A polite request...

howalsh

Every decent parent knows who the good teachers are, & if this results in the teacher getting a prezzie then so be it. I'm sure most would be just as happy with a card made by the pupil as they would with a £10 M&S voucher!

rainbowsox

I think teachers do a brill job on the whole...i'd rather eat wasps than teach some of the little horrors i see wondering the streets...:eek:
besides, if, as a parent, you don't like the way teachers teach, then do it yourself and home educate i say...

griff.

I'm disappointed. I thought people who attended this site as members had certain qualities....money sense, awareness of value for money, etc...

Can you imagine someone posting a message in the 'Bank Charges' topic that made as its main point...'I like the bank teller that I talk to, and if she says that a £25 charge is okay, then it must be - because she's got such a nice smile.'

For goodness sake people, how do you know that any teacher you know is doing the best job possible for your child's education... and don't say ' well johnny/susie comes home smiling'....children smile at the teletubbies - but the teletubbies are free, and not pulling a significant sum from your wages every month in local authority taxation.

Surely parents have questions ?

Why not ask teachers - how do you measure your performance ?...

and ask yourself whether you would accept the same answer from the bank teller....

aimee21j

I think some people are missing the point. Some children, especially primary school children like to give their teachers a present as they spend the majority of their time in their responsibility....7 hours a day, 5 days a week. I used to work in a primary school and have seen that kids can feel quite close to people who look after them in school.

Without making too much reference to posts in other threads, maybe if people were more supportive of teachers, such as parents and other staff who work in the school, teaching and learning would be far more productive.
To put the record staright on the usual moans about holidays, i will be spending the mojority of my summer holiday writing schemes of work and lesson plans for my department as well as contributing a great deal of time to my own proffesional development. I also lose most weekends and other holidays doing paperwork etc.

To the above poster, i measure my performance on a number of things. These include the NC levels i have pushed each induvidual child to, their reading and spelling age, whether i have met the objectives of the NC in each lesson and the enjoyment my pupils have had from their learning in a safe and productive environment. It's a good feeling when a child or their parent thanks you for the lesson and says that they have enjoyed it.

Thank you to those who appreciate what teachers do.

looby75

My ds loves taking presents into his teachers, they are usually just small gifts as I am on a limited budget. As aimee said kids get very attached to their teachers and I personally think it's a good thing for small children to still be allowed to express "love" for a teacher in some small way, such as making or helping to chose a small gift.

They are banned from just about any other show of affection these days I remember my first teacher in school and every Friday as we were leaving the classroom she would give us all a quick hug and tell us to be good girls/boys for our mams over the weekend. Nothing nasty or inappropriate just a genuinely lovely lady who I remember fondly, but there would be an uproar if that happened nowadays.

Queenie

Dormouse wrote:

Being a foreigner in this country, I've always been baffled by the end-of-term present business. It seems to be a British phenomenon, and I've never heard of people doing it in other Western countries.

And yes, I completely agree with OP, having worked as a secondary-school teacher myself.

American children take their teachers gifts at the end of the year.
Actually, now I come to mention it, they also take them Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and also have a special "Teacher Appreciation Day".

In my experience as a parent, I have come across some brilliant teachers and the odd one or two who left much to be desired. Some were given hm gifts on occasion, some were not. Some years we make the effort, some times we don't.

If I have had any strong views towards the methods of teaching/attitude of teacher, I have always been open to discussing it with them, their Head or even the Governers if need be.

I only really get rankled if any particular teachers view themselves as omnipotent and the parent as nothing more than a hindrance - it happens! Thankfully rarely.

I think the single biggest *gift* a parent could give any teaching staff would be to 'stop' bemoaning and undermining the teaching staff in the presence and hearing of their offspring and secondly, to feed their children more healthily so that "Little Johnny/Jane" aren't all hyperactive and bouncing off walls as a result of too many additives and junk

Ok, that's my foot stamp for the day :laugh:

moggins

I have two teachers in the family so I know how hard they work, however I also know from experience that some teachers shouldn't be doing the job! I also only give a present to a teacher if my child has thoroughly enjoyed their year with them.

I am overjoyed with the school my DD is at, her teacher will be getting a present, DS's parents evening is next week and all his will be getting is a kick up the backside for telling me they had every help laid out for his special needs and then failing him completely by refusing to admit he needs a little more help than the average student.

And yes I do say this directly to the teachers, I'm on the phone to the school almost every week.

wayne

teachers deserve everything they get i think and more.how they manage to keep their hands off the little angels(with a capitol b) is beyond me.bring back the cane i say.

Queenie

moggins wrote:

... DS's parents evening is next week and all his will be getting is a kick up the backside for telling me they had every help laid out for his special needs and then failing him completely by refusing to admit he needs a little more help than the average student.

And yes I do say this directly to the teachers, I'm on the phone to the school almost every week.

Oh goodie, glad you're having a parents evening, moggins! It's an opportunity to ask them to draw up an action plan, or at the very least, ask them for an appointment to draw one up! Listen, patiently, to what their observations are. Take notes if need be. Walk away. Look at what they are saying and compare it to your own perception. Then, see if you can draw up your own outline of any inconsistencies between needs, expectations and failings. Once you have that, use it as a basis to discuss an action plan. It takes a lot of side stepping of emotions and application of logic and feasibility, but most definately not insurmountable!!! There should be no need to be on the phone to them frequently. (((hugs))) and very best of luck!!

wayne

while i,m on here just a word about lollypop ladies aren,t they great?my mum just celebrated 30 years as one.auntie dot lollypop rules says me.lol