To feel sorry for all the teachers who are about to be inundated with shite gifts

[Butterflyfluff]

My Facebook feed is full of utterly shit teacher gifts - mugs, glasses, baubles, sweet jars all with ‘Greatest Teacher’ on them.

Surely the vast majority of these end up in the bin - no one needs up to 30 odd of these every year?

What’s wrong with clubbing together for vouchers that would actually get used?

Our primary school asked parents to buy books from their Amazon wishlists, it's the only time I've bought a 'gift', usually my kids do a handmade card. DD1 has just left secondary and made cards for some of her favourite teachers, her English teacher got a picture of Mr Soap in Da Forest, both mnenomics for GCSE English, which he has framed and put on his classroom wall sothat obviously went down well.

In any other job you'd have to refuse gifts of any value (we can accept pens, stationary, small food gifts like a decorated biscuit but e.g. a box of chocolates or bottle of wine would be considered too much). It's considered fraudulent behaviour.

That really is incredibly sad.

Never did gifts for teachers back in my day. The idea is totally weird to me. I have a daughter approaching nursery, are you telling me we will be expected to get a gift every year?

I'm genuinely gobsmacked at this. I've had people donate 20p. Our classes are max 30 and we do it per class not across the year so it's at most 2 teachers if it's a job share and usually 1 HLTA who covers a couple of sessions a week.

Husband and I are both teachers and have been for a long time. We honestly enjoy the random tat and actually don't have that many mugs. We both do forest school and gardening clubs so we generally both get lots of plants, garden stuff, wine and chocolates. Which is essentially what July's pay check would go on.

My favourite gift so far was a little pebble with googly eyes blu-tacked on with a handwritten set of care instructions, because it was so obviously from the child.

This.

The world (women) has honestly gone mad.

Just buy stuff for the classroom. I always gave books for the children or a massive pack of prit sticks. Much appreciated by teachers.

My teacher friend loves her gifts, she only has a small class and she really appreciates the chocolates, toiletries, tea/coffee/biscuits and mugs.
She always sends me a photo of a lovely display of presents.

My favourite gift was a 12 pack of dove soap bars off a student. Not sure if he thought I was smelly but it kept me stocked up for a while they were also unwrapped just given to me in my hands!

Reading the suggestions about Amazon wish lists - this is commonplace in America. As soon as the class lists are shared you’ll receive an email from your child’s teacher with the wish list attached - in our state you also have to buy all the class supplies for your child to last the year (this cost me around $100 last year. You can donate supplies for a child too if any parents aren’t able to provide them). The wish lists include books, pens, class games and anything the teacher would like added into the classroom. It’s also not uncommon for teachers to share their wish lists on community Facebook groups in case anyone on there wants to buy something!

I live in quite an affluent area, I'd imagine most people would put £10+ in a collection. There were some years where I sorted my own gift/card even though there was a class gift, because I was embarrassed and didn't want to be judged for only putting £3 or 4 in a collection.

I've never minded the random presents either! It's lovely that they want to give me anything at all. And yes, a card is best. I've currently got a load of lovely ones from my Year 11s.

I have to agree with you. I might bring in toys/books etc that my DC have grown out of but there is no way that I’ll spend my own money on classroom supplies.

Love this!

I appreciate every gift I’m given and I keep/use every mug!

However, I wouldn’t thank you for glue sticks or classroom stationery etc!
You wouldn’t give a nurse/doctor plasters or bandages.
If you’re giving a gift, it’s to show appreciation for the person.

I senr my dd's headteacher an email praising her form tutor (year 7) - had a reply straight back - seemed like she really appreciated my email.

Vouchers do not need to be declared for tax purpose. The school just has to register them in their records as received.

It's not expected but most do a token gift end of the school year and Xmas.
We do chocs simply because they can pass in if they don't want , they are generally on offer £5/6 ish a box.
1 teacher 2 TA in the class. X2 dc it all adds up

Our school don't do group collections

I'm in my 40s and I remember taking teacher chocolate at end of the year.

Why do we get this thread every single Christmas and end of year?

I don't club together because the gift is from my kid, not from me. He chooses something and giving it is very special. I then give nice biscuits to share. In my experience teachers love snacks. But if they don't, they don't! It's just a way of saying thanks.

Well spotted @Combattingthemoaners as probably it's more like 7/8 of my post isn't directly related to the thread. However there's very few threads that I can inch in my very valid pov and this one suited; evidenced by having received more thanks than your 'moany' post.

My children write something about their teacher, ie their favourite thing about their teacher etc plus a homemade card. Then we usually get a gift card so they can treat themselves

Don't feel sorry for my DD
Never had anything that says best teacher other than cards - not a single mug in 5 years
Never anything that's been binned or unused either

Our classes tend to do collections and get vouchers or a couple of nice group gifts so the teachers don’t get 30 mugs/ candles etc. Last year one teacher got an ‘experience’ gift for something he is known to love and later sent the parents pictures of said experience , so presumably enjoyed it!

my kids usually also make a handmade card and sometimes a small handmade crafty gift. In Reception my DD gave her teacher some seeds as he is very into nature and they’d had lots of conversations about gardening/flowers etc.

This year my DS’ teacher has been incredible with his SEN so I’m planning to write her a note/ card myself expressing my gratitude. I know she’s ’only doing her job’ but it’s not an easy one and I want her to know how much she’s helped DS. She can always Chuck it in the recycling after reading 😂

My dds' junior school had an Amazon wishlist in the years before dd2 left. It was quite popular amongst the parents and teachers could specifically ask for things they wanted for their classrooms. Things like bean bags and cushions for their book/reading corner etc. The Head announced in a newsletter one week and put the link in for us.

I bet you are an absolute bundle of laughs to go out with. Have a lovely day!