Teacher Gifts?

[disney junky]

Do you still give teachers gifts? If so, what kind? How much do you spend? At what age or grade level does this end?

 

[sommergirl25]

For Christmas? I have a 1st grader and we are doing small gifts for the teacher and student teacher. We are doing a cute cup full of their favorite candy and a teacher ornament. Less than 10 dollars a piece.

 

[Andtototoo]

I used to give gifts, then I saw teachers kvetching about every kind of gift on message boards and stopped.

 

[disney junky]

I used to give gifts, then I saw teachers kvetching about every kind of gift on message boards and stopped.

That's sad. The kvetching, not the not giving.

 

[Christine]

That's sad. The kvetching, not the not giving.

True; however, I guess year after year, 30 kids at a time, how many Bath and Beauty lotions can one stand? I wonder how many of the same, identical Hallmark ornaments does each teacher get in any given year? How many boxes of candy? How many "I Love My Teacher" mugs?

While I haven't seen any really horrible complaining (only the rumors of it), I have seen teachers just wish that the gifts wouldn't be "wasted" and maybe something given that they can use in the classroom such as a gift card to a bookstore or teacher supply store. Many teachers have to use their own money to augment their classrooms for certain activities.

 

[FlyingBelle]

I only taught kindergarten one year, but in that one year I received so many Christmas and/or teacher mugs to fill 2 boxes when I moved! I also received at least 10 teacher-related ornaments.

The gifts I loved were the gift cards. I was able to bundle several together at a local bookstore to get a couple things I really needed.

This year my oldest is in kindergarten - her teacher and aide are getting gift cards and fun markers/pens.

 

[marcyinPA]

For my own kids, I stopped when they reached middle school- with the exception of my DS17's freshman year of HS- and he was having a hard time adjusting to HS. We gave his two teachers that semester (block scheduling here) gift cards because they were saints!!

I teach preschool, and while I am thankful for every gift I receive, I prefer gift cards and edibles. I have SO MANY candles, mugs and ornaments- I end up putting them in my yard sale bin, or I re-gift them. One can have only so many of those things....

 

[*JoGo*]

My son's teachers are getting gift cards.

I get so many gifts, and trust me I love receiving gifts and am grateful, but my cupboards can only hold so many mugs, candles, ornaments... My favorite gifts were gift cards. Even $5 to a fast food place. I would bring my gifts home, squeeze them onto the dining room table, and have my mom come shopping!! I always kept a good amount but had so much stuff!

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Remember teachers can have food allergies too....you might not know about and they might not broadcast. They could also be trying to lose weight, have blood pressure issues, other health issues that prevent them from eating certain things.

While parents might think the ornament and mug and candy or homemade goodies are a good idea...probably not.

Same with scented candles, hand lotions, body washes, etc. You don't know allergies to smells or likes/dislikes of scents.

Buy cheap classroom supplies---extra paper, pencils, copy paper, pens, markers, crayons, books, etc. Like others said even a $5 gift card would be appreciated or even a note from your child.

I sub and see in every class mug after mug after mug in the cabinets. Ornaments and things that say world's best teacher, number one teacher, greatest teacher, etc etc.

As others said imagine 30 kids giving homemade things you can't eat or stinky candles or body scents you don't like Or 30 ornaments, mugs, etc etc.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I did up to 5th grade, but I probably won't this year - DS has 6 different teachers now, and he was embarassed to take in presents during teacher appreciation week last year because he said nobody else did.

Hmm, maybe if I sub at his school closer to Christmas, I'll leave a plate of cookies in the teachers' lunch room.

ETA - (I just read the post before mine, which wasn't there when I started typing.) They would be to share with whoever wanted some, so nobody would be stuck with them!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We usually give $5 bags of chocolates from Ghiradelli for each teacher.

As for food allergies or losing weight, if they don't like the chocolate, they can give it someone else or leave it in the break room.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

We usually give $5 bags of chocolates from Ghiradelli for each teacher.

As for food allergies or losing weight, if they don't like the chocolate, they can give it someone else or leave it in the break room.

