Presents for teachers

[attheendoftheday]

Can anyone help me with ideas for teacher's presents? I am wanting to get something small (£5 or so) for quite a few different teachers/TAs/group leaders. Last year I did chocs, the year before I did notebooks.

Any good ideas for this year?

[ThanksForAllTheFish]

We tend to do homemade for Christmas and wine/ chocolates or flowers for end of year. Off the top of my head we have made a coaster made from Hama beads - designed by DD and I melted it for her. A picture (drawn by DD) which I then melted into a candle. Can't remember the other stuff just now, if I remember I will post.

[DandelionAndBedrock]

A Christmas bauble was the first present I ever received as a teacher.

My favourite present was a little pack of nice ballpoint pens (the pack of 4 you get in smiths, with their current theme printed on it). The child was so excited to give them to me and I made a point of using them in class.

I agree that quite often the children like to give something, especially if everyone else is. I've also had tubs of quality street/miniature heroes which I share round the class and then take the remainder home - solves the "too much chocolate" 'problem' (I don't consider it a problem!)

[potentialqualms]

The only teacher gift that I was ever thanked for specifically (i.e. teacher made a point of saying thank you for that think specifically, rather than a general thank you for all you lovely gifts) was the year I got Dcs to plant hyacinth bulbs at Oct HT.

We used old plastic plant pots covered in silver foil, bulb fibre and on bulb in each pot. They were just starting to open when they were given at Christmas and when we went back in the New Year on of the TAs came to find me an tell me how lovely hers was smelling. Less than £1 each!

When I've been less well organised, M&S do a pump handcream in various scents which was £1 when my Dc were little. My teacher sister tells me that's exactly the kind of presents teachers like. Not more chocs, not something they need to find a home for, something they can use, or pass on if they really don't like it. Homemade eats aren't very popular. They know where Dc's hands have been!

[3cupsoftea]

Last year I bought practical things for the classroom, nice felt tips, my fav book to read at story time, stickers etc. As well as a thoughtful card. It seemed to go down well?

[BossWitch]

I blooming love getting presents. Sadly, I'm a secondary teacher so it happens very rarely!

Candles are nice. Nail varnish is a good idea, I had a lovely nail varnish from a year 7 form member one year. Always happy with chocs etc as I am greedy / I can always re-gift nice ones to odds and ends of family / neighbours! Book tokens are brilliant too, always happy to get them.

[HeyThatsNotMyName]

I'm a teacher and never expect gifts. However, gifts I have appreciated in the past have been scented candles, mini orchids and gift cards for Costa/Starbucks. These are all things I really appreciate but wouldn't necessarily buy for myself.

[BossWitch]

Ooh yes a Costa/ Starbucks gift card would definitely go down well here!

[Whatsername17]

Dh is a primary school teacher and loves the presents his kids make/buy for him. He has had homemade name plates for his door, mugs, socks, a bottle of beer, port and cheese, nice pens, wine, home made cakes, hand drawn pictures, several 'teacher survival kits', a million boxes of chocolates etc and he always brings them home to put under the Christmas tree. It's very cute watching him thank every kid on Christmas morning as he opens the gift. As a secondary school teacher I get far fewer gifts but my favourite was an ornament for our tree. It was a white snowman with a red hat from M&S. I've still got it actually and I'm pretty sure the giver has graduated from university! Dh and I also keep all of our cards from kids too in a special box. I get paid to do my job, I love what I do. It's hard work at times and most teachers go above and beyond in some way. A present isn't at all necessary but the fact that the pupil/patent feels like they want to do something nice for me makes me feel like I'm on top of the world. A card with a nice message really does mean a lot.

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

Another vote for Costa card.

[WentworthMillerMad]

Love the planting a bulb idea, potentialqualms. I would love that.
Agree with hand cream, candle, Christmas decoration.
No to home made goodies.
Last year a pupil gave me a mini bottle of Rioja - great idea as she gave to a few teachers and they are £1.90 ish in Asda.
A thank you card means the world as well.

[Potentialmadcatlady]

I was just coming on to say about the bulb idea- good for the kids and the teachers...everyone loves bulbs growing and the kids can help look after them in the run up to Christmas...

[Darkswan]

One year I did the unicef supply a child with learning materials for a year alobg with a small thing of biscuits for dds teachers, but I don't know if i should do it again because I don't know if they liked it or not.

[LittleReindeerwithcloggson]

When I saw the thread title I came on here to post Costa gift card. See it's already been mentioned but the teachers I gave them to last year were absolutely delighted. Actually saw one of them using it in Costa when I was there with the kids and they were thrilled to see it used

[LittleReindeerwithcloggson]

They do them from £5 upwards btw

[LittleReindeerwithcloggson]

A group of kids in my daughters school clubbed together to buy sainsburys vouchers for their teacher as they knew she shopped there. Very helpful for her Christmas food shopping!

[Scorbus]

Does the teacher have a specific interest? I was immensely touched by my class last year. I'm a huge Potterhead and all my gifts were linked in some way. I got knitted characters, key rings, pencils etc (our class trip was to the Leavesden studios and I was so touched they got me small items from there) and a cinema voucher with a lovely note saying "To be used for when Fantastic Beasts come out" I'll be using it next month and can't wait to tell the pupil how it was!

[petitdonkey]

M&S are doing lovely mugs with initials on them - they are £8 each but on 3 for 2. I bought the surname initial for teachers.
here

[mmgirish]

I'm a teacher. I like chocolate and booze. That's what I buy my children's teachers and TAs too.