do you always do teachers presents?

[Laura0806]

I always give both my childrens teachers presents at the end of every year and at christmas as I appreciate what a tough job teaching is and want to say thank you. I do this whether the teacher has been good or ok. However, this year for both of my children the teacher they have had has been awful. One was an NQT but has taught quite a lot of things incorrectly and taught to the lowest ability level in the class leaving my daughter bored and demotivated. The other refused to believe my other child had SEN but said that they thought it was just a personality issue resulting in my child feeling a lot less confident than at the start of the year. I don't feel inclined to buy a present but feel guilty for not doing....

As a teacher I agree pinkpladticsandals ..it's got out of hand a simple thank you if you think I've done my job well is sufficient

I wouldn't if they were terrible, no. I might send in a box of biscuits for the staffroom. Or maybe not.

If they were just ok I'd do something token.

If they're brilliant and have really helped my child then they get something more personal. I never spend a lot though. We baked dd's teacher a cake and made a little booklet of all teh things dd enjoyed in her class, and I wrote a letter to the Head about how great she was.

No. Have done presents for both DS and DD's teachers this year, as DS's has been fabulous, and it's also been the first time in 4 years that he's had the same teacher all year. Last year I'd bought a present for the supply teacher who taught him from Easter to the summer after the class teacher left, because he was by far the best teacher DS had had in his then 3 years at the school, but the school decided they didn't need him for the last week of term so he never got his present :(
DD has adored her teacher this year, so she's had one too.

At their old, infant school everyone was lovely but there were so many members of staff in each year group who worked with all the kids, so I always sent in a large box of chocolates for everyone to share. And I always gave a box of posh biscuits to the two ladies in the office who were genuinely amazing - they were always helpful and lovely and really helped things to run smoothly.

We make something for DD's teacher, TA and 1-1. This year, she marbled paper which I used to cover A5 sized hardback notebooks. They are fantastic with her and I like to say thank you, but more with our time and effort, rather than large amounts of money

"No one wants anything...but whatever it is is just a token."

Judging by the sheer number of gifts waiting to be collected at dc's school, the teachers must heave left with huge bags containing the goods.

I feel uneasy about this and i am an avid giver of presents.

I live in a very mixed socio-economic area and I know that many parents spend £££ on each present and or contribute to vouchers as well. It really is consumerism gone mad and has little social or educational value.

I read on MN once that home made food gifts are not very welcome by some teachers due to their questionable hygiene.

When I did my degree students were not even allowed to buy their lecturers or tutors a hot drink as it could be seen as 'bribery'.

Not sure what the six year old who bought me a strawberry meringue thought he would gain from the "bribe"

mrz, sorry but your last post is ridiculous, you are twisting my words.

A meringue is hardly the problem here and if you read my post rather than getting your knickers in a twist you would see that I am talking about bought goods that cost quite a bit. Quite shocking that a teacher (i understand you are one) can misread what i wrote and turn it round to sprout some passive aggressive nonsense.

We have every year except last year. I have always personally thanked the teachers from myself.

Last year the teacher got nothing. My DS never mentioned buying or making anything so obviously felt the same..

This year he has done some homemade stuff for his teacher.

I don't really see how it can be a bribe at the end of the year in primary school, unless the teacher is taking them again another year. Even then Mrz is hardly likely to treat strawberry meringue boy much better than the rest in the hope of getting two next year. I can see more of an issue with tutors - although one coffee is not likely to make me give higher marks. At primary school I really don't think that a mug or bottle of wine (or lack thereof) will change the last week of term dramatically.

No, not always, only the ones I genuinely want to thank

They are not bribes, they are gestures of thanks. Lay off MrZ.

I don't think you should feel obliged to buy a gift and especially not if you haven't been happy with either teacher. I only buy/contribute to the collection at the end of the year, never Easter or Christmas.

