece of wood he covered it in brown tape then hammered around 20 nails in it, almost 20 years on my husband still has this gift and it makes us smile. My point being the teacher could of kept it on his desk to remind him of the student who had the lovely thought to make him something.

It was a thing when my own grand-father was a teacher, so that's hardly a ground-breaking invention.

I love giving gifts to the teacher but I don't believe your atitude is nice either , it’s should not even expected , so why are you defending this idiot if a man ?
Most people have hard professions and they don’t get gifts .

@CecilyP by not new, I meant presents have been a thing for the last 30 years at least. And yes, happy with recycled gifts or none at all. A teacher mug from a charity shop is just as useful as a new one!

Why is it if you disagree with something you are bitter, Not bitter at all.

It's cringe worthy as it's not needed and it's not even about teachers it's about people making themselves feel better.

Save your money with the "best teacher" shit. Write a nice card, or group together to give a JL voucher.

@carduelis no of course not. I was meaning if they are moving up into the next year..