Gifts for teaching and nursery staff

[Eldermileniummam]

What do you give at the end of the year?

If you work in a school or nursery, what are the gifts you honestly appreciate the most?

No mugs! Every staffroom in the country is probably has a cupboard overflowing with them.
This thread brings back horrible memories of working with a teacher who insisted all her gifts were to be displayed outside her classroom. She was incredibly competitive and would gloat over how many she had received.

I am absolutely delighted with anything and that's the truth. I teach preschool and it's low pay but really rewarding. I agree in a way @OneBlossomBee it's not necessary, and i worked for many years in other industries and never got a thank you let alone a gift, often after going to great lengths to keep clients happy. I think that's half the reason I love it so much now. Feeling valued is so important in a job yet so often forgotten about.

So far this year I got a mug with my name, a tray of cupcakes, a handcream and best of all a bottle of gin. I usually get wine or candles or diffusers or chocolates or vouchers. Someone once got me a bag of coffee. My favourite practical gifts were a water bottle, a coffee mug, a nice pen and an academic diary.

What I really really don't want is someone feeling resentful about having to buy a gift, it's supposed to be optional and extra. People are busy and often strapped for cash. A lovely homemade card from a kid or a thoughtful thank you message by phone from a busy parent is also very meaningful.

I'm just here reading two cards I got today. One simply says 'you are amazing at your job'. The other days I have been a kind and caring presence in their child's life. Words mean so much too

I send a bag of nice teas, coffees and cordials for the staff room, about a fortnight before the end of term.

My DSs last year at primary school this year and I’ve sent cards to his class teacher, nurture teacher and his head teacher who has brought both my kids through primary school with great care. Yes teachers are doing a job, but they have honestly loved my kids and given them the best start in education. If that isn’t worth thanking, I don’t know what is.

My friend is a teacher and hates this habit. She always ends up with various best teacher tat, mugs, ornaments etc.

It's not new but it's a total pain, especially if your kids have had an awful teacher but they don't want to be the only ones not giving a gift.

It should be stopped by the schools.

Biscuits for staff room are usually very welcome and then all staff get to enjoy

I don't agree it should be stopped but absolutely emphasised that it's not an expected thing just an extra. It's parents who make this awkward not the school. Also I think we need to be strong enough to say no to social conventions we don't agree with, whatever that may be. People follow each other then complain about it when they have the choice.

If you feel your child teacher has been awful why not give her a key-ring or a box of something edible that has to be shared by all the staff?

It's now the last week of term and I still haven't fully decided what to get.

I am thinking either a box of chocolates to share or nothing at this stage. I do not have the budget for expensive gifts and they must receive lots of chocolates and sweets?

I have bought a thank you card and DC made cards.

Would it be really mean not to buy a gift? Is a card insufficient to gift thanks? The staff are really good so it's not about that.

It wouldn’t be mean at all! Handmade cards are fab, honestly. I would hate to think anyone had spent money they couldn’t really afford on me and it’s all about the acknowledgement that you’ve done a decent job teaching or supporting a child rather than gifts.

ETA we are already snowed under with chocolates, sweets, Prosecco and mugs. A parent bought us a basket of fruit for the staffroom this week and that was a welcome change.

DD has bought her class teacher assorted pairs of amusing socks to go with his dapper suits next year. He’s been fab. The socks will make him chuckle and hopefully be useful as well as thoughtful.
I’m a secondary teacher and my A-level kids often give me lovely cards at the end of their school careers. Always very well received.

That's lovely and make sense if there's one main teacher but it's hard with nursery staff as there are quite a few women who work in the room plus office staff so getting them all even a small gift each is a little impractical.

Join together with other parents and buy a voucher for somewhere like m and s . Can always be used on food !

I love a card from the child if capable, or the parent. One of my students bought me a cat game, and another got me a vintage cookery book, with instructions that I had to make them all something from it in September.

A month ago I posted on this thread to lament that I’d never been given a ‘best teacher’ mug and I really wanted one. Yesterday I was given one by an absolutely lovely pupil. I’m delighted!

For nursery where there is a group of teachers, last year for xmas I took them a platter with cheese, crackers, pate, fruit, chocolate etc I also took it a few weeks prior to Xmas as many parents take in food around Xmas time