calling all teachers what gifts do you love?

[mam29]

I wnat to do something for dd1s teachers and support staff but not sure what?

Dds old school was very showy with huge collections like 300quid of shopping vouchers, flowers, chocs and wine.

Was horrible.

Last few few years made some pressies.

or brought something small inexpensive xmas was nice notebook and plant.

I dont want to go ott. So any tips /ideas?

Also would be odd to give token gift to head? dont want her to think im bribing her.

Just new school really do extra mile where as old school dident so most unlike me would rather get it sorted early thinking some sort craft project might look on pinterest.

I agree with the letters as well; my DCs write what they have liked best about the year.
I'm sorting out a card for a teacher at the moment, I work in a school as a TA and I have got each child in the class to write what they have liked best about the teacher and draw a little picture. I am putting them altogether inside a big homemade card. That way every child has done something and it doesn't matter a jot whether their parents do anything or not, the teacher has a personal gift from each child. Just hope they appreciate it!

*zipzap& I bought a personalised stamp from ebay. The seller was instamp. I bought it maybe two weeks ago (see my posts on this thread for the actual dates as I think I posted when I bought it and when I received it) and I think it took about 5 days to get to me. I am really pleased with it, and DS1's teacher liked it too.

personalised post its from somewhere online, pot up a tomato plant or strawberry plant in a plain pot and get DC to personalise it with ceramic paint. get some UV beads and make a bracelet or keyring thing for a bag (they change colour in the sun to show when the UV rays are strong enough to remind when to apply / reapply suncream) or start a new trend for homemade cards only, nothing else at all.

My children are in secondary. We give like this:
champagne to teachers who went OTT for my children personally
bottle of a sultry red to teachers who we appreciate
bottle of nice cordial and some biscuits (sometimes homemade) for the head, because she doesn't drink alcohol.
Seems to work. Everyone smiles.

I agree with lots of the ideas on here - I'm always grateful for any gifts. However a whole class present that I've received and loved is a photo book with photos and comments from each child and photos from throughout the year (of trips, performances etc). It could just be done as a scrapbook with the different bits stuck in. Slightly off topic, but before I went on maternity leave I was given a scrapbook with a drawing/letter from each child (Reception), a picture of each child as a baby and a list of (helpful) advice from the mums. It was lovely as totally personal and so much effort had gone into it.

I was going to start a thread like this.

I'm thinking of an M&S voucher, home made fudge and a nice card made my little one with her picture and nice words. Is that O.K??

We do have 3 teachers in the class and my daughters one to one lady, so maybe the vouchers could just be for her main teacher and one to one.

I've just bought some stickers thanks that's a great idea. Am also considering an battery pencil sharpener.

I'm useless got my sons leavers assembly tomorrow before he starts juniors and crying already. Even reading this thread had got tears rolling.

Dds first teacher hinted that she had particularly loved the Chocolate Guinness cake I made for the fayre so made one for her.
This year dd has had 2 teachers jobsharing and I have to say I haven't really gelled with them for several reasons so didn't bother with a pressie. Next year she has her favourite ever teacher again so I'm guessing she'll want to give her something very good! Loving all the ideas here.

We figure out what we can buy with the money we have collected, once almost done.

So this year, for example, dd's main class teacher has a lovely big basket with leather handles (from a shop I can see she shops from ), filled with flowers and a Jo Malone something or other. TA has a multicoloured basket with flowers in in. Male p/t teacher has a mini chess set (he runs chess club) with wine gadgets/corkscrew etc in and two nice bottles of wine.

And cards, with messages and thanks from all the parents and carers.

The dds like to do their own, home made cards too - but that's separate.

justgivemeareason - really? no homemade food at all? That's discouraging, although I do see your reasoning. OTOH, I know the staff at DC's school like my cakes because they buy them before they get as far as the stall for cake sales thus making me look like I didn't bring anything so I hope/believe that doesn't apply.

I have just established (after DS tried to sell her a cake at the village fete) that his favourite subject teacher is coeliac, so I think I will be looking for a good gluten free Christmas cake recipe.

I've made a bundle of my 'favourite things'. Chocolate, wine, yankee candle, magazine, moroccan oil, a lip gloss, costa voucher and a few other cheapish but luxurious bits that I love and think the teacher and TA's may also love and have put them in an oilcloth book bag. Probably spent about £120 for all 2 of them in total and that's just for one class but my daughter will be leaving them at the end of term. The preschool teachers will just have the oilcloth bag each as my son is returning to them in September so we're not saying goodbye as it were, just thanks for a great term and I will be doing the 'favourite things' parcel for them at Christmas. In the past have bought teachers a jo malone travel candle for TA and Jo malone home candle for teacher. Just over £60 for the two of them but a lovely gift they were thrilled with. I'm by no means well off but I think they deserve to be appreciated. I'm a medical typey professional and do get thank you gifts often. It's certainly the thought that counts but for most people, not much thought goes in a tin of roses.

my dd who is 5 has just drawn a picture for her reception teacher with the words 'I wish you could be my mum' written on it and me and dh will get her a bottle of wine or a book voucher. She is a really lovely lady and has made my dd's first experience of school so lovely.

