Gift for form teacher - is it the done thing or not?

[CeliaFate]

I always buy gifts for teachers and T.A.s at Christmas and end of year.

Do I get one for dd's form teacher (dd's in year 7) or will she be laughed at?

What is the usual protocol?

Form teacher is a nice lady, but hasn't done anything special or specific for dd.

I didn't get one for Christmas, just for ds's primary school teacher.

Doesn't happen at our top school. However, I think grateful parents sometimes send in biscuits/chocs for the staff room as a Thank You.

Not many students ever get me anything as a form tutor, but actually they are the kids I am are closest to. Although she might not have done much specific yet, she will be passing on messages, keeping an eye on them, etc etc - it is always nice to be appreciated. I loved a wee card.

What I loved best of all were the two gifts from students who had actually listened when I told them I liked mugs and robins and coffee chocolate and got a mug with robins on and a bar of coffee chocolate - really thoughtful and still appreciated three years later!

As a form tutor myself I never expect anything at any time. But.....I have had my from group now for 3 years and they often get me little things from holiday (one girl brings me a key ring back from holiday every year ), a chocolate bar at Christmas (they know how to bribe me easily!) etc.

It is different at secondary, for example we often have the same from group through out their school life and therefore a different type of relationship builds up as although we often don't teach them, we see them every day, we have access to all their academic, behaviour and pastoral records and this means that we have an alternative impact on their education than primary teachers do.

I've got some presents from my form classes but certainly not from all and the present tends to come from the kids not the parents.

Does your DD want to buy her a present? if yes, then its fine, but if she doesn't that's fine too.

What I have appreciated most is a genuine message of thanks in a card and it tends to be from kids I've been particularly close to.

If your dd wants to, it wouldn't cause any problems I'm sure, and would be appreciated by the form teacher, but, I think she would be in quite a small majority.
I got some chocolate at both Christmas and the Summer for a particular TA in my ds's school who must spend HOURS collecting various items of lots clothing from round the school, and reuniting it with owners, or, where she can't identify it, washing it and storing it until someone needs something replacing. She's my hero, and must have saved me £££££ and £££££ in replacing stuff in Yr7 alone
I also sent in some of those teeny boxes of chocs you can get for the people that ran out of school activities that my dd took part in in Yr 7 - just to acknowledge that we appreciated the time they put in over and above their teaching commitment.
Neither ds nor dd are particularly keen on their form tutors, so it never came up in our house.