Do you ever go into school just to say thank you?

[Izzy82]

I have worked in a school as a TA for over 10 years and have noticed more and more parents coming in to complain. I mean, they complain about the most ridiculous things and think they have the right to tell the professionals how to do their job. But rarely do I see parents pop in to say thank you; thank you for giving up a week taking your child on a residential, thanks for giving up lunchtimes and after school to coach the school football team, thanks for giving up a Saturday to paint the backdrop for the school production etc).
Please remember this next time your child's teacher goes above and beyond... Because, trust me, they do it a lot and never feel appreciated!

[Izzy82]

Boocanary- I must certainly do thank public sector workers for good service. And if one of them was kind enough to give up a week to take my child and his classmates on a residential ( instead of seeing their own children) I wouldbbe sending over a huge thank you!

[steppemum]

thing is Boo, I don't see other public sector employees on a twice daily basis. I am polite and nice to people I do see.
eg doctors receptionist, smile and say thank you. (unless she has been a right cow)
and same in a shop, smile and say thanks.

If I saw you on a daily basis as you went about your work, I hope I would be the same.

I see teacher twice a day, and so not to interact in a positive way seems to be strange.
And evening performances/residential trips and not in the contract, they are voluntary, so yes they do deserve a thank you.

It just makes life run a bit smoother

[GingerbreadGretel]

I try very, very hard to say thank you and send emails, chocolate, whatever makes sense. I would say I have a good relationship with my kid's teachers and the wider staff. Actually lots of parents at my children's school do, and I think it really helps the whole thing run more happily and smoothly.

I see less of it where I work, and it is a shame. When people are working very, very hard it does start to eat away when all they get is the negative comment and never positive.

[GingerbreadGretel]

Haberdashery, I do think it matters what parents think. If you work very, very hard to run lessons which will be good for the children and then all you get is complaints about something totally unfair or trivial, it takes its toll eventually - especially when you see a mismatch between the children's positive experiences and the parent's moans.

I complain to my children's school when I need to, of course I do. I personally think that because they know I will also compliment things when compliments are due, they take my complaints more seriously.

I think it is disingenuous to compare it to other service professions. It is a very intimate relationship, your children spend a lot of time with these people. If your children spent a similar amount of time with, say, a nurse or a doctor you would be very likely to thank them with some kind of token - you often see thank you cards in hospital wards.

[lougle]

I often write thanks in DD1's home-school book and comment on what she's said, etc. (special school)

Harder in MS, but I always say 'thank you' as I collect her. It's half-term next week and I knew the Teacher wasn't feeling well. I made sure I said 'hope you get better' and 'have a lovely break'.

It's just a little recognition that they are people beyond their jobs and their input is appreciated.

[RaisinBoys]

I must certainly do thank public sector workers for good service. And if one of them was kind enough to give up a week to take my child and his classmates on a residential ( instead of seeing their own children) I wouldbbe sending over a huge thank you!

Let's not get this out of proportion Izzy82

Teachers take the job voluntarily and there is an expectation that some of their time beyond the 9-3.30pm wll be spent on running clubs. There is also an expectation that teachers will accompany school journeys. And for this they get paid (and yes we know they're all underpaid blah blah).

I'm not sure "kind" is the adjective that applies her. "Dedicated" & "conscientous" might be more applicable.

I think your assertion that all parents do is complain may be just a feature of your school. At mine parents are tripping over themselves to give teachers Christmas gifts and end of year gifts. I also write to the teacher and cc. the Head to say thank you for their hard work and time spent nuturing my DC.

I also complain when I have to because schools, like all institutions, get things wrong. Even "professionals" make errors, some of them hugely detrimental to the children in their care.

Acknowledging great teachers and complaining when necessary are not mutially exclusive.

[RaisinBoys]

nurturing

[saintlyjimjams]

I thank the staff at ds1's special school a lot. Both informally & durung reviews etc. We work very closely together anyway. I also mention when they have fine good things on my blog ( which I know they read).

I don't thank the staff at DS2 and ds3's school so much because a) they don't do as much b) we have a much more formal relationship. They do get given a gift at the end of each term & I did make a point of verbally thanking a teacher who had helped ds2 with a tricky time last year.

[teta]

I always thank teachers/ta's running after school sports clubs as thats only polite.I give bottles of wine at christmas and at the end of term to the same [and other school professionals that my dc's nominate for extra special care].At the same time if my dc's say so and so is not nice to them,they are justifially excluded.I am amazed at the number of ta's that see me frquently and don't say thank you after christmas though.

[Ineedmorepatience]

I send cards and biscuits or chocs into the staffroom every term, I used work as a TA so know how nice it is to get little treats and cards in the staffroom, every now and then.

I really do appreciate what the staff team do to support Dd3.

