Christmas gifts for teachers and TA’s

[HolyMoly24]

What do you all give as gifts for teachers and TA’s?

I’ve done chocolates in the past but they must end up with sooo many I’m wondering what else to give. Was thinking a gift card each? Would it be awkward to give more to the teacher?

Why do people still do this?!?! Send a Christmas card from the child there’s no need to go OTT

Chocolates are fine. Gift cards can get (unnecessarily) expensive. Maybe stick to a £5 Starbucks / coffee shop one each. Would be nice gesture without being ott.

Don't give teacher more. TAs work v hard and earn less. Give same.

No need for it.

@therewasafishinthepercolator thank you, I like the idea of a coffee shop gift card.

Christmas candles and christmas matches to go with them.

Just a well written card. Classy 💁🏻‍♀️

My Mum was a teacher, chocolates and biscuits always went down well. Don't go crazy, Mum hated receiving scarves, ornaments or jewellery from parents, felt they were too personal. But food or bath stuff was the norm.

We do a whole class gift card. I think its a really nice option.

Meant to say, split equally between the teacher and TA's

£5 Costa voucher. 👌

I loved a really nice card (made by the child is lovely!) with something personal written in it. My favourite was ‘Thank you for helping me with my speeling- your my favrit techer’. 😁 I still have that, and the child in question must be around 23 now!

When I did receive gifts, they were always in my pile under the tree, and I was very appreciative of the thought. Things like mugs used to go to the staff room cupboard though.

totally agree

As a teacher I have always loved getting a coffee shop gift voucher. I can’t afford it normally so it is a real treat!
please don’t buy the Best Teacher crap. Nobody has the space for the trophies, teddies, mugs etc and you can only use so many key rings! Pens and note books are good though!
I don’t ever expect presents and would rather parents didn’t waste their money on the Best Teacher stuff! But as a mum I always gave if the teacher had gone above and beyond, not if they ignored or didn’t help dyslexic dd!!!
best presents I’ve had for those who do want to give:
wine
bag of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits etc
chocolate
Costa gift cards
amazon voucher
flowers/plant/ponsetia
the most amazing tablet 2 parents always give, everyone wants their child 😂

but, what I have kept over the years are home made cards written by a child.

Stop doing this! I am absolutely not allowed to accept gifts in my role at work and I think teachers should be the same. Very unfair in those kids whose parents can’t afford it. It’s ridiculous. Just stop it

Cost of living. None. I see no reason. It's a job.

And saying ‘oh I can’t afford a coffee’ nonsense. Teachers earn plenty of money compared to most people

It’s perfectly normal in most jobs to be able to accept token gifts below a certain value. Most professions have a guideline about this. In the academy trust that ran my DD’s school the guideline was that anything below £20 was fine. Pretty much all teacher gifts are going to be below that. It cuts out doing a class collection, but it was an ordinary state primary so teacher collections weren’t really a thing. Just a small gift if you wanted to or a card. The school had lots of Muslim children who didn’t celebrate Christmas anyway, so there wasn’t any huge pressure for everyone to give a Christmas gift.

I used to always give wine or prosecco (unless I knew the teacher didn’t drink). Most of the teachers were young women in their twenties who worked very long hours. They generally appreciated a bottle of wine and a handmade card from DD; and wine can always be passed on as a gift or taken to a party if someone doesn’t want it!

Now DD’s at secondary and they don’t tend to do teacher gifts, but I might get something small for her form teacher who is very nice.

Ds goes to a special school. I give all the staff who support him a bottle of wine/ prosseco.

Chocolate, biscuits, wine always go down well.

my daughters school have banned parents from giving staff gifts and just ask for cards instead so parents don’t have to spend money. It is a pretty low income area however so that might play into that decision.

I always give my children’s teachers nice cheese, homemade chutney and some crackers. I know how hard good teachers work, it’s not just a job.
cynically, why would I not show kindness to someone who still has 5months with my children to go?!
I like giving gifts though, I also hand out cold drinks or chocolate to our delivery people all year and to builders on hot days if I see them near our house. I think the world is nicer if people are kind, and when I couldn’t afford to do this I really appreciated small gifts from people who could.

I think appreciation is the best gift.
Say thank you for something they have helped your child with.
TA’s are hardly paid so tangible gifts are great.
As a teacher whilst I always was grateful, a gift because parents thought they should was never as nice as the ones that were sent because they liked your work.

Agree - enough for a little treat but not ott

A local garden centre sells £10 gift vouchers to be used in January/February of the following year for £5 around Black Friday. These seem to go down very well with teachers.

I work in a school and lots of us would like our school to do that. In our class we've often talked about wanting to put a note on Seesaw saying please don't buy us anything - particularly as some years there could be 4 or 5 people working in the class - but then that seems presumptuous. Or ungrateful.

Parents shouldn't feel obligated. Tbh the more parents give the worse we tend to feel. Please don't feel like you have to buy anything but if you must please don't go over a fiver! Its too much.

I send chocolate and DS’s school uses animals for the classes rather than numbers so I usually try and get each other them a Christmas decoration of that animal.