What do teachers actually want as an end of year gift?

[Lollyice]

Just that really. Dd's male teacher, year 1, has been fantastic and gifts seem to be the done thing at the school.
He gave all the class a Christmas gift and I sent a voucher for Costa from DD.
What would you genuinely appreciate, am thinking probably not another best teacher coaster with a picture of an apple.

Like a previous poster, I'm a squirrel and have a box with all the handmade cards, pictures and some lovely hama bead creations etc. They all remind me of the pupils who made them, and are treasured. I don't want (or expect) presents, but things I have received and used have been cute pens/small stationery items. Past pupils used to love my fluffy/wobbly/sparkly pens, so I've received quite a few ones as gifts.

There are 4 teachers for 40 dc in my dd's class (not Uk). I was thinking to get them a dozen donuts? Do you think that would be ok? I'm wary of buying anything that would end up as clutter or extra 'stuff'.

Always wine 😊 There's always too much chocolate, it gets shared in the office and staff room (which is nice). Some nice words in a little card is always lovely

As a teacher, a thoughtful card with a message means most to me.

Other presents that have gone down well (these were from GCSE/A Level though):
Flowers
Costa vouchers
Pens / highlighters / post it note stash
Notebook
Themed gifts linked to my subject

My favourite gift is a pot plant that a student had planted and decorated with my name. Thought it was so sweet and he was so proud of himself.
In my experience chocolates always go down well as do vouchers (you were spot on with Costa vouchers), alcohol usually gets regifted, mugs are boring and family pictures I am pretty sure would end up in the bin or if you’re lucky the back of a drawer.

I wouldn't want a framed photo of a child I teach. Nice photo frame, yes. Possibly even small photo inside a card to remind me of the child in years to come (I do keep thank you cards), yes. But why would I display a photo of someone else's kid in my home? I don't have enough room to display all the photos of my own family I'd like to!

I really wouldn’t want a photo of someone else’s child or family. Why on earth do you think that’s a great present?😂

I assumed all mugs ended up in the staff room.
I bought the reception teacher a book about fantastically great women in history. Dd wrote a little note in the cover. I thought it would end up on a school bookshelf.
Am going for a voucher and a note, can't imagine our family photo would make it to the mantlepiece

I know it's loved and loathed in equal measure but we're doing the whole class voucher and goodies this year. I just don't see that a teacher would prefer to receive loads of little cluttery bits than one decent gift.

Alcohol is not a great gift if you don’t drink; beer no good if you are coeliac.

DS’s teacher was diagnosed with coeliac disease earlier this year, I am trying to think of a non-food gift fir him. He got Starbucks voucher last year, I need to find out if they do gluten free cakes.

DM (not a teacher) doesn’t drink - for 23 years her boss gave her a bottle of red and a bottle of white for her birthday and Christmas. Finally she managed to convince him and got M&S vouchers instead (previous attempts to tell him had been met with “Don’t be silly, everybody drinks at Christmas...”)

I'm proper cracking up at the thought of a teacher having a photo wall of their past students and maybe even their students family 😂

Oh my gosh, never in my entire teaching career have I ever received a photo of a child that I've taught. That's hilarious 😂

I don't display photos of my own child in my house, let alone someone else's. That's so strange and so funny!

Some kind words of appreciation in writing that they can show to their performance manager cherish forever, and read when the going is tough.

Last year DD gave her Reception teacher a copy of her favourite book (took a bit of effort as it is out of print). She wants to give her Y1 teacher her latest favourite book “Fantasticalky Great Women Who Changed the World”. Both my dc have always made their teachers cards too.

bikerunski Costa do coeliac sandwiches and cakes so a voucher for them would be good

I work in nursery. I don't drink so usually offload the alcohol to colleagues. Boxes of biscuits are welcome as a group gift. One mum got us all tiny wee signs with quotes on them. I wish I had a dolls house as it's tiny.

My friend usually gets a class gift of an afternoon tea which she takes her dd to.

A colleague is gluten and dairy intolerant. So it can be hard.

Vouchers. Even better when the parents club together and just get a massive voucher.

No to a framed photo of your child thanks WTF?

A genuine thank you. I teach in a deprived area and would far prefer money was spent on the children. However I know some people feel they have to buy something. My favourite was a voucher for a coffee chain. Everyone could find something they like in there, not everyone drinks (I don’t) or likes flowers (again not keen) or chocolate (yes but very specific types only, none of which seem to spring to anyone’s mind!). Mugs go in the staffroom, teddies in the book corner, framed family photos... I have no words...

That’s great, thank you Toads.

As a teacher I can honestly say that my favourite thing is to receive a thank you card handwritten by the child. My DDs teacher left last year to travel the world, all the parents clubbed together to get him an expensive leather bound journal and pen, he loved it!

at framed photo of child and framed photo of whole family! Do people really do this? I could understand if it was for, say, a private tutor or maybe even a Sen teaching assistant, that worked with your child/children for years, and you'd developed a relationship? Or even a special nursery worker who'd looked after your child from baby to school age? Please tell me it was this kind of situation?

I’m not a teacher, merely a parent, but the most “WTF?” End of year teacher present I ever saw was from the most attention-seeking parent I have ever had the delight to know, who gave it to the Reception teacher. It was a Build a Bear puppy, dressed in our school uniform and a voice recording that said “I love you Miss ***”. Teacher was very .

Are people actually serious about the photos? Within a few years the teacher would have walls and walls of photos. You really think they love and use them? Lol get real they are being polite. The nicest frames probably get reused with their own photos of family they truly care about.

My recommendations would be:
Luxury food
Alcohol
Vouchers

I.e actual practical things

If you want something more personal or a memento then small note from your child or message in a card does nicely. They can stick it in a scrapbook or similar.

We break up on Friday (Scotland) I'm so disappointed I'm too late to get a framed family photo for ds' teacher 😂
It is really the funniest thing I've read on MN ever in years!

I think the HT at the very elite sw London cofe secondary from which we moved her at the end of year 8 would have loved a photo of me. she could have used it as a dartboard A session with a stylist might have helped her. Many parents suggested a whip round - many others thought that would be unkind.