Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Any suggestions for presents for teachers/classroom assistants?

45 replies

Concepta · 08/11/2008 18:06

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?

OP posts:
needmorecoffee · 08/11/2008 18:06

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

twentypence · 08/11/2008 18:10

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

AbbaFan · 08/11/2008 18:10

In the past I have given:

Wine
Bubble Bath
£5.00 Boots voucher

This year they are having home-made mince pies.

imnotmamagbutshelovesme · 08/11/2008 18:11

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

roisin · 08/11/2008 18:13

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.

needmorecoffee · 08/11/2008 18:14

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.

Blandmum · 08/11/2008 18:16

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)

MrsWeasley · 08/11/2008 18:28

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

AbbeyA · 08/11/2008 18:32

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

KatieDD · 08/11/2008 18:44

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.

littlestrawberry · 08/11/2008 19:00

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.

HappyMummyOfOne · 08/11/2008 19:21

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=

DesperateHousewifeToo · 08/11/2008 20:56

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.

MrsSanta · 08/11/2008 21:06

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

Parofleurmapu · 09/11/2008 00:03

stretchy lizard

lizard bean bags

sand filled lizard

Lizard cartoons

Lizard books

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

chloemegjess · 09/11/2008 00:09

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.

mumnosbest · 09/11/2008 00:20

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.

triggerfish · 09/11/2008 02:06

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.

MrsSanta · 09/11/2008 08:33

thanks Paro you are fab.

1 down 3 to go.

cheshirekitty · 09/11/2008 14:10

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.

hobnob · 09/11/2008 14:24

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).

triggerfish · 09/11/2008 16:26

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

Concepta · 09/11/2008 19:14

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.

OP posts:
wheresthehamster · 09/11/2008 19:28

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.

Anna8888 · 09/11/2008 19:31

Shower gel or hand cream.