A question for teachers

[leight]

I am very happy with the idea that our class mom brought up this year- a gift card wreath- anyone who wants to participate sends in their own gift cardfor the teacher and it is added to the wreath. I love this idea- as it is more personalized and yet will give a variety of treats for teacher to use as she wants.

 

[NotUrsula]

Our PTO takes up a collection every year and divides it among all the teachers. BEST. IDEA. EVER.

No hassle with trying to come up with a good gift, and the teachers are happy to get a cash bonus. Suggest it to your PTO.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I do a Borders gift card every year for Christmas. And if I really like the teacher then I also give one at the end of the school year as well.

Dance teachers get an Itunes gift card as I figure they can use it for either their personal Ipods or download music for the class.

 

[3boymthr]

Our PTO takes up a collection every year and divides it among all the teachers. BEST. IDEA. EVER.

No hassle with trying to come up with a good gift, and the teachers are happy to get a cash bonus. Suggest it to your PTO.

Until this year it was a tradition that the HRP at our school did something like this but no more . The state of Massachusetts has decided that it is immoral for teachers to accept gifts with a value of more than $50 - even a group gift from 23 kids. . So now we all have to start coming up with our own gifts again. I'm sure the teachers appreciated the Gift Card to A.C. Moore and Staples or borders or much better than getting a bunch of candles and stuff.

 

[NotUrsula]

The state of Massachusetts has decided that it is immoral for teachers to accept gifts with a value of more than $50 - even a group gift from 23 kids.

I think I'd be calling my legislator. There should be an exception for gifts collected and disbursed by a non-profit third party. If the teacher does not know the source of the gift then it is impossible for it to result in preferential treatment for anyone.

What the state thinks doesn't matter in our case b/c it is a private school. No one knows how much money any one family gives, because it is all sent in as cash in envelopes to the school office or to a PTO officer's home, collected by the PTO, then split evenly among all the staff members except the Principal. We give about $100 each year, and we have one child (who has 8 teachers); I'm sure that there are some families who give nothing, and some that give quite a lot more. We are normally not told how much each staff member recieves, but last year I happened to find out because I knew someone on the committee; they each got $300. There are 43 staff members who are eligible, so we can infer that the total collected was equal to about $40/student.

 

[Mkrop]

Our PTO takes up a collection every year and divides it among all the teachers. BEST. IDEA. EVER.

No hassle with trying to come up with a good gift, and the teachers are happy to get a cash bonus. Suggest it to your PTO.

I think I'd be calling my legislator. There should be an exception for gifts collected and disbursed by a non-profit third party. If the teacher does not know the source of the gift then it is impossible for it to result in preferential treatment for anyone.

What the state thinks doesn't matter in our case b/c it is a private school. No one knows how much money any one family gives, because it is all sent in as cash in envelopes to the school office or to a PTO officer's home, collected by the PTO, then split evenly among all the staff members except the Principal. We give about $100 each year, and we have one child (who has 8 teachers); I'm sure that there are some families who give nothing, and some that give quite a lot more. We are normally not told how much each staff member recieves, but last year I happened to find out because I knew someone on the committee; they each got $300. There are 43 staff members who are eligible, so we can infer that the total collected was equal to about $40/student.

This is what our private school does as well. This way it covers all teachers, even the Specials teachers like PE, Music, Art etc and the maintenance and support staff. It is anoymous as well which many people complain about. Since they do not know which families contribute, I contribute half to that and the other half I get a gift card. This year I got the teachers all gift cards to Panera Bread.

 

[Cinderella94]

My mom has been a 1st grade teacher for 20 years.

Candles- NO WAY JOSE. Every candle (or apple-related decor) she gets ends up in our next yard sale.

Gift cards = . Even $5 ones to Starbucks are great.

 

[aprilgail2]

Our PTO takes up a collection every year and divides it among all the teachers. BEST. IDEA. EVER.

No hassle with trying to come up with a good gift, and the teachers are happy to get a cash bonus. Suggest it to your PTO.

I wouldn't care for ours to do that- some teachers we like more than others and give more than others- one year we gave a 10.00 gift card since the teacher was ALWAYS absent and we just weren't crazy about her- this year the teacher is great so we are giving to the class collection and getting her a 25.00 movie theater gift card to go with that.

 

[daisyduck123]

Would you enjoy receiving a candle for a Christmas present? I love candles and would love to get one. However, I worry that the teacher may end up with a bunch of heavy candles to take home. I took advantage of the buy 2 get 2 free Yankee candles & now I'm second guessing. Opinions appreciated...

Oh please no...none for me, thanks. I have put dozens, literally, of candles in my annual yard sales over the course of the 20 years I've been teaching.

I would love though, a $5.00 gift card to just about anywhere.

 

[ReneeA]

I get each of my children'ts teachers a gift card to Target every year. I figure they can always find something great there.

 

[MM27]

I appreciate any gift I get from students, but many of them end up at my local SPCA's thrift shop. I am not a candle person, makes my allergies act up, so while I would send a nice thank you card, it's not something that I would actually use. Same thing with Bath&Body Works type items.

I've mentioned here on the DIS before that I once received a red thong from a student for Valentine's Day Don't know what type of thought was put into that one, but the teacher I am departmentalized with got the same thing. We joked that we would have to wear them on the same day. So while I appreciate the thought, not everything will be as practical for all people.

 

[RhondaL]

I teach 7th grade so I don't usually get a lot of gifts. The ones I like the best are handwritten/drawn cards from my students. A small gift card for a local eating establishment so on days when school lunch is yucky or I forget my lunch, I have a "free" lunch. Also, books or games for my classroom.

 

[torinsmom]

I'm thinking about giving DDs' (twins in Pre-K) teacher and teacher assistants $25 gift cards to a nail salon near school. That would be enough for a deluxe pedicure or manicure. Good idea?

Any advice from teachers and teacher assistants would be appreciated.

Well, if you know that your childs' teachers get manicures, it would be great. I don't do manicures. I can't afford it and also don't like other people massaging my hands and feet anyway. I would rather have gc to Target or to a school supply store.

Marsha

 

[Lanshark]

It's the thought that counts but candles cause my allergies to go haywire. It seems to be a very popular gift and I receive several every year.

 

[mumto3girls]

I love Yankee candles and so for the first few years I had a child in school that was what I bought for each of the teachers. Then I started reading the disboards and now I just do a gift card for either Borders or Barnes and Noble. I figure most teachers are readers and if not, there are games, movies, music and usually a cafe. I think Target would be a great gift card as well. For my daughter's preschool teacher I was thinking what I should really get her is a bottle of wine, but I don't know if she actually drinks! If I were teaching that classthat's what I would want.