Teachers - can I ask what your favourite end of yr presents were?

[ssd]

assuming you got the usual things from the kids, what were your favourites?

looking for ideas for next yr, wasn't too inspired this yr (chocs!!)

[kennythekangaroo]

I know not all teachers like wine but some (like me) have allergies so can't have smellies or any food products. DP loves the end of time as he eats all MY chocolates!

I also don't really like candles/ornaments - a friend and I have a swap going on these to each other's school fetes!

Whatever you get a teacher, they are always touched by the thought behind it and the fact that you have appreciated all the hard work and effort they have put in all year.

[smallchange]

My mum's favourite present was a painting a boy in her class did one year and his dad made a frame for. 40 years on, it's still hanging in their hall

[smallchange]

(my parents' hall that is)

[bradsmissus]

Ok, what about male teachers? Anyone got a DH/DP who is a teacher? DDs teacher is coeliac so would rather avoid food gifts.

[Chelsie]

A mug is always a brilliant prezzie to receive as a teacher. They're always going missing in the staff room! Also once received a whistle (an acme thunderer - the rolls royce of whistles!) which I used for every PE lesson and playground duty for years - fantastic! I really like presents you can keep and use in school as saves cluttering up home. For same reason, love receiving flowers - enjoy them for first week of holidays and then they're gone. HOWEVER, the best things I have ever received are personal cards and letters from pupils and parents - always keep them and have a big box going back years. A present is really not necessary, but if you feel a teacher has really gone 'the extra mile' then letting them know by writing it down in a card will make their day!

[vixma]

Picture drawn by child with a letter of thanks from you and child for their work always hits the spot.

[vixma]

Not choccies as the staff room is normally filled with those and cakes etc.

[mistymee]

Our class rep sends out a note to all the parents with chidren in the class, asking for a donation towards end of term presents. No amount specified, just what you want to contribute. Some people pay £1, others put in £10 or more and there's no pressure to put in more than you can afford. Last year we collected approx £125. IIRC we gave £65 M&S voucher to main class teacher, £25 vouchers to TAs and with the remainder, we gave flowers to the support staff. Each child writes a message (or draws a little picture) on a piece of paper (with their name on it) for each teacher and these seperate messages are then stuck into big cards for each teacher.

This does take a bit of organising but is worth it IMO. The teachers all seemed very happy with their gifts and cards last year.

They can then buy lots of wine from M&S and get ready to brace themselves for the year ahead

[melissa75]

I love homemade stuff from the kids, because they have put effort into it...but if it is a bought present, the best one I ever got was when my parents pooled together and got me a theatre voucher because they know I love to go to shows in the west end! I also love flowers...and one box of chocolates is nice, but 30 goes a little over the top

[blowbroth]

Great thread, very usful! Will now get bottle of wine and a short note to the teacher about how brilliant the year has been. Is this ok?

[TEJQ]

My stock ones are a Borders Bookshop giftcard (at the end of the school year to buy a holiday read) or a Starbucks giftcard (at Christmas for a coffee and cake break).

I have also given a nice photo album in the past too, but after 16 years of buying for primary teachers (and another 7 to go ) I now just get the giftcards.

[avenginggerbil]

How do you all feel about just getting a card made by the child and the thanks of a parent?

[gingernutlover]

avenginggerbil

sounds lovely

love your name by the way

[Feenie]

Lovely, avengingerbil. I have a few of those that I still keep.

[melissa75]

avenginggerbil...fantastic idea! I would love that! A word of thanks goes a long way!

The one thing I really like is I would rather have the child sign the card, because you would be amazed how many parents sign their school age childs name in a card...and IMO, what does that teach their child!

[PortAndLemon]

My mother was once given a bottle of Southern Comfort. She was surprised by what a generous present it was, but knew they weren't short of a few bob so presumed they'd just been very happy parents. Until the next week when they phoned her at home (she wasn't sure how they got her home phone number) to ask whether she'd opened it yet and could they have it back? (apparently child had been told to choose a bottle for Mrs Lemon out of the fridge meaning a bottle of wine but had taken a bottle of Southern Comfort instead. I was still a bit shocked at cheek of asking for a present back rather than chalking it up to experience, though)

[Theresa]

My ds has a very young & 'cool' male teacher this year. We've clubbed together and have ordered some personal post it notes from 'vista print' that have his name on and say he's a great teacher(I totally agree with avoiding that stuff from the card shops etc that say 'best teacher ever' etc but thought this was a bit different). ALso one of the clever mums is making a choc cake in the shape of a pint of guiness, and with the rest of the money we're getting ticketmaster voucher

[scienceteacher]

Wine

[aGalChangedHerName]

PortandLemon thta's rude. I would have left the teacher with the booze tbh.

I had dd1 make a card for her 3 nursery teachers and gave them a voucher for a luxury manicure/pedicure. Not sure what they thought of it,but hope they liked it lol.

[aGalChangedHerName]

Oh and gave nice wine to the other 2 who didn't have as much to do with dd1.

[melissa75]

portandlemon...wow...thats a first in my books, calling and asking for it back! thats a funny story though!

changedhername...a luxury mani/pedi..what a great present, and I am sure it was hugely appreciated...all teachers love a little pampering!

[pointydog]

wine, especially cava

[stealthsquiggle]

Bother. I had temporarily forgotten about this problem. I need to quizz DS again. He insists presents have to be homemade, but I so do not have time to make cakes (as we did for Christmas) and also feel that fruit cake in the middle of summer would be a bit wierd, and sponge cake the day before the school fete might be a bit surplus to requirements.... Sigh. I need to find time to make bags for wine, I think, unless DS has any brilliant ideas.

[pointydog]

homemade card and piocture, made by ds.

Actually, that would be my very favourite but no one ever does it. A card with a hand-written note or poem or little story or one sentence.

[stealthsquiggle]

pointydog I am not sure we ever made it to poems, but DS has done (and probably will do again this time) cards with a message inside saying Thank you for .