Parents, do you buy gifts for your child's teacher?

[Kitty 34]

I have given teachers gifts at Christmas but usually just thank you notes at the end of the year.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I send in something every month. It is usually a small gesture. For example, Sept.-back to school survival kit filled with snacks, Oct.-small blinking pumpkin, Nov.-decorative plates and napkins, tied with a ribbon and a cheese spreader. This month I sent in jars filled with silver hershey kisses tied with a blue ribbon. Between my 3 children, they have 8 teachers.

I'll bake mini banana bread loaves or chocolate chip cookies for their coffee breaks. Whenever I bake, I make enough to send in something extra to the teachers.

I do this because we appreciate what our teachers do for our children. I know how hard they work and want to support them. I enjoy brightening their day in a very small way.

Lori

 

[mickeyfan2]

I would say a Christmas gift and an end of year gift would be it. For other time I would have the kid make something. I would also have the kid write a nice note at the end of the year to tell the teacher how much she ment to the child.

 

[KAMLEM]

This is a little OT but those of you that are teachers, how do you feel about getting baked goods? I have a friend who is a teacher and she said that she felt bad whenever she would received something that someone cooked at home because she wouldn't eat it. She said she just wasn't comfortable with it.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

We just moved this summer and thus, my boys are in a new school. I was shocked to find out that our school discourages gift giving to the teachers. Instead, the teachers keep a list of books that they would like for the room and we are encouraged to buy a book from the list for the classroom. It is a really nice idea. I don't know a teacher out there that needs another "I'm great teacher" coffee mug .

Children are encouraged to make homemade cards. We did bring back small gifts for the classroom from Disney. We bought bags of those "goofy" spiral/unicorn pops and boxed of cookies. We also sent postcards to the classroom.

 

[Disney Doll]

My neighbor is a teacher, and she gets gifts at Christmas and at the end of the year.

I will say that although she appreciates the thought behind every gift, she has enough "World's Greatest teacher" items to open her own store. She generally prefers gift certificates to a bookstore or an office supply store, since a lot of what teachers do in their classrooms such as bulletin boards etc. comes out of their own pockets as far as supplies And every teacher always has at least one kid in their classroom with parents who either don't care or can't afford to buy the child what they need, so the teacher ends up subsidizing that child for their supplies.

 

[daisyduck123]

I send in something every month. It is usually a small gesture. For example, Sept.-back to school survival kit filled with snacks, Oct.-small blinking pumpkin, Nov.-decorative plates and napkins, tied with a ribbon and a cheese spreader. This month I sent in jars filled with silver hershey kisses tied with a blue ribbon. Between my 3 children, they have 8 teachers.

I'll bake mini banana bread loaves or chocolate chip cookies for their coffee breaks. Whenever I bake, I make enough to send in something extra to the teachers.

I do this because we appreciate what our teachers do for our children. I know how hard they work and want to support them. I enjoy brightening their day in a very small way.

Lori

You sound like an awesome parent!

 

[daisyduck123]

This is a little OT but those of you that are teachers, how do you feel about getting baked goods? I have a friend who is a teacher and she said that she felt bad whenever she would received something that someone cooked at home because she wouldn't eat it. She said she just wasn't comfortable with it.

Teacher here....

I only eat baked goods from a few certain moms who are close friends of mine. The others end up in the Teachers' Lounge or the copy room.
While they are greatly appreciated, I just can't bring myself to eat food from an unfamiliar household kitchen. I have a neighbor who has cat hair floating all over her kitchen.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

We usually give gifts at Christmas and at the end of the year, however in the middle of the year everyone is asked to contribute $5 so that the teacher can order in her lunch for one week. There are always the brown nosers who think showering the teachers with gifts for every little thing is going to win the teacher over! Because we donate a lot of supplies throughout the year, when I do give gifts I try to give something that's just for the teacher. Usually Starbucks cards, candles or a Barnes & Noble gift certificate. I try and keep it under $20.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

You sound like an awesome parent!

Thanks

It's amazing what some people will eat when it is put in a teacher's lounge. I've even had food taken out of my lunchbag in the the lounge refrigerator.

I don't think I could stop giving treats now. I'm getting quite the reputation at each school. I've had teachers tell me that they were secretly hoping to get my child because of my goodies. I feel that everyone deserves to feel appreciated.

Lori

 

[disykat]

I don't equate giving gifts with appreciation, so I really don't. We do give a book to the teacher from their wish list at the bookfair, send in any supplies that are asked for or I note are needed when I'm in volunteering, food for the teacher appreciation luncheon, and write a thank you note at the end of the year. However, in our family holiday gift giving is pretty minimal and just for family so we only do that if we have a special personal relationship with the teacher.

I'm a teacher myself, and never really noticed a difference in appreciation between those who give gifts and those who don't. We also do not have the kind of gift giving going on in our area (at least at the schools I've been in) that people report here.

 

[rt2dz]

We give the teachers a gift at Christmas & at the end of the year. I also get a little something for the scools AA and director & my sons teachers aid for about $5 each. It's just a little something to say thanks for making my sons day a good one with all the work they do. I spend about $15-$20 on the teahers. We always try and make it something practical-- a giftcard generally or a photo album. Sometimes it's just a 4-5 dozen cookies.

At the beginning of the year we send in one or two of all the requested items--a large box of kleenex, a roll of film, etc. Then throughout the year we participate in the fundriasers that helps cover the other costs and donate a book off the wish list at the book fairs. Both DH and I also volunteer our time.

Oh yeah...Groups of parents get together and supply lunch for the teachers every Monday and breakfast every Thursday. Each group picks a "theme" and only has to do it once. I do that. This is organized by our PTO at the beginning of the year by requesting volunteers.

 

[Skywalker]

We also do Christmas and end of the year. And nothing too expensive or elaborate.

 

[1of6]

As a rule we do Christmas and end of the year. But I always get a few things from the wish list at conference time. I would love to do more for DS(9) & DD(7) teachers but just can't. DS(4) has been in speech class since 2. He has 8 teachers (including OT, PT,speech threapist, aides...) plus 2 different bus drivers. The parents supply snack on a volunteer basis so I am constantly sending goodies. This is his second year with these teachers and he will be with them for another 3. They are awsome!!! I feel bad that my other kids teachers don't get a lot of extra stuff but I just can't afford it.