Please stop with the teacher and TA gifts!

[pinkksugarmouse]

Just that really. As someone who has worked in schools and knows many people who do presents are such an unnecessary pain. It’s just stuff bought for the sheer heck of buying and needs to stop. Protecting the environment is very high on the list of pupils concerns. Inundating people with unwanted things in their name isn’t respectful.
Please no more mugs, teddies, chocolates, bizarre decorations…how many teachers, TA’s, nursery staff do you think really want it?
You are just gifting them a trip to the charity shop and/or the need for more bin bags.

I've always sent booze in for the main teacher and a tub of sweets cos I never know how many other teachers the dc come across each week.

If I'm lucky, and have a predominantly female gcse or a level group, I sometimes get thank you gifts. Got a couple of plants from 6th form groups that are still going strong.

I'm a teacher in FE so I don't really get inundated with gifts - however on the rare occasions I do, it's usually something that the student has bought out of their own money like a bar of chocolate or a bubble bath. I don't expect gifts - and agree OP, that I don't want the students to spend unnecessary money on me - but the gesture is very sweet and I see it as their way of saying thank you.

I'm a teacher and do appreciate a gift but would honestly prefer a handwritten note to a lot of the tat that gets bought for the sheer hell of it. How many best teacher mugs, teddies, key rings does one person need?

I send an Amazon voucher so it can be used for supplies

Well your a right bundle of laughs! I know a few Of the teachers personally at dd school and know that Christmas prezzies are very well received...

What a Scrooge!

Teachers are so so under appreciated and underpaid.

My friend is a primary school teacher and LOVES the presents. It’s a highlight of her year…

I do understand where you are coming from (although the tone of the post feels rather hostile). I struggled getting a meaningful presents for my son's childminder and staff (not teacher but similar) last year so we got them hot chocolate and chocolate for the year's exhaustion so they can finally put up their feet, and hand creams for all the hand washing and sanitising and hugs. May be we should have just sent a card or voucher.
Myself, I've asked, pleaded for a gift free Christmas this year but still getting asked about what I want for Christmas

@RAFHercules

My adult DS still sends one of his old high school teachers a bouquet to the school every Christmas. He thinks the world of her.

What a lovely thing to do.

I treasured every gift I was given. I love getting my gang out at Christmas- the Santa, the Snowmen( I have three) the elf, the owl, the angel and the striped teddy. I joined them all up and the sit in front of the tv unit all of Christmas. Given to me by the children I worked with. I also still have the cut out Cinderella face that a young girl gave me. One mum put a hot chocolate, a coffee strip and a tea bag in a paper cup with a couple of biscuits. She apologised that she didn’t have much money and hoped I would enjoy it. I certainly did and thought it was a clever idea and the child stuck little reindeer around the cup. I kept it for the first drink of the holidays and had the hot chocolate at bedtime. Meant far more to me the trouble and thought she had gone to and I always remember it and her lovely child. I hope they have better times now.

I think it’s madness... When did it start? My mum would barely have entered my school & spoken to a teacher, never mind give them a gift.

@Youknownothingsnow

Enjoy it, us social workers rarely get anything! I can count on one hand the number of gifts I’ve received 😂 I’m not bitter honest!!

Our local authority has always banned acceptance of gifts for Social Service workers in case we are accused of preferential treatment. The same local authority doesn't ban teacher gifts which I always thought was rather strange!

@pinkksugarmouse

Just that really. As someone who has worked in schools and knows many people who do presents are such an unnecessary pain. It’s just stuff bought for the sheer heck of buying and needs to stop. Protecting the environment is very high on the list of pupils concerns. Inundating people with unwanted things in their name isn’t respectful. Please no more mugs, teddies, chocolates, bizarre decorations…how many teachers, TA’s, nursery staff do you think really want it? You are just gifting them a trip to the charity shop and/or the need for more bin bags.

are you a teacher?