DP is a HT and was a classroom teacher for many years.

some of these presents sound lovely but something tiny or homemade or cheap is also appreciated very much.

or nothing.

I don't expect anything, but it's always nice to receive a token of appreciation whether that is a gift or a cake or a card. I would love homemade cakes or sweets! I often get vouchers from the whole class, and that is lovely, but i would hate to think that anybody had been pressurised into contributing. I am delighted with anything because it shows that parents have been happy with what i have been doing for their children, and that really matters to me. Teaching is a profession which is become less and less respected by many - yes it's bloody hard work (so are a lot of jobs) but actually what I am always grateful for is the recognition that I am actually caring for and nurturing the children in my class not just educating them. For my own son's teacher, I have contributed to a class collection as well as bought small individual presents for the TA and LSA. I will also write cards expressing how incredibly grateful I am for their care and support during his first year at school.

Am an LSA not teacher but I received petrol vouchers with a nice home made card once. That was one of my favourites.

But yummymummy surely what you are doing is pretty much the same as getting a box of chocolates but on a bigger scale?

For people that don't have £120 to spend on the leaving presents they may have chosen just one of the things in your oilskin bag as goodies with just as much care as you have - for all you know, they may think that you've just grabbed a load of bits that you regularly use when you were buying them for yourself. Or that it's a bit controlling to give them your favourite things. You haven't gone out and chosen one special thing each for them with the same money.

I think it's a pretty mean thing to suggest that a box of roses automatically equals no thought. Whilst it can do in some cases in others a box of roses (or any other chocolates for that matter) is chosen precisely because for them it's something they love and hope the teacher will too - exactly the same as your sentiments.

Willow Tree Angels do a lovely Angel of Learning. I have bought that for Wilf's teacher before as well as Angel Signing Love and Angel of Friendship. She has also had a Suffolk Rose which went to Kent!

Best ever was a card (made by 'accident prone' child) which said "Thank you for all the plasters" - I'll never forget it. Spent 24 wonderful years as school secretary.

Thank you for these ideas for my last minute panic. I've organised class collections in the past, but this year time and life got in the way.

Have ordered some good pen sets for the 2 teachers, plus some stamps for the 2TAs for my children's teachers, and will try and get an Ocado order in before the end of the week with a big yin of biscuits for the staff room (that can be kept until Sept if required).

I've also put a reminder in my diary to sort this out at the beginning of July next year!!!

Oh, and I'll also write my (honest, and heartfelt) thanks for both teachers who've been fantastic this year, and hopefully persuade the children to do one as well.

I have homemade Fimo coasters which say 'from Zoe with love' which I have kept and used ob my desk since I was given them in 1997! Home made and personal is best IMHO.

Also I like mugs - but I prefer them to be china and NOT to say 'best teacher' etc. on them!

On my desk - not ob! Obviously!

Ds now 23 through his job (Local Government) emailed his old y6 teacher who is now a HT elsewhere. He was amazed when he not only remembered him but also what he had written in a card to him when ds moved into secondary and referred to it. "The work was good, the games were great, the ties and the jokes were awful" HT assured him that his dress sense had improved more than his jokes Proof I suppose that a card with a heartfelt message is always appreciated.

The bottle of whisky with the security tag on story has reminded me of one of my mum's lovely anecdotes. She was a secondary teacher and had a rare knack of getting on with the particularly difficult teenagers (and she taught in a succession of sink schools, so difficult usually meant a combination of behavioural difficulties and severe social deprivation). One day she came home with a bag of cream cakes, and explained that it was the non-exam stream 5th form's last day in school. Three of the real tearaways had come in (first time in about a year, they were habitual truants) specially to say goodbye to her, and handed over the bag with the words "look, miss, they're in the baker's bag, we didn't nick 'em."

When she told this story in later years, she was able to update on their progress - two had ended up in borstal (as it was then called) and the other in Strangeways!

DD is leaving her primary this week after 8 years inc nursery. I will do the usual bottle of wine for her class teacher, but would like to do something for the school.

I asked her what she'd like to contribute and she said a climbing frame! Might just fall outside my budget of £25.

Any ideas? I was thinking of something to add to the playground toys collection or maybe a shrub for their new play area. Has anyone done this? would it be better to just write a cheque to the PTA or is that a bit impersonal?