I always buy a little token gift, eg miniature btl of wine/fizz/pimms and little bag of cadburys choc type gift, but the dcs always make their own cards. They draw pictures and write their own messages, which often have me in tears. Flowers, hearts, best teacher in the world, I don't want to leave your class etc. last year I asked dd what the solitary black thing was on the front of one card. It's a black witch she said . And inside wrote to teaching assistant from dd. It starkly spoke the truth!

Had to laugh today at some mums bringing in huge presents - carrying the gifts at face level (like no one does in normal life) and almost tripping up because they'd obscured their own view.

My DDs teacher goes home on the bus. I have no idea how she got all that stuff home. As it happens, I think her teaching has been pretty poor so no gift from us but DSs teacher has been excellent and I wrote her a longish letter stating how fab she's been. Hopefully those words will last longer than flowers.

I have always done Christmas and July presents. I am not this year. Dd's teacher has been crap. Her report is rubbish and includes the names of various classmates where she has obviously copied and pasted badly. I feel guilty but don't feel she deserves a gift.

I think also compared to many other services where you might tip (which in some ways this is), you have relatively little control over who the teacher is. Yes you can choose the school but within that school a child can have a very different experience depending on the teacher they have each year. If you weren't happy with the hairdresser, restaurant, cleaner etc. you would go elsewhere. Although you can move schools it is a lot more hassle. Obviously you could raise the concerns with the school but sometimes it isn't so bad that you can pinpoint clear errors, more that it just isn't the level of service that you particularly want to reward.

at minidaisydalrymple and makes mental note to check ds's card for one of his TAs! Are you sending it or just accidentally forgetting her?

No pinkpladticsandals I didn't misread what you wrote. I'd agreed with your previous post but when you start talking about buying your lecturer a coffee could be construed as a bribe then it becomes ridiculous hence my tongue in cheek reply!

I have no idea how she got the stuff home

I think the sad thing is a lot of carefully chosen or home made biscuits cakes wine etc just end up in the Staffroom or given to the caretaker or afterschool club assistants in our school so people may as well get a generic present for everyone

At our school too every Christmas and summer we get a note ' please contribute ' to the class gifts
This year they asked for ten pounds from each child - this was for two job share teachers & two TAs
Only half the class contribute so £150 between four people so £37.50 fenwicks vouchers for each
No £300 here !

news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/magazine/8588733.stm

I donate £10 to the class collection. I know most of the other mums give £20 but I don't give a shit. I think £10 is more than enough. That's £5 for the teacher and £5 for the TA. If I didn't like the teacher then I wouldn't bother. I donated one year and couldn't stand her. I wish I hadn't and I've learnt from that mistake.

Token gifts - YR, teacher was v young and girly - pencil tin with sparkly pens, novelty post its etc; Y1, amazing teacher, very understated older lady - jar of my homemade jam, scones I'd made that morning. For both teachers, DS made them a card and he and I both wrote messages in them.

Sounds lovely BikeRunSki. The homemade card and messages is what they really like. I generally managed to find something suitable for a particular teacher for less than £3. I would hate to have these class collections and the parents buy something without consulting the children or just get something completely impersonal like vouchers. Children like to choose and be involved. DS got one teacher a new whistle because he knew he had lost his.

I am a primary school teacher and was overwhelmed with gifts yesterday. I've left to have a baby so a lot of my gifts were huge baby-shower type gifts, like hampers full of baby stuff and nappy cakes. I don't drive so my TA had to give me a lift home!

It really touched me as I work in a school in an economically deprived area...I cried my eyes out when I got home, such wonderfully generous and thoughtful parents and children.

I don't think buying gifts for teachers is necessary or expected, btw, especially if money is tight.

Thank you Mehitabel6 teacher presents make me nervous. The v elaborate gifts that I hear about and sometimes see at school seem ott and inappropriate. With both ds's teachers so far I have wanted to show some appreciation, and the Y1 teacher this year was absolutely superb and went over and above what I consider a class teacher should on several occasions. She obviously read her cards during the day yesterday, because she thanked me and made reference to a particular picture on the card, and started tearing up. Mortified that I made her cry! DS was also in tears, he adored her. Fingers crossed she doesn't retire before DD gets to her class.