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

pulliptears

I've said it every year and I'll say it again this year, Oxfam gifts.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped

£5 will buy fertiliser for farmers in rural Myanmar or a share in a farmyard. £9.00 will buy safe water for 10 people.

When DD left her primary school we paid £10 to have books donated to a small village school in Africa in the name of the whole school. We thought it better to give a gift that was useful to many in the name of all the staff rather than giving a box of chocolates which, by the end of term the staff had dozens.

The teacher will receive:

an eCard or printed gift card that features a picture of the gift, or if you prefer you can change the picture to suit a special occasion. We've got plenty to choose from.

If you want to make your gift that little bit sweeter you can add a box of Fairtrade chocolates or a little gift book that explains how Oxfam Unwrapped gifts help change lives.

snowyz81

I am i horrid, in thinking that i wouldnt by the teacher anything ??

DD starts school this year, and i may consider buying a present for the nursery as she is leaving and doing a card. But when she is in School, i dont see why we should have to ?? I appricate its a nice thought. If your having the same teacher the next year, its seems pointless.

I dont get presents for doing a good job at work.

shop-to-drop

I've just ordered an alternative gift of pencils for a class in Zambia to give my son's young male teacher. I went through beyond ourselves. Has anyone any experience of this charity?

pollypenny

No one should be obliged to buy a present for any other person, particularly someone doing their job.

However, if one feels that a teacher, a nurse, an audiolgist (see other thread) has been particularly good, given that bit extra or had a particularly warm relationship, a small token is very nice to give.

On the other hand, quiet thanks and an expression of enjoyment of my lessons was also very much appreciated, especially when 'cool dude lads' had waited until the room was empty to speak.

GobbledyGook

They do a class collection at the school my girls go to. The maximum contribution allowed is £10. Mostly people give £5 and that generally works as £3 for the teacher, £1 for the TA's and £1 for the dining hall and office staff. The parents association gathers it all in and divvy's it up. It's really lovely as the teacher's love getting a gift voucher for somewhere they'll use and usually tell the children what they intend to buy, but the other staff tend to be the most moved that they've been remembered with a voucher or flowers or something. The PA do a great job as they tend to be able to get a really good idea of what the person would really like.

It's also completely anonymous. The collection tin is in the parents room in the school and each child is given a blank envelope in case they want to bring it in that way. There is no chasing, no one upmanship (in fact it's quite the reverse, it tends to be frowned upon to give more or to get an individual gift without a good reason).

They also do class cards. One of the teachers has said to me that the cards from this school are the main ones she's kept as one card a year is much easier to store over 10 years than 30.

happyinflorida

I've only ever given one teacher a present and that one was a teacher who was exceptionally good and really did her job beyond expectation.

No other has ever been as good, in fact in the senior school they are so bad that I think they should be giving the kids presents for putting up with them.

They get paid enough - my husband's on minimum wage and I'm not working, haven't been for few years due to health.

So they get more money than our household too.

I would give a present if I felt a teacher deserved it now - but wouldn't spend more than £5-10. I'd get my child to ask what the teacher would like first.

Marwell1

My sister is a teacher at a private school and she always gets expensive gifts at Christmas which she puts under the tree to open on Christmas Day. One year she had a smell in her lounge, which got worse and worse until she opened the presents on Christmas Day and found one of them contained a large Camembert cheese.

noodles86

pulliptears wrote: »

I've said it every year and I'll say it again this year, Oxfam gifts.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped

£5 will buy fertiliser for farmers in rural Myanmar or a share in a farmyard. £9.00 will buy safe water for 10 people.

When DD left her primary school we paid £10 to have books donated to a small village school in Africa in the name of the whole school. We thought it better to give a gift that was useful to many in the name of all the staff rather than giving a box of chocolates which, by the end of term the staff had dozens.

The teacher will receive:

This is what I have done after explaining it to dd, told my husband who said it was a stupid idea/waste of money and that I should get something that they would actually want like gift vouchers or wine!? For what it's worth I got the £10 for life long learning as thats what I believe they have given my child - her first step in learning.

noodles86

Marwell1 wrote: »

My sister is a teacher at a private school and she always gets expensive gifts at Christmas which she puts under the tree to open on Christmas Day. One year she had a smell in her lounge, which got worse and worse until she opened the presents on Christmas Day and found one of them contained a large Camembert cheese.

That made me chuckle, bless her! It's a long time to keep the surprise, the suspense would kill me!

Curlywurli

I'm a teacher and I appreciate all gifts that are given to me. A previous poster is right though- a thanks would be lovely. I went in on my day off took a class to do something special which parents attended and no one said thanks. I still have all of the cards written by children that I've taught.
If anyone was to buy me a present I'd love a pen or a mug. I always seem to need a supply of those. Oh and I do eat homemade cakes, biscuits and chocolate.