Leaving it in the break room along with every other teacher who gets the stuff and can't eat it....lots of stuff just get thrown out. I've seen it....cookies people made (teachers don't know how clean your kitchen is or a kid might say my cat helped make these ). Of course every teacher will say THANKS...but why not spend the same amount on a gift card. They spend out of pocket for so much.....give them something they can really use!

To be blunt and honest the teachers would rather have you give a $5 gift card than the candy. They won't say that but it's true.

 

[Christine]

We usually give $5 bags of chocolates from Ghiradelli for each teacher.

As for food allergies or losing weight, if they don't like the chocolate, they can give it someone else or leave it in the break room.

I get what you're saying but why give a gift that they might just want to ditch in the break room?

 

[Andtototoo]

Leaving it in the break room along with every other teacher who gets the stuff and can't eat it....lots of stuff just get thrown out. I've seen it....cookies people made (teachers don't know how clean your kitchen is or a kid might say my cat helped make these ). Of course every teacher will say THANKS...but why not spend the same amount on a gift card. They spend out of pocket for so much.....give them something they can really use!

To be blunt and honest the teachers would rather have you give a $5 gift card than the candy. They won't say that but it's true.

Based upon what I've heard, then they'll complain that the $5 wasn't enough to really buy anything and/or that the gift card was to a store they don't shop at.

 

[ksjayhawks]

I agree with gift cards. Keep them to generic places==walmart, target, etc or a visa gift card. Then the teacher can get what he/she needs or wants. If you know a teacher loves starbucks or sonic or mcdonalds, you could get the card to that place.

 

[violetrose]

I used to give gifts, then I saw teachers kvetching about every kind of gift on message boards and stopped.

No kidding. I'm a teacher and I feel really embarrassed whenever I read those type of posts.

I teach high school, and usually receive a few presents each year. Nothing fancy, and always appreciated!~

 

[violetrose]

We usually give $5 bags of chocolates from Ghiradelli for each teacher.

As for food allergies or losing weight, if they don't like the chocolate, they can give it someone else or leave it in the break room.

Absolutely. I never had a problem giving away something I couldn't personally use. I think you can never go wrong with something edible - if I won't eat it, someone will!

 

[marcyinPA]

Absolutely. I never had a problem giving away something I couldn't personally use. I think you can never go wrong with something edible - if I won't eat it, someone will!

The only exception I can think of is if you KNOW the teacher is diabetic- please don't buy them a huge box of candy!

This happened to one of our preschool teachers last year. The parent came rushing in with a box of candy for each teacher, handed a box to one of the teachers and said "I know you can't eat this, but you can give it to someone else." Tacky tacky tacky! Seriously would have been better not to give her anything at all.

 

[cari12]

Our school has come up with a great solution to this. They have a Christmas Wish fund and they do a few events($1 photos with Santa for example) to raise money to help a few less fortunate families within the school have a better Christmas. They also send out a letter where the child/family can donate to the Christmas Wish Fund on behalf of the teacher in lieu of a gift. It's a win-win.

 

[Tinkh]

We always used to when my son was in middle and elementary school. High school there are just too many teachers. However, some of these threads just make me sad. I get it. Teachers want gift cards apparently, but I think that there was a huge lesson my son learned when we would shop for his teacher's presents. It taught him to pay attention to their likes and dislikes and also to be generous.
Every year, my son would pick his teacher's presents. One year it was a stuffed pig because his teacher had told him she loved pigs. I guess it's understandable that the teacher might not have been overjoyed with the present, but she was lovely and gracious about it. She appeared to really appreciate him paying attention to what she had told him at the beginning of the year. I don't think it should be about gift cards in my opinion, and I hope that teachers do recognize that even if they get 100 mugs that those little ones were probably picking those because the messages on there said "Best Teacher" or whatever.
A little one is going to learn how to buy for those they care about without expecting something in return. I would try to steer my son towards items that I thought his teacher would like the most, but 9/10 they want the catchy item that in their mind is the perfect gift.