Teacher gifts

[kajs22]

Yes we get a list of all allergies in the classroom at the beginning of the year. Any other missing excuses for such poor behavior?

 

[ekatiel]

At the beginning of the school year, all our school's teachers fill out a "likes" list. It covers everything from scents of lotions to favorite restaurants or favorite gift cards. The room mom gets the list and gives it to the other moms. It's very helpful to know exactly what each teacher likes . Here's what's on the list:
Favorite Color
Favorite Candy
Favorite drinks
Favorite Bath & Body wash/lotion
Favorite Baked sweet treat
Favorite Flower
Favorite Magazine(s)
Favorite fast food restaurants
Favorite Restaurants
Favorite Patterns
Gift Cards From
Favorite Candles
Special Dislikes
List of Allergies

Anyhow, asking the teacher to fill out a list like this might be helpful. I know I always find them useful.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

I teach middle school, and I don't care how pretty the homemade baked goods are, they are all going in the trash as soon as I get home. I guarantee that 95% of my coworkers do the same thing, and it's nothing personal. I'm sorry, but when I see kids (nice, clean kids for the most part) pick their noses, wipe their dish from lunch clean with their tie, sneeze on their homework before turning it in, leave the bathroom without washing their hands, etc (you name it, we've seen it), I am not so inclined to eat anything they may have touched. I'm also really picky, so if I don't know exactly what's in something, I'm not eating it anyway.

My coworkers and I always say we wish the parents would just take the $ they spent on baking ingredients (which we acknowledge are expensive) and give us a $5 gift card to pretty much anywhere. I would even rather have a dorky teacher ornament. I love to put ornaments on my tree and remember the students who gave them to me. I've had kids give me Disney ornaments bc they know I love Disney, and it always makes me feel good when the gift is personal like that - it means they're paying attention to literally everything, and I think it's really sweet.

Funniest gift - once I had a kid staple a $20 bill to a Christmas card. Not the most personal gift I've ever received, but I will certainly never forget it! Haha.

 

[disykat]

At the beginning of the school year, all our school's teachers fill out a "likes" list. It covers everything from scents of lotions to favorite restaurants or favorite gift cards. The room mom gets the list and gives it to the other moms. It's very helpful to know exactly what each teacher likes . Here's what's on the list:
Favorite Color
Favorite Candy
Favorite drinks
Favorite Bath & Body wash/lotion
Favorite Baked sweet treat
Favorite Flower
Favorite Magazine(s)
Favorite fast food restaurants
Favorite Restaurants
Favorite Patterns
Gift Cards From
Favorite Candles
Special Dislikes
List of Allergies

Anyhow, asking the teacher to fill out a list like this might be helpful. I know I always find them useful.

It would make me so uncomfortable to have to fill this out! My vote would be a game, book, or puzzle for the classroom. A bean bag or large pillow would be great too!

 

[danygirl]

The last few years of elementary school we had to buy scrip for fundraising. The school decreed that ALL teachers would receive scrip (room parents picked which one) in the same dollar amount and each class was assigned two staff members to buy for. I am sure that the teachers hated this

 

[mrshoffman]

To those who give homemade food---do you know the teacher that well that you know if they are gluten free, have a dairy allergy or a nut allergy or that a family member doesn't? Do you think a teacher would ever say I don't like it...more likely oh we loved your cookies (even if they did end up in the trash due to allergies you didn't know about)?

Great point. Most ladies I know are on some restrictions-carbs, sugar, gluten, nuts, soy...

 

[mrshoffman]

It would make me so uncomfortable to have to fill this out! My vote would be a game, book, or puzzle for the classroom. A bean bag or large pillow would be great too!

Agreed! We have something similar where I teach--I don't want strangers attempting to buy something in my favorite pattern/color etc... And my "favorites" change based on the season. I leave most of it blank. Would it be rude to just write in Sharpie across the page, "Disney Gift Cards Please"?

 

[mjkacmom]

Wow - you all really chuck the home baked gifts??? That makes me so sad - we usually spend a lot of time and energy plus expense sending in trays of cookies and gift cards to the elementary school teachers and staff. My daughter and I use family recipes passed down from generations and bake from scratch. Hope our teachers don't share your distaste for this. BTW - she doesn't place her hands in any inappropriate places and from what I am told I should open my own bakery.

With the amount of teachers who have chimed in on these threads regarding tossing homemade goodies, I stopped my annual peanut brittle gifting (and I made it - kids weren't even involved). Thinking about it, I don't blame them for not eating it.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

With the amount of teachers who have chimed in on these threads regarding tossing homemade goodies, I stopped my annual peanut brittle gifting (and I made it - kids weren't even involved). Thinking about it, I don't blame them for not eating it.

I sub and lots of times in the same classes over the year so I get to know the kids and see stuff the teachers do. When you see a child come reeking of smoke I think I'd pass on the food. When you see a child irrigating their nose or not washing their hands after using the restroom (based on other kids saying so) I think I'd pass on the food. When you see kids with the school issued ipad that is gross and dirty (I cringe at having to help kids on them when covered in IDK what) I think I'd pass.

When a child has just some of those basic issues you wonder about the adults in the house! There is a teacher who presents herself very well....no one will eat anything she makes....and she brings in stuff lots. It is because she has said and had pictures of HER CATS ON THE KITCHEN COUNTERS!

That is probably why lots is pitched. The teacher would never say anything but that might be reasoning behind it. Unless you are BFF with the teacher than you might want to reconsider. Also, how do you know the teacher...like lots of people aren't watching what they eat. Say 5-6 kids bring in a plate of goodies...thats lots of extras for someone trying to watch caloric intake. Also if you multiply that by the number of teachers who might take to the break room you can imagine why!