I sent a few letters and emails to the secondary schools that the older Dd's went to, especially when the staff went above and beyond the call of duty

[exoticfruits]

I have always done it.

[VioletStar]

I make a point of sending in emails if my own kids do something great and that they love at school. I always give Christmas and end of year gifts. I know some people think they are only doing their job but my kids are thriving and loving school and that is thanks to these people doing their job well. Also my kids are the most precious, most important part of my and DH's lives so their teachers input is massively important too as they spend much of their days with them.
As a secondary school teacher I rarely get gifts/cards etc but I love how my students thank me at the end of lessons, and how sometimes a lovely kind email comes through to my Head saying how brilliant I've been. At the end of school trips I find lots of parents collecting their kids come over to say thanks. I really appreciate it. Yes its part of my job, but they are invariably very long days where I don't get to see my own kids and enjoy my own kids company so a bit of thanks goes a long way.
Thanks to all who see this as extra and deserving of thanks. Makes it worth doing.

[VioletStar]

Oh and BooCanary depends on the part of public sector but anyone involved with my kids does get thanks too eg Dr and nurses.
Teachers I set apart from other public sector because of their importance in my own DC lives. That's why, I guess, they matter to some people so much. Some parents, I agree, see them as just another public sector worker, and therefore forget the important caring and nurturing role in their DCs lives.

[BloooCowWonders]

I went up to a very lovely very experienced teacher about 3 weeks into term to thank her for my dc finally enjoying school. I could see her bracing herself as i I approached :(

[JulietAndRomeo]

Thing is, we mostly don't see what the teachers do for our kids.

We pick the DC up from school and ask them what they did and they shrug. They never rave about their teachers.

How would I know if the teachers are doing a good job or not? Sometimes my kids are happy. Sometimes they aren't. Sometimes they learn. Sometimes they don't.

I used to send in Xmas and end of year presents to all. But now only do so if I'm happy with the teacher.

Teachers do a hard and stressful job and work long hours. Doesn't mean they all do a good job. Some do or some don't.

So, I do thank teachers if I think they've done a good job. But mostly I have no idea if they've done a good job or not.

[newgirl]

Yes eg thanked teacher for running club as dd really enjoyed it, another on her music show, and emailed head to say dd on leaving loved the school and all team there were amazing

[Clayhead]

Yes, I try and pop in a couple of times a year. I think it's really important.

More so recently as we've moved and I really appreciate everything the staff have done to help my dc settle.

[Speedos]

I took in two boxes of chocolates a couple of weeks ago for the two TA's who cleaned up my sons massive poo accident the day before.

[kawliga]

I see dd's teachers at drop-off and pick up so I say 'thank you' twice a day but more in a general polite 'bye, thank you!' kind of way. There's really no time for more than that. I've never sent a thank you card though we do end of term gifts. Rather than gratitude I try to say as often as possible how much dd enjoys school, enjoys her classes, etc and to give specifics (eg 'dd is really enjoying the lessons about xyz') and I've once told her teachers dd is lucky to have such great teachers. I think this is more meaningful than saying 'thank you'. I'm guessing teachers are not in it for the gratitude, but would like to know that the children are happy learning from them? At the moment dd age 5 is always saying that she loves her teacher 'because her hair is so pretty' haven't shared that one with the teacher.

[BlueberryHill]

I've helped DS make biscuits for the Teacher and TA at the end of year to say thank you. I've also said thank you to his teachers for an out of hours talk to parents and because he has been really enjoying school. I've also given really postiive feedback to the HT on the induction process into Reception and how it had fed through right into parents evening and his report.

I think that teachers taking children away on a residential really do deserve a thank you (plus wine), DS hasn't been on one yet but it has to be a great responsibility to look after the children for a whole week away from their normal environment. I know they do it in school but this is an added responsibility.

[GingerbreadGretel]

Speedos - I took in flowers to the First Aider who got thrown up on by my daughter! She was so nice about it too. I mean, OK, it is her job according to some here. But yuck, it was vomit and she was lovely.

[Frikadellen]

yes I have and I took in flowers for my dd3s teacher last week when she had the idea dd3 might have toncilitis from her " my neck hurts" she was right/ dd3 was sick for 2 days but on pencillin by the endof the day teacher mentioned because she had.

[sausagesandwich34]

there is a newly qualified teacher at our primary (2nd yr of teaching) and she has been getting a hard time from some of the parents publicly on FB

I went in and told her I thought she was doing a cracking job, I could absolutely see where she was going with the changes she had made and I appreciated her modernising the teaching methods used in the classroom

she was nearly in tears, but she's lovely and I wanted her to know she has some supporters out there

[MM5]

Yes, I thank all the staff often. I even thank the headteacher! That is the one person who is thanked even less than the other staff and only gets the grief. My child adores the headteacher!