Xmas present to help my Dd be one of the teachers favourites

[Justlookatthatrain]

😂Joking-sort of

But seriously, what do you buy your child’s teacher at Christmas?
I worked in a school and there were 100% the mums/kids who bought the flashiest presents-good perfume, champagne, huge bouquets and it did have an effect and everyone knew who those mums were
I’m sure teachers will deny this 😅
A good, thoughtful present does make a difference

Aibu?

You don't have to be perfect but a teacher should be literate.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/commonly-confused-words/would-of-could-of-should-of/

@ChocolateAndCrispsAndBiscuits

Teacher here! Something lovely I’ve received a lot is a £5 Costa or Starbucks voucher. Nice and simple but always feels nice and like parents are saying ‘have a coffee on us’ 😊 it’s one I always recommend when I’m asked by non teacher friends what to get for their children’s teachers 🫶🏻

Oh dear 😳

I strongly agree with the sentiments on here that teachers should not be bribed by ostentatious gifts. In a time where politicians (quite rightly) are finally being pulled up for such things; this is a culture that should have no place in a professional environment. No teacher should be made to feel awkward for any future disciplining of certain children especially if said children are little shits.

i agree that a group voucher is probably the best way forward along with handwritten notes / cards and an email to the Head is a particularly lovely idea so long as it’s done without any hint of currying favour for the child and is purely about the teacher.

We always asked parents if they wanted to contribute and then gave vouchers. It meant parents could put in what suited them and it would range from £1 to £20 depending on finances but all kids were treated the same. Teacher would get small gift to open, card signed by kids and vouchers to choose what they wanted.

I saw something here before about emailing the head so now I always do it at Christmas and end of term and usually it seems well received.

The other thing we did was ask what was needed in school/class.

Some books, pens, glue etc!

@Justlookatthatrain

I'm a Primary School Teacher & I can HONESTLY say that the absolute best thing to receive is a grateful, complimentary note/card or email from a parent &/or child! Seriously. That's all. They're the things I keep & cherish.

I'm obviously hugely appreciative of any gift but I would FAR rather parents spend their hard earned money on their family at Christmas instead of chocolates, smelly candles & 'best teacher' merchandise for me!

If any teacher is linking the quality of gifts received to how they treat a child in their care, they are very much in the wrong job!!

We tend to give a small christmasy thing at Christmas, so a Christmas decoration or something. End of the year we give a voucher and a small thing chosen by my son. Last year we gave a river island voucher (young teacher) and a pen my son chose with apples on because you give apples to teachers. I also always send a message to the teacher or the head anytime anything particularly thoughtful or helpful happens which is fairly often with Neurodivergent child in an extremely nurturing achool

Oh and that isn't to be anyone favourite, it's because I am genuinely deeply grateful for the loving school environment we have when I see so many kids like my son struggle

I generally find out what the teacher likes to drink and get that. A few of my friends work at the school so they generally give me the low down and I've got cocktails in cans (m&s does nice ones) or wine. One year I wasn't sure if the teacher drank alcohol so asked ds what hot drink she would have during the day. He said tea with a biscuit so I got fancy versions of both.

A teacher friend of mine was doing a lesson about big animals and happened to say that her favourite big animal was the hippo, so years on she had an amazing collection of hippo stuff!

In the context of the original question it about a parent trying to get her child preferential treatment by buying an expensive gift for a teacher who she assumes is very gullible. Generally they're not 'gifts from a child', I doubt any child actually buys the gift he/she gives!

I'm a TA. My favourite gift ever was a photo of a child tucked inside a card. They'd written "thank you for looking after me." It has been a tricky year for that poor wee soul and it honestly made me blub.

But it should be spontaneous, not expected or enforced or pressured or required..

What others said: an email to the Head saying lovely things about the teacher will actively improve her life and genuine make her think more fondly of your child if you suggest they like the teacher/ have benefitted them. Get your child to find out their favourite snacks or chocolate or whatever they like and get them a little something.

Maybe in my school we're just not as saintly as the other teachers on this thread, but judging by my staff room:

1. Yes we love a voucher
2. Yes we also love a thoughtful card and a lovely message from a child or parent, but after 13 years of primary teaching and a few in secondary, I don't have room to keep every single card etc in my flat. But there are some I really treasure. Although realistically, many of my colleagues probably prefer a voucher if I'm being really honest! That said the Y6 Leavers books in which many of the children mentioned how I helped them learn/grow/enjoy school etc, well these are indeed priceless.
3. Don't get us glue for the classroom- that's really not a present! I find some of the comments about we really love a glue stick sanctimonious- maybe I'm mean- but I don't take medical supplies for the GP when I go etc etc.
4. However mercurial 1) and 2) sound, none of us want anyone to be put out/feel an obligation to contribute to a present or buy one. It really really does not alter the way we feel about a child or treat a child- many of us probably don't even remember which child gave what present/or did or didn't give a present anyway.
5. We can accept any present but have to declare individual gifts over £50.
6. Teachers aren't actually terribly paid!

Smacks of emotional bribery to me ... how about trying to think "outside the box" ?

The worst part about the 'would of' comment is that 'would have' is also not even a past tense - it's a conditional!

I've been a teacher for 17 years.
Homemade cards, handwritten letters etc are ALWAYS the best. I keep every single one.
I do still have a keyring from a child I taught though. I also used to get lovely traditional presents from Asian students. I still have some Japanese handkerchiefs that I use regularly.
Parents clubbed together at the end of one year when I taught primary, and my husband and I were able to buy a dinner service with the money! So that was memorable. We still use it today. They also knew I was expecting my first baby so bought me a beautiful book and some gifts for the baby.
Presents really run the full gamut though and I have had very few disaster gifts.
One of the parents who runs a business making and selling homemade cookies gifted me some of those last year - that was lovely.
Another student gave me a pack of highlighters and a beautiful handmade card as a present last year. I am always really touched by what students write. So if in doubt - get your child to write a thankyou note.

John Lewis used to do a charity Christmas bauble that I got for primary teachers. I always thought maybe they would remember my child in years to come when they hung it on their tree (!!) don’t know if they still do a charity bauble but TK Maxx do I think.
I also bought a personalised bar of chocolate from somewhere like Not on the High Street that had “best teacher/teaching assistant/music teacher” which you could have a name put on which wasn’t expensive either but looked like a nice gesture. Not on the HS certainly used to have lots of teacher gifts ideas.
But as others have said, a joint class gift/voucher and a home made card is lovely.

Nice chocolates or biscuits. A voucher for Costa coffee etc.

Something small that can be used up. My favs were a Toblerone with my name on and another one year got me a bottle of cheap pound shop bubble bath. Both were under a fiver and really nice as they came with a smile, a drawn card and the kid had actually picked it out themselves so was really thoughtful

As a teacher I never ever expected anything at all and felt awkward being given gifts but they were by far the best.
Make it a consumable ad teachers get way too much tat. And staff rooms are already full of beat teacher mugs

My daughter is very good at art. When she left primary school she drew a portrait of her class teacher and music teacher, we put them in to picture frames. Both teachers were so overcome saying it was the best gift they had ever recieved. Teachers don't expect anything, but something made from a pupil can mean so much more, then paying a fortune for ridiculous gifts. Not all parents can spare any money for this and l have never heard of buying gifts for teachers at xmas

I used to give on first school day in Dec, a Christmas mug full of snacks and instant hot drinks, I thought it was a bit naff till I got several excite teachers asking was it their turn for the treat.