Teachers: how would you feel about this gift for Christmas?

[GlitteryFluff]

Ds is in reception.
He's going to make a card for his teacher and TA. Then going to get them a little present each.

(I should say I don't know them very well in a personal sense. I don't know if they drink coffee for a Starbucks voucher. I don't know if they drink booze for a bottle of wine.)

I've seen self inking stamps that I can personalise with 'miss smith says excellent' and a tick or 'miss smith says well done' with a smiley face, for example.

I know stamps are used in ds's reading book and homework book each week so in theory they would get used.

However would you be a bit or that the gift is school stuff not stuff for you at home iykwim?

[HexagonalBattenburg]

We're skint as anything this year and with the sheer number of interventions DD2 has for various things - the amount of staff involved gets to the levels of eyewatering expense so I've just bought them all a small chocolate Lindt thing and a pretty tree bauble in a nice bag. If the chocolate's not their thing most of them have kids who'll pinch it quite happily and if the tree bauble isn't it'll end up on the tree in the classroom.

DD1 is ridiculously unicorn bonkers so she's got unicorn baubles for all her teachers (DD1's teacher is equally unicorn bonkers as well - it's a match made in heaven this year).

I think Costa vouchers are a no-go with our school since the local Costa usually contains a ridiculous number of school parents in it (I'm not joking - you could easily assemble the best-attended meeting of the PTA on an average morning - there were 20 faces I recognised from the school gates in there yesterday) so it would be like the teachers' idea of ultimate hell!

I usually send a few cakes for the staffroom in and a nice thank you card for the other staff and office staff who've also had to deal with my kids at periodic intervals during the year (I really really do value the staff in our school - they're fantastic - and yes, I also make the head know this view too and made sure the Ofsted inspector got my opinions as well )

[Ecofluffynanny]

To clarify...17 boxes was a career record for me, it's usually around 10. The parents clearly thought I'd had a tough term last year and needed it 😆

[EspressoPatronum]

When I was teaching I'd have loved something like this (I actually have a Miss T thinks you're a star! stamp that I'd use on homework, reasons records or on a post it on a piece of work) or some reward stickers (smelly stickers always proved popular with the kids I taught!)

You've inspired me for when my son starts school!

[Ecofluffynanny]

@HexagonalBattenburg don't worry about your local Costa...not many teachers live that close to their school (my daily commute is 45 minutes...around 25 miles).

[HexagonalBattenburg]

Our school a lot of the teaching staff DO live in catchment unfortunately - it's a bit unusual in that regard. I can think of at least 3 teachers I semi regularly run into in the local supermarket or shopping area and at least 2 of them live a couple of streets down from school (we rarely get a snow closure as a result)!

[Ecofluffynanny]

Ah ok...but it's fairly unusual for this to be the case.

[ohreallyohreallyoh]

Fab gift. Teacher will get use of it. Other helpful gift would be reward stickers which aren’t cheap but which all children -including secondary ones -love.

[LJdorothy]

Yes, stamps, reward stickers and any other stationery items for school use would be much appreciated! I got a lovely little pencil pot once which has been on my desk for years.

[ILikeyourHairyHands]

I always give Moleskine notebooks. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't love a Moleskine.