 

[jensen]

You cannot imagine how much I struggle with teacher's gifts every year. I constantly second-guess my choices after reading these threads with all the negative comments saying how teachers don't like this and don't like that.

I WISH our school would do a group gift so I don't have to go through the trauma every year!

But, what really burns me... when I go through all the effort to send a gift and I don't get a thank you note. In over 10 years of sending gifts to dozens of teachers, I think I've gotten one or two notes back. That's plain rude!

 

[purpledisneyprncess]

You cannot imagine how much I struggle with teacher's gifts every year. I constantly second-guess my choices after reading these threads with all the negative comments saying how teachers don't like this and don't like that.

I WISH our school would do a group gift so I don't have to go through the trauma every year!

But, what really burns me... when I go through all the effort to send a gift and I don't get a thank you note. In over 10 years of sending gifts to dozens of teachers, I think I've gotten one or two notes back. That's plain rude!

That's too bad that the teachers don't send a thank you note home. My kids teachers always send one. Also, I'm the class mom for parties and I always get a thank you note from the teachers for coming in to help. 1 year the kindergarten teacher gave me a gift!

Regarding all the talk about homemade goods and them most likely getting trashed because teachers see kids picking their noses, etc. I'm sure the mom or dad making the treats with the kids (that's if the kids even help) make the kids wash hands right before touching food. Honestly think about when you are eating out at a restaurant, Dunkin Donuts, etc. workers can do disgusting things then touch your food. No difference! Just a chance you take when eating food prepared by anyone other than yourself. Now with that said, I never give baked goods. It's too expensive to worry if it'll get trashed. I know a gift card and a homemade card or non edible gift is preferred and that's what I do.

 

[danygirl]

I taught preschool for 9 years. Ate all the cookies and wrote personal thank you notes. Each and every child deserved that

 

[kajs22]

You cannot imagine how much I struggle with teacher's gifts every year. I constantly second-guess my choices after reading these threads with all the negative comments saying how teachers don't like this and don't like that.

I WISH our school would do a group gift so I don't have to go through the trauma every year!

But, what really burns me... when I go through all the effort to send a gift and I don't get a thank you note. In over 10 years of sending gifts to dozens of teachers, I think I've gotten one or two notes back. That's plain rude!

 

[twinz]

Check PINTEREST, I have no kids nor am I a teacher but I seen some cute gift ideas on there (eg. wrapping paper with tape and a cute little note, or hot chocolate package). Good luck to all you parents buying gifts for your kids teachers.

 

[jenluvs2go2disney]

I had sent my kids teachers a list asking their likes and what they liked to have for their classrooms. Both teachers said they love to receive games. I plan on giving each teacher a gift card, but would like to purchase something the kids can enjoy too.

Does anyone have any suggestions for games for kindergarten and second grade classrooms?

 

[TJA]

We are elementary, grade 5.
No home-made goodies are allowed to be brought into the school.

When Vera Bradley.com recently had that huge sale, I bought the brownish color (neutral) items to give the lady teachers my kids have (a beautiful photo album, a brag book that latches shut, one of those tri-fold travel bags, and a wristlet).

For the awesome 3 men gym teachers, I will give them each a gift card to a sports store.

 

[mistysue]

Does anyone have any suggestions for games for kindergarten and second grade classrooms?

"Spot it" -its a cute card matching game that allows multiple players. There is also some sort of expanded or ultimate edition, but I have not tried that yet.

 

[AZMermaid]

My first graders love Guess Who, Uno and Connect Four.

 

[meajuly5]

Easy dice game that my second grader borrows from school all the time is called shut the box. Old school. Great for math skills

 

[disykat]

You cannot imagine how much I struggle with teacher's gifts every year. I constantly second-guess my choices after reading these threads with all the negative comments saying how teachers don't like this and don't like that.

I WISH our school would do a group gift so I don't have to go through the trauma every year!

But, what really burns me... when I go through all the effort to send a gift and I don't get a thank you note. In over 10 years of sending gifts to dozens of teachers, I think I've gotten one or two notes back. That's plain rude!

Just stop the madness! Why give the teachers gifts?

The whole gift thing doesn't make sense to me in general unless you're giving to people you are close to that you enjoy giving to. Struggling to find a gift, then the teacher having to write you a thank you, it's all time consuming.

My preference as a teacher is NO GIFTS. As a parent, I volunteered regularly and made sure the teachers knew how much I appreciated them, but I did not give them gifts! (although I did coordinate some classroom gifts signed by the kids.) It's a foreign idea to me that it seems to be expected since I haven't taught in higher income areas. I've usually gotten a few gifts (maybe 5 students out of 25) and they are simple tokens.

I'm currently teaching in a wealthier demographic. Reading these threads, I'm already starting to dread getting gifts from students. I have to balance being thankful to the kids who bring things with not making the kids who didn't bring things somehow feel they did something wrong. I have to figure out what to do with the stuff, much of which will be scented. It makes me uncomfortable to think of people spending money on me. Then I have to get thank you notes out while trying to wrap up my work and start my vacation. (I have always done thank you notes.)

Have I gotten gifts I've enjoyed? Sure. I have ornaments on my tree from students, I use (and enjoy) the mugs. I have "class gifts" decorating my classroom. I think fondly of the students who gave them to me each time I see them. But is it worth all the angst I see here? I don't think so. I can feel appreciated by families and remember them fondly with or without a gift.

Reading this, I'm thinking I should send out an email soon about supply needs for the classroom and see if it would steer people that way!