Teachers of year 1 and 2, do you spend your own money on classroom supplies/rewards?

[Oddsocksforeveryone]

End of year is coming up and I want to get a gift that is useful, so I was thinking of getting supplies for the rewards box (pencils/erasers/stamps, that kind of thing) and maybe some stationary for teacher. I know from early years teachers that they often spend a lot of their own money on things that they use in school for themselves/the children and with budget cuts I assume this will increase.
So do you buy your own supplies? And if so, what do you buy?

So glue sticks would go down well ? Was going to give Costa voucher - would Amazon be better then they can spend on school supplies if they want? I do realise I am overthinking this!

I just left teaching and have spent ,god knows, how much on pens/pencils etc for kids...

Ooh - I'm grateful for this thread!

Up to now I've always bought M&S gift cards for teachers/TAs, but maybe they'd appreciate Amazon ones more, so they can choose whether to spend them on themselves or buy stationery or prize box tat for the classroom.

I teach Year 3 to 6 (specialist visiting teacher). When it's wet play or we have a bit of spare time, mine all love those BrainBox memory games in the cube, there are loads to collect, I've been buying them whenever I see them in Aldi on offer (think they are about £7-9).
They would be a really nice gift or addition to a class gift.

I also teach secondary. We don't get end of term gifts usually but I also buy all my own gluesticks, nice pens, nice paper for displays, post-its and highlighters for notes and revision (lots of kids don't have/bring them and they are SO useful).

I've found that most schools in the uk have stationary provided for them.

I would have added that most teachers in the UK know how to spell 'stationery', but I moved into a classroom after our deputy head one year and had to change her tray labels because of the same mistake.

I buy books, including Kindle ones for the iboard, art stuff, lollipops the other day when it was hot, stuff like that.

Ooh I have just discovered a lady on fb who does amazing stationary. I think it is dainty doodler? I may have over bought for me when doing teacher presents this year!

Blinkyblink

I really didn't know about the glue stick thing! Such an easy present. Will get that plus a voucher.

Does it need to be Pritt ?

Not so much Pritt but a decent glue stick!

Yes, I second that! I remember the year we had budget glue sticks...needed three times as many to keep stuff stuck in the books...😳

Don't get me started on glue sticks!

Do you know how much of my budget went on them last year?

£167.00....Jesus wept! (2 x 100 packs - with four free!) That is soooo ridiculous. Teach secondary, and I am currently down to about 6 tatty ones in my classroom and about 6 more I am jealously hoarding in my office. I have now run out of money til next year.

Always thought lrish schools were behind UK ones for supplies but seems not. We get glue sticks supplied..as many as we need within reason. Can buy any resources we need. But do buy prizes, stickers and such from our own money. And lm constantly picking up books but thats my own addiction.

All teachers I know buy tat box prizes, stickers, books, stationery, laminating pouches, do their own printing at home...

I can totally see why parents don't know we do this. Why would they? We also spend lots of our own time sourcing stuff, preparing food for food tasting, bringing our own blenders in for smoothie making, buying water bottles for those children who don't have them for residential weekends, always taking a bumper pack of Primark socks on any trip involving water or wellies, giving our own bottles of water to children sent on trips with no drinks, buying sandwiches for children sent on trips with no food, providing our own wetwipes for trips...

I do these things because I want to - I like making the children's school day a bit more fun. Nobody makes me do any of these things.

I do love it when parents/children appreciate what we do at school. Cards and thank yous are always appreciated.