Why not ask the office to send out a ‘no presents’ email then? Perhaps ask for books for the library or donations to the food bank instead?
Teacher presents is but a new thing at all, used to happen when I was at school. It’s usually the child who wants to give the gift imo

You sound very ungrateful!

I was a nursery worker and loved personalised gifts, a photo or a picture the child has drawn was always a favourite
I still have some now, from 15 years ago

I am with you @pinkksugarmouse

As a teacher and feel very strongly that this is unfair on those pupils whose families are on very low incomes and cannot afford to buy gifts. It feels morally abhorrent, tacky when there are people struggling to pay for heat and food and clothing.

I am paid for my job none of us need a gift. I make it clear in advance that i would prefer not to accept gifts. Many local charities collect presents for children in Care.

I buy gifts for the children who won't be getting a gift at Christmas and these are collected by the local charities.

That is far more appropriate and festive than a gift to a teacher.

I understand your perspectives op, but it's each to their own

The perfect gift

I think it's disgraceful to create this pressure on low income families. I come from a family of teachers and they were so conscious of this issue - it surprises me the way on MN there are so many teachers who demand, or at least strongly encourage this kind of gift giving. (I know it's not all teachers on MN -- see upthread!)

Is that you Grinch? 🧤

You don't have to tip the teacher. Those who do are just hoping to buy favour for their child.

I really love what our school does. The parents association sends out a survey to the staff and asks about their favorite snacks, school day drinks, lunch spots, and stores. So people can gift something as small as a candy bar and know it is something the teacher will enjoy some day when they need a treat or they can do even small vouchers for places they know staff frequent because even a discount is helpful someplace you would be going anyway.

I loved getting gifts but as a secondary school teacher it was from parents who especially appreciated something or kids who were leaving (after exams rather than Christmas). The expectation of having to get something is too much though. A nice handmade card with a message saying something that I'd done that they appreciated or something the child had enjoyed that year would mean a lot more than a generic gift for the sake of it.

I used to bake a big nut free Christmas cake for the staff as a thank you. Made it clear it was for support staff as well as teachers. Always polished off within a day or 2. At the end of the school year, I made individual cakes one year and dd handed them out to everyone. Other years another big cake. Not on the last day of term. Too much chocolate in the staff room by then.

I agree a lot of presents are for the parents and children than for the teachers, which is why I made consumables. Dd did get the odd gift. But it was something small and unusual.

The best gift dd gave was a note she spontaneously wrote to one of her teachers. The teacher a couple of years later told me about it snd said she had it on her fridge.

@RAFHercules

My adult DS still sends one of his old high school teachers a bouquet to the school every Christmas. He thinks the world of her.

I love this ❤️

As a Secondary school teacher, it’s a complete world away from what Primary teachers and TAs get (as in nothing usually!) so it’s interesting to hear just how much some parents give at Primary level because it stops as soon as they hit Year 7.

Secondary school teachers often barely get a thank you (I’ve just finished writing 28 UCAS references for my form at 4,000 characters each (one side of A4 per student and 112,000 in total) which is more than I wrote for my final year dissertation that I had a year to do! Not a thank you in sight, let alone cards or gifts. Not that I expect any but I’m just making a point to highlight the stark difference between Primary and Secondary school staff experiences.

So, in my opinion, it’s lovely to get thanks through gifts or cards or even just plain saying ‘thank you’ at two key points per year (Christmas and summer) and I would personally be a little more appreciative!

People only do gifts and cards if they want to and can afford to I'm sure. They staff in my school go above and beyond and some of them I've never even met but especially at my son's school as he is autisic the staff there have changed their life so if my kids want to make a little token present for them or buy a bunch of flower or small gift to show them our appreciation then we will. Christmas is the season for giving if you want to. You sound so miserable so I might buy you a bottle of something to cheer you up! Don't worry about it, enough awful things in this world to worry about..if someone buys you a present to say thanks just accept it and move on ,if they can't afford it or don't want I'm sure they won't 😳