Teachers' gifts: yes or no, buy or make, group or individual

System

I never once bought a teacher a gift. I assume this is a more recent thing? I can;t really say any of my teacher in particular inspired me or made me what i am. Whilst im grateful for them teaching me i also had ones that were terrible! Like a psychology teacher who it turned out wasnt even qualified and appeared on a channel 4 gameshow simulating oral sex on a watermelon. He went awol 2 weeks before our a level exams then turned up on exam day to "give us good luck".

PenguinOfDeath

I left school around 15 years ago and don't remember any teachers receiving gifts, primary or secondary.

Also, from what teacher friends say, if you do make cake, biscuits, jam etc don't expect the teacher to actually eat them, how are they to know what sort of hygiene was practised at the time?

bossymoo

This year is my youngest child's first year of full time school. She's on teacher number 7 (don't ask!!!)
The teachers there now will get nothing from us, but the TA has been with the class all year and been so supportive and such a steadying influence during all the upheaval that most of us have contributed to a cute cushion with an apple tree embroidered, with each child's name in an apple. I have no problem with the parents who didn't contribute for whatever reason, but all kiddies names were included regardless.
My eldest ones teacher is leaving (along with 70% of the teaching staff :eek:) this summer to teach overseas, so he will get a home made good luck card.

I'm not one for teacher gifts, but really feel the TA deserves some recognition, we don't feel she gets that from the school...

Tigsteroonie

I never gave any of my teachers a card or gift back in the *cough* 80s.

I don't give my son's teachers or TA cards or gifts now. They do a fantastic job but I don't know them, don't know what to give them, and feel that they are rewarded primarily by their salary and secondly by seeing the children's achievements.

Detroit

I would only buy a gift if I really appreciated the work the teacher had done, above and beyond the expectations of their role, and genuinely wanted to thank them.

If my child wanted to give a gift and the suggestion was from them, I would help them to do so.

If a collection was made for a teacher, I suppose I'd contribute a nominal amount, if I felt the teacher had done a good job.

Under no circumstances would I give a specific amount I felt pressured to, such as £15 as mentioned earlier.

In my view this is largely about enabling the parents organising the collection to buy and present something extravagant, to make a positive impression on the teacher.
Some people never grow out of the need to be teachers pet.

owlet

I worked for a number of years as a TA in a special needs school. There was on average, a teacher plus 3 TAs to each class with 6 to 7 pupils.
We used to get inundated with tins of chocolates to share between us. The first half a tin was lovely but within a day or two the table in the staff rooms were full of chocolates. About half would still be there come September then we'd get a months break from choc before the christmas presents came - yep, more chocolate lol
Then in January there would be some choc still from before christmas - plus what the staff brought in from home because they just couldn't face any more!!!

Don't get me wrong, it was lovely to see the children looking pleased when handing over their gifts & we made a big thing of thanking them but please...... no more chocolate!!

kimplus8

I usually spend a few pounds on teachers class so box of chicks for teacher and ta's to share but this year I'm skint so I can't. I just can't justify £20 on gifts to teachers as I have 7 in nursery/ school

Becles

I buy one of the teaching or child related gifts on Oxfam Unwrapped. The teachers seem to like the fact that some children somewhere will be getting books or stationery or something that will be really treasured and useful.

FreddieFrugal

A girl in my OH's class gave her a card with a short poem she'd written about her. Was probably the best and most thoughtful thing she's been given.


Just on the issue of giving gifts to teachers - it shouldn't be expected at all. It's just as (if not more) meaningful for a child to just say thank you or maybe a little card. It is the thought that counts.

Teachers do deserve thanks - they work rediculous hours, well beyond the limits of the school day and not because they choose to - because it's expected of them in order to complete their rediculous workload. Under constant scrutiny and changing goal posts.

Yet so many still make the time to try and make their lessons fun and engaging, to listen to children, to buy food for the ones who turn up unfed and unready for the school day, to run after school clubs.

A teachers job is enormous - if you take the average hours of most teachers they're barely above minimum wage.

Even with summer, Easter, Christmas and half term holidays - average teacher working hours over the year are still far higher than someone working 9-5 with 4 weeks off.

The fact that so many teachers manage to cope with the workload and the strain it puts on them and their own personal relationships and yet still manage to come into the classroom happy, enthusiastic and determined to do the best they can for their pupils - that is worthy of thanks.


There are rubbish teachers out there, just like there are rubbish people in every profession.

But if you've got a good one helping your child, then there's nothing wrong with wanting to thank them.

fatpiggy

I was at school in the 70s and 80s and we never gave our teachers presents or even cards. We still interacted with them after all until we left the school. My Mum taught infants and still sees some of her ex-pupils around the area. The leap to attention when they recognise her and make sure she is treated very well! Seriously though, her greatest reward is seeing that those little children in just an ordinary country village primary have gone on to have halfway decent jobs in a part of the world not known for availability of work, or have moved away to excellent jobs, got children of their own, bought homes and generally done alright. No child left my Mum's class unable to read, write or do their sums and that includes the lad with learning difficulties that everyone else had written off. School Inspector was left with his jaw hanging down when Mum insisted the boy was tested for his reading along with all the other children, and managed to get a goodly way down the list of words.