Gift Ideas for Teachers/Teaching Assistants/Dinner Ladies

mrsdriver

I have little toiletry gift baskets bought for dd's teacher and TA but after reading this I think I'll give them to someone else and give them homemade cards instead!

jlp76

I'm a TA and as I'm in a comp, it's not such a big thing and I doubt very much I'd get a thing (first year in this job). However I don't expect anything either!

If I did get anything at all I'd be chuffed to bits - it wouldn't matter what it was, it would be the fact that a child had thought enough of me to bother, be it a picture or a card.

penny1973

I'm a secondary school teacher and usually receive lots of cards which I like. No presents though!!!
I give my daughters teachers a small present chosen by the girls at Christmas and am happy that if they don't like them they are re-gifted.
£10.00 Gift cards for BOOTS are the order of the day in the summer as this means they can spend them on things they like or re-gift them as appropriate and everyone is happy.

The teaching assistant also get a small gift in my elder daughter's class because she thinks the world of her. Scented candles for the lolly pop lady one year as daughter felt she deserved it for be so cheerful come rain or shine !!!

If I am honest the best present for me as a teacher would be a packet of pencils or pens to use in my classroom as some of the children forget theirs on such a regular basis

phunkles

Its not being ungrateful - the op asked for an honest opinion and teachers gave the honest opinion.......
general consensus seems to be
- no homemade food items
- no teacher stuff
- no cheap gifts
- handmade personalised cards are nice
- flowers
- chocs (can be regifted)
- As can alcohol
????

wallbash

As I ( a mere partner of a teacher) will be completely honest , if that comes over as harsh /rude etc tough! Its a fact , you may not like it.
Too those who gave the 'perfect' home-made gift . my guess is that the teacher concerned fooled you !
Teachers have cupboards full of 'gifts'
All we are saying .... save your money.
Take the advice of the cynical teachers who have posted , they are the honest ones.

phunkles has summed it up.

why not send a letter home to parents and say please no gifts,

Wonder how you would word that , without sounding patronising .

but there isn't really a need to sound that ungrateful.

Better to sound ungrateful here than to upset the parents ... and to stop them wasting their time/money.

Nenen

Quote from UpsaDaisy, (my emphasis) "Okay this may hurt some feelings and sound a bit mean. But I'm a teacher and honestly this is really what we think"

wallbash wrote: »

Take the advice of the cynical teachers who have posted , they are the honest ones.

I feel really sad that what started as a thread from a parent who was kind enough to ask for a few ideas about what to give a teacher (presumably as a token of appreciation and/or Christmas generosity) has ended up with several posters who are parents now feeling that all teachers are ungrateful cynics.

I am even more saddened that several teachers and their spouses made sweeping statements suggesting that just because they feel a certain way that ALL teachers feel like this or, by implication, that I am a liar as the he cynics are the only ones being honest.

I have been teaching almost 30 years and really appreciate ALL the gifts I am given, including home made edibles. I found all the comments regarding the hygiene issues rather insulting to parents. Having spent my student days working in restaurants and talking to my (now adult) children who are currently doing the same, I am convinced I am no more likely to get food poisoning from a child's home baked gifts than from a meal out in a restaurant, fast food outlet or from the 12 varieties of urine flavoured peanuts in a pub (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/food-poisoning-soars-in-takeawaycrazy-britain-1173580.html) .

I admit I do give some perishables I am unable to use to charity shops or my local women's refuge but that does not mean I am not very grateful for the thought behind the gift.

Perhaps it is because I am a primary school teacher and am with the children I teach all day that any gifts are precious to me. We form close relationships during the year (or sometimes more) we are together, therefore it seems natural to want to exchange gifts. I have already bought my gifts for my class this year and look forward to giving them. I also have many special memories of children I have taught and love keeping special mementoes I am given.

suemj

Hmmm - Thank you all for your input, both positive and negative.

I actually get on really well with my son's school teacher and TA's and have had a fair bit to do with them as in going in to help at any given opportunity. I'm actually quite tempted to ask them directly what their opinions are, as I do feel I put a fair bit of effort and thought in each year, worrying to get it right and if this really isn't appreciated, then I would rather just give them a card.

I have actually done a fair bit of baking, biscuits and cupcakes for the whole class, as my son is always nagging to take something in. I've always done more than enough for the kids and the teachers and unless they are lying to my, they've always told me they had one too and they were lovely. Hmmm, maybe I have my head buried in the sand.

I would say on an hygiene front, that surely many teachers would get a good idea on seeing the parents/children. I know if they have cake sales at school I try to steer my child to buy certain cakes/biscuits that have been brought in by certain children - obviously, I have no control in the end as to who he buys from, he'll no doubt go by what looks most appealing to him at 7 years old, which I'm sure is very different to what I would consider to be appealing, he obviously wont be thinking about what goes on behind the scenes in making them. lol.

So far though, the sock cupcakes seem to be quite popular. I quite like the idea of a scarf for the teachers as mine definitely does like to wrap up warm and would probably appreciate one like my mum knitted for me using pom pom wool. Nobody seems to be liking my idea of the cookies/cakes in a jar. Wine, but i'm not sure that's what I'd like to do. I can see the appeal of vouchers, but feel this is very impersonal and not much thought required.

I've got to admit, I don't like this feeling of having to give something - I do think a policy of cards only would make life so much easier and less stressful as I just don't like giving rubbish.

Thanks again for your input.

Sue xx

zippybungle

Think I will just give a prezzie to the Lollypop Lady instead this year, she might appreciate it more

clairehi

rinroo wrote: »

I don't mean to sound rude but to those of you who are 'teachers' or partners of teachers may I suggest if you really dislike the gifts that your given, be it because the parent of the child think they have to buy you a gift or can only afford to or want to buy cheap chocs or toiletries, rather than complain about the thousands you receive and how you have to find them a home/give them away/re gift them why not send a letter home to parents and say please no gifts, wouldn't take that long to do and will save the hassle all round.

I know the responses are to help the op but there isn't really a need to sound that ungrateful.

Well said:T

clairehi

suemj wrote: »

I have actually done a fair bit of baking, biscuits and cupcakes for the whole class, as my son is always nagging to take something in. I've always done more than enough for the kids and the teachers and unless they are lying to my, they've always told me they had one too and they were lovely. Hmmm, maybe I have my head buried in the sand.

I would say on an hygiene front, that surely many teachers would get a good idea on seeing the parents/children. I know if they have cake sales at school I try to steer my child to buy certain cakes/biscuits that have been brought in by certain children - obviously, I have no control in the end as to who he buys from, he'll no doubt go by what looks most appealing to him at 7 years old, which I'm sure is very different to what I would consider to be appealing, he obviously wont be thinking about what goes on behind the scenes in making them. lol.

Sue xx

Me too - we are asked to contribute cakes for bake sales on a regular basis and I have made muffin baskets for the staffroom at Xmas. it never occurred to me that home made may be seen as unhygienic. I am on our PTA and although the nut allergy issue comes up regularly, noone has ever said we should not accept home made cakes for our cake stalls in case of germs???

Personally it has never for a moment crossed my mind that my DCs would be at any risk from eating homemade baked goods bought from a school stall. baking would in any case kill most germs, although of course not if handled afterward by people with grubby mitts. Seriously, has anyone ever come to harm from eating a home made cake?

having seen all the negative points on this thread I may just send them in with a home made card this year, I thought the oxfam gift card approach was pretty hard to fault but apparently this is not acceptable to some. you really cant win!