Any suggestions for presents for teachers/classroom assistants?

[Concepta]

Feel pressurised this year again to buy the teachers and classroom assistants presents - which usually end up at the school sale. What do you buy your childs teacher. I only want to spend a few pounds. Apart from box of sweets have any of you got any ideas?

are you meamnt too? dd has both a class teacher and a LSA. sigh.

As a teacher my favourite thing is to get a picture, card or letter (depending on age) entirely made by the child and complete with smudges and spelling mistakes telling me in their own words what a fab teacher I am.

My second favourite is homemade something, even though most times I can't eat it because of allergies.

If the parent is loaded and I know that it's not a hardship for them (ie I won't feel bad) then flowers and wine are great

In the past I have given:

Wine
Bubble Bath
£5.00 Boots voucher

This year they are having home-made mince pies.

I am planning on buying for 2 teachers and 3 TA's so I am hoping for a few 3 for 2 ideas!

We usually get a huge tin of Roses or some boxes of nice chocolates and send it in to the staffroom "for everybody" a couple of weeks before Christmas when everyone needs a bit of a boost as energies are running low.

Class teacher gets a bottle of wine.

I'm not getting fretty. as well as the class teacher and the LSA, dd sees several therapists and has 4 different respite carers at home.
Can't afford presents for them.

A nice box of biscuits for the whole staff room the week before they break up.

The last week of term is hell on wheels.

Some nice bikkies to have a break time will make them bless your name forever. Much btter IMHO than 'stuff' they might not like/use (I'm a teacher btw)

I am a Classroom Assisant and although quite new to the job my favourtie gifts have been a little xmas tree decoration and a beautiful card thanking me for helping the child (this was written by the child, someone who hated writing!)

If you have more than 1 to buy for maybe some biscuits to share in the staff room and a thank you card to the teacher and CA.

Or something like these, practical but fun !

HTH

A card, made and written entirely by the DC.
I love flowers.

We usually club together in one class to buy them something decent, we usually raise about £150 putting a fiver in each which I feel is better than 30 boxes of chocolates.
This year I'm treating one teacher to an Emma Bridgewater Robin mug because she loves bird watching and they do so much for the children it's hard to begrudge them something nice.

A card made by dc and I give home made gifts. Have previously given chutneys, cookies, chocolate truffles.

This year it will be small sized christmas cakes.

Concepta, if you are on a tight budget what about a bath bomb like the below - M&S have 3 for 2 on them so 3 pressies for £5 and already wrapped. Lush is also good for small treats.

www.marksandspencer.com/gp/product/B000L5ICS6/sr=1-8/qid=1226172006/ref=sr_1_8/275 -3256931-3235055?ie=UTF8&node=171825031&m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&keywords=&mnSBrand=core&size=9&rh=&page=

We do a collection too. People give anything from £2-£10, depending on what they can afford. We buy small bunch flowers, card and John Lewis vouchers. Doesn't matter if not everyone donates, we still give it from all the class.

Last 2 years we split between Teacher and Assistant. This year will be just teacher.

DS pre-school teacher loves lizards, any ideas please.

stretchy lizard

lizard bean bags

sand filled lizard

Lizard cartoons

Lizard books

Mrs Santa Hope these might help, i love looking for random stuff!!

I would defo agree with the clubbing in together. If you can organise the whole class to donate a little bit, what ever they can afford, you will be able to get something far better than 20 indervidual presents!

My Sister is a teacher and I am a TA. When she left to go traveling, her class all got together and got her vouchers all together. She ended up with about £200 worth of vouchers for say Argos which she was over the moon with and it really helped her out and she was so grateful. Other classes she gets chocolates etc which usually end up given away to others as she doesn't want to go up 2 jean sizes eating the gifts!

You could maybe give 3 quaters of the money for a gift for the teacher and the rest for the TA.

I'm a teacher, it's nice to get a card but I don't expect presents. Here are some things I've been given in the past:
box of chocs, sweets, biscuits (good idea to buy for teacher and LSA/TA to share),
photo frame,
bottle of wine,
scented candles,
bunch of flowers.
Some more unusual ideas were:
a fish for the class fish tank,
a handbag,
a snow globe,
desk organiser,
a calendar,
a little ceramic caterpillar which still sits on my desk.

We've made stuff in the past.
Bisciuts in a nice glass jar
Book marks - laminated
Christmas decoration etc..
Always accompanied by a hand made card/picture!
I think handmade things from the children are often so cheap to make but mean so much more as they really think about the person whilst they are making it.

thanks Paro you are fab.

1 down 3 to go.

JL have got some lovely tea caddy's with painted elephants on them. The tea is fairtrade, and the caddy's look very pretty. The are £8.

If this doesn't sound too desperately worthy, I got DS's teacher an Oxfam Unwrapped present of something school-related, like a school desk in a developing country. She was genuinely delighted and said 'That's really me'. They have gifts to suit all budgets so it needn't be a huge amount (ours wasn't).

hobnob - thats such a nice idea, I might steal that for this years pressies!!

Thanks everyone. Will indeed pay a visit to M&S. Our budget is limited. I feel very presurized into buying something expensive because so many of the parents buy the best perfume or whatever. I can't even afford perfume for myself!! I don't feel confident enough to approach other parents to club in. Each Christmas I just feel that my presents look so miserable, even though the teacher/classroom assistant might not think that. Thanks again. All your advice is greatly appreciated.

One of the most thoughtful presents I had (apart from home made stuff) was a nice mug, special teabags and a packet of yummy biscuits.

Shower gel or hand cream.