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?

Don't be silly, nobody does that. It is fine to give vouchers.

Maybe things have moved on, but when my OH was teaching we were inundated by candles, candles, bloody candles every year. They never got lit. Thank you cards much more appreciated.

Blimey. I think if parents were aware of this they would buy these things for you, wouldn't they? Obviously before end of term so that they can be used.

It's terrible reading posts like yours and realising how things have changed so much for the worse. I would buy paper and glue sticks for you; and a cake for your morning tea break (if you get one?).

Only if your employer gives it to you as part of your wages. You could give the teacher a £100k cash gift if you like and they wouldn't have to declare it on their tax return - gifts are fine, I wouldn't worry.

TA not teacher but I have kept or consumed (and on a suitable occasion regifted) every gift/card I’ve been given. And I have never received 30 of the same anything.

And also don’t think anything less of those who haven’t gifted.

That's so beautiful. You will treasure that and bring it out on bad days ❤️

As if that happens.

One of my son’s school sends an email about it and it states what is allowed and what isn’t.

I find it very helpful. It’s usually some kind of sweet treat.

I do cards and vouchers with a wide range of things with a bag of little cakes for those I don’t see behind the scenes that help our children.

When mine were in primary I often bought a terracotta plant pot which I painted with white acrylic paint and they then stuck paper shapes cut using paper cutters to it with pva glue. Once they were finished, we painted over it all with more pva and we put a potted miniature rose or similar in it which could be kept indoors or planted outdoors.
When DD1 left high school she made a massive batch of cookies and went round all her previous teachers over her 6 years at high school.

The church I used to go to had several teachers in it and I remember them having table top sales as fundraisers. Every time there were lots of "best teacher" mugs and teddies.

I would be surprised if parents, especially on MN aren't aware of how bad things are.

I know people say teachers like to moan, but there have been plenty of news stories about budget cuts and the dire financial situation of many schools.

Thanks thats genuinely really helpful! Have tried and failed to instigate a collection so being forced to go down the individual route (or just a heartfelt card and no gift alongside it). I know they often buy things out of their own pockets so if we get anything I wanted to be something which would be genuinely useful.

Bless you! We’re endlessly short-staffed, so breaks don’t happen for staff as we otherwise can’t keep the children safe. But after-school cake and tea is always appreciated!

To keep dust off and it's biodegradable.

I don't know many people who would leave a £200 voucher on the shelf and forget about it

Daughter is in year 5. Every christmas and every end of year since reception the class teacher has got a voucher for £200. Sometimes more. There are 32 kids in the class and most parents chip in £5-10. Easily reaches £200 sometimes £300 if it’s a popular teacher

My brother and SIL are both primary school teachers in their late 30s. So, 20 mugs/magnets/teddy bears per year for the last 10 years...
Yes, they can send them to the charity shop, to be recycled for next year, but even if only half are bought new, that's a lot of stuff being manufactured.

Well if they were as engaged and aware as you seem to think, there would be no mugs, chocolates and vouchers for spa days, etc., surely? Parents would be setting up standing orders for paper and glue sticks wouldn't they?

I really do not believe that parents are aware how hand-to-mouth basic schools supplies actually are.

And it's tacky as fook!

I’m a teacher. Yes we may end up with lots of mugs but I am genuinely grateful for anyone who has gone out of their way to think about me and thank me for just doing my job. It isn’t about the actual gift.

My girls school issue notices in the weekly new letter a couple months before Christmas and end of year that if anyone is wanting to provide a gift that the staff have all agreed they would like things suitable for the food bank. It’s great because the food bank gets a wee boost of treaty things like multi pack crisps/haribo etc which yes aren’t the needed items but gives the staff joy knowing that will brighten some families week and there may even be children in the school accessing those treats too.

No teacher is declaring gift vouchers.

The other parents in my Dds class do a group gift but we always get a card and a tin of chocolates to take in about a week before the end, my DD likes to write a card and choose the gift herself, it seems a bit impersonal for one parent to get a card and the kids have no input, and I guess that a tin of biscuits/chocolates can be handed around the staff room if the teacher doesn’t like them.

We do an optional class voucher - currently at about £200. I’ll ask what they want - M&S voucher, gardening vouchers etc and we’ll get those and a card and some flowers

That’s a really good idea. I wish all schools could do that.

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

I never join collections for end of term. IMO the gift is from the child to the teacher, not me giving the teacher money.
My DC generally find out something the teacher likes or needs and gets that with their pocket money along with a card.