Spill the beans... on end-of-term gifts for teachers

Kaz2904

I've only done it once before for a teacher my DD had in every year she was in at first school in one form or another. This teacher has since been given a full time position and is teaching my DS who leaves the school in a fortnight. Last time, I got her a lovely pair of earrings as she wears a lot of silver dangly stuff and DD and I thought she'd like them. This year, a collection has been arranged and the organiser didn't know what to get. I've advised her to get a blue pandora bead as I noticed her wearing a pandora necklace the other day which had only blue beads on it. Let's hope we get enough!

scooby088

I have never or never will give anyone anything for doing their job that they are paid to do!

snowleopard61

I was bad at remembering end-of-year gifts so they were often a bit last-minute, but at Christmas we have given (when my children were very young) cheap terracotta pots painted with poster paint by the children and planted with hyacinth bulbs; also individual (2 or 3, bought) Christmas decorations which were unusual and pretty. I remember getting very appreciative thank-you's from teachers for all of these.

If the child has enjoyed school, then I offer to make them a Christmas cake at Christmas (making it clear that I don't mind if they don't like/want one) - no-one has ever turned me down. If they said they enjoyed the cake, then at the end of the academic year, I offer to make another one the following Christmas (in lieu of an end of year present) - again, this has never been turned down. (And two repeat teachers who have had more than one of my children have said how pleased they were to get another offer as it saved them so much time at Christmas.) My cake recipe is relatively cheap to make.

This is a great idea. I went to a convent school and every year for many years my mother used to make a Christmas cake for the nuns. It was clear that they enjoyed this hugely but as I got older I was mortified that others might think it a bit, well, sycophantic, and begged her to stop, which she did. I feel a bit mean now!

minerva_windsong

snozberry wrote: »

This, absolutely this!

The best gifts that I get are the ones that the children have made themselves. I've had bowls, magnets, necklaces and pictures over the years and they are the ones that I treasure.

Agreed! My mum was a teacher for 30-odd years - she retired last Christmas - and has always said the stuff that she really appreciated was the homemade gifts and cards. There's a box in a cupboard somewhere in my parents' house that's full of all the cards various children have made for her over the years.

marisco_2

What means the most is a handmade card with a little note from the child. To know they have enjoyed their year with you, and that they feel happy and confident going onto the next year, is all the thanks teachers need.

SkintGypsy

scooby088 wrote: »

I have never or never will give anyone anything for doing their job that they are paid to do!

Although I can see why you might think this, you are so so wrong in your view that teaching is just 'a job'. It's a vocation, and if that teacher has inspired my child or had a positive effect on them then I want to thank them and show my appreciation.

I didn't give gifts last year, as my child's early years teachers were chopped and changed and my daughter didn't care for any one teacher particularly, but this year she adores school, and her young male teacher has her skipping in on the days he teaches. He did that, and he deserves to be recognised.

marisco_2

scooby088 wrote: »

I have never or never will give anyone anything for doing their job that they are paid to do!

A thank you costs nothing and is often very well deserved by many of the fabulous teachers out there, who go above and beyond to help the children in their care.

Brian_Steele

My kids go to private school, where there seems to be an overwhelming number of parents with more money than sense and a huge mood for one-upmanship. Towards the end of the year, we get the inevitable circular email suggesting we all put in £20 a head. Wonderful for the teacher - even though we have small classes, that's over £300. Add to that the fact that I have four kids at the school (and am at the decidedly lower end of the range financially) and you can see why we have nothing to do with it.

Our policy is to give them home-made gifts and that also gives us an easy get-out to the £20 a head brigade. This year it was home made elderflower cordial, but we have done chocolate truffles, jam and chutney in the past. Not only is this cheaper, but there is a lot more care and effort in it and the kids contribute too.

Speaking to other teachers we know, this kind of gesture is very much appreciated. They might like booze and chocolates too, but they don't really want 20-30 lots in one go.

ellie3009_2

I am a Secondary teacher, and no one in my school gets anything like the volume of presents that my mum and her primary teaching friends do, but to be honest, I don't expect gifts.

The nicest things I have ever received were some chocolate truffles that the child had made (father a chef, so I know the hygiene standards were ok!!!) and a bag of my favourite haribo sweets, because the child had remembered that I once told them this 4 years earlier. Both of these showed thought and effort on the part of the student.

I have had nice smellies, but I know primary teachers get TONS of these, and both myself and my mum can't use bath stuff as neither of us has a bath in the house!

I have also had some thankyou cards with lovely messages written by the parents and the students. These are the things that I have kept, because these are the things that made me feel that my work was appreciated.
If you are on a tight budget, I would suggest that a sincere thank you card from parent and child, perhaps mentioning a favourite lesson (e.g. I loved it when we did...) is the best option.

scooby088

marisco wrote: »

A thank you costs nothing and is often very well deserved by many of the fabulous teachers out there, who go above and beyond to help the children in their care.

I do thank them in words after all this is a money saving site and words cost nothing in these times of penny pinching.