teachers- do you give thank you notes to students?

[KMH1]

I'd also give some of these people a break; they may not do their thank you's until AFTER Christmas. You may be bashing them prematurely.

I agree with this sentiment. When I taught, most of my high school students gave me gifts on the last day of school. I always made a list of items received, wrote my notes over the break, and gave each student his/her thank you on our first day back.

Something else I would like to point out is sometimes my students would leave baked goods on my desk with no note, while I was out of the room. In those cases, it was impossible to write thank you notes (I also advised two extra-curricular groups, so I couldn't just ask all my classes).

Amy

 

[RUDisney]

That's not what I meant. I meant for those that also give end of year gifts to these same teachers may want to reconsider if this is such an issue.

OK, I see what you mean.

I'd also give some of these people a break; they may not do their thank you's until AFTER Christmas. You may be bashing them prematurely.

I'm bashing those from seasons past. I have no idea what will come of the three gifts we sent in this year. All I know is that the teachers gushed over DD yesterday, but DS's teacher said he doesn't open anything in school, but will open it at home.

 

[soccerchick]

For those still interested, here's what Emily Post/Peegy Post say on the matter...From their website...

"If you’ve thanked someone in person for a gift, a thank-you note isn’t obligatory. But, it’s never wrong to write a thank-you note. If you receive gifts from family members that you won’t see to thank in person, write them a thank-you note—both to let them know their gift arrived and that you liked it. Remember that relatives from ‘the old school’ may still expect a written note even if thanks were given in person."

 

[beattyfamily]

I always get thank you notes and I appreciate that very much...but there were two times the thank you notes did not acknowledge the 'real' gift and only the chocolates. For example, last year, for the end of the year gift, I gave my DD's preschool teacher (that she had for 3 years straight) a $25 AMEX gift check and some chocolates and we got thanked for the chocolates. That worried me that maybe somehow she didn't get the gift check.

The other time I gave my DD's early intervention, speech therapist a bottle of wine, chocolates and a Christmas ornament frame with a picture of my DD in it and she only thanked me for the chocolates. Strange, but it doesn't really bother me. They probably just forgot what we gave them by the time they did the thank you card; it just makes me sometimes wonder if they actually got the gift or if it went missing!!

 

[Sandy51]

I try to get them written and hand them to the students before they leave for the day. However, today I had several gift put on my desk without a tag, so I don't know who they were from. I feel badly that I can't thank the tagless gift-givers.

Sandy

 

[Planogirl]

I don't know if anyone else said anything about this but our school has set up a different system. They asked that parents buy small gift cards and bring them to the office. Then the school will distribute the cards to the teachers and other staff. How they divide them up I don't know but they maintain that the teachers really like this. I guess that I can see why but it feels real impersonal. Plus the teachers never know which students gave anything.

This is a middle school by the way.

 

[Marseeya]

I don't know if anyone else said anything about this but our school has set up a different system. They asked that parents buy small gift cards and bring them to the office. Then the school will distribute the cards to the teachers and other staff. How they divide them up I don't know but they maintain that the teachers really like this. I guess that I can see why but it feels real impersonal. Plus the teachers never know which students gave anything.

This is a middle school by the way.

That would really tick me off! When my son was in middle school, there were 80% of the teachers who should have received lumps of coal and I sure wouldn't want to think of my gift going to them.

 

[aprilgail2]

My daughters teacehrs have always sent home thank you notes...she never brought them home from school though, they were always mailed right to the house. She even got one for bringing her teacehr home a pen from Disney!

 

[KathyFP]

DD gave her teachers gifts today and we got one thank you already.

We have always received thanks you.

 

[DVC Jen]

always always always!

 

[Nite0wl71]

My kids teachers have always sent thank you notes. Last year her teacher went away for Christmas break and her thank you note was sent on a postcard.

 

[Daxx]

Daxx's Wife here. I'm a teacher and I send every student a thank you note for gifts. Always have, always will. Hopefully, I'm instilling the importance of writing a note to thank someone for a gift and/or service.

I even send thank you notes to the Mom's who come in to help w/parties - I thank them for taking time out of their schedules and making the effort to make the parties special.

DS's teachers have always sent thank you notes for gifts he's given them.

 

[aprilgail2]

Why is it that we don't expect thank you notes from our family and friends, but we do from teachers, if we are gifting in the same spirit?

I TOTALLY expect thank yous from family and friends...I send thank you cards to every sinlge person, fmaily, friend , neighbor etc that gives my daughter a gift at christmas or her birthday and I expect others to do the same!!

 

[aprilgail2]

I don't know if anyone else said anything about this but our school has set up a different system. They asked that parents buy small gift cards and bring them to the office. Then the school will distribute the cards to the teachers and other staff. How they divide them up I don't know but they maintain that the teachers really like this. I guess that I can see why but it feels real impersonal. Plus the teachers never know which students gave anything.

This is a middle school by the way.

No way would i go for that...if they had that here then it would be the end of my gift giving to the teacher. I and I alone decide where a gift I buy goes to....I don't want it going to some teacher i don't even like or know! That is a pretty stupid system...punisheds the good teachers and rewards the bad ones that parents wouldn't have given to anyway!

 

[tiggerlover]

I can't remember all of DS's teachers, but I know his 2nd and 3rd grade teachers thanked us either in person or in a note or both. Not sure about his 4th grade teachers yet as they only received them today.

I am a big thank you note person, I think it is very important to ackowledge when someone gives you a gift. I have noticed that too many people do not feel the same way. I was brought up writing thank you notes, DS is being brought up to write thank you notes, it is just the proper thing to do.

 

[tiggerlover]

For those still interested, here's what Emily Post/Peegy Post say on the matter...From their website...

"If you’ve thanked someone in person for a gift, a thank-you note isn’t obligatory. But, it’s never wrong to write a thank-you note. If you receive gifts from family members that you won’t see to thank in person, write them a thank-you note—both to let them know their gift arrived and that you liked it. Remember that relatives from ‘the old school’ may still expect a written note even if thanks were given in person."

This is how we feel about family thank you's. If you are there in person to thank someone it is fine, but if you are not you need to ackowledge the gift in some way. When DS was younger he would make a picture and I would write thank you on it and send it to the relatives (and he would make a different one for each person). Now that he is older he writes his own notes on thank you cards we buy at the store. The rule is he has to have the cards completed within the week past receiving the gifts. As for our family reciprocating, my neice's (on my side of the family) will usually send me an email or phone call, which is fine, a thank you is a thank you and I love that they take the time to do it. However, DH's side of the family the only thank you's we usually get are from his parents by phone. We lived overseas for 8-1/2 years and rarely did we ever receive a thank you from DH's sisters or their kids for the gifts we sent.

 

[beattyfamily]

Why is it that we don't expect thank you notes from our family and friends, but we do from teachers, if we are gifting in the same spirit?

I don't expect thank you notes from my family and friends that I exchange with because we are giving each other gifts. When I give a teacher a gift, we are not exchanging. That's why I would appreciate a thank you note. It's one sided.

I expect my friends and family to send thank you notes for birthday gifts though as that is one-sided.

That's just how we handle it.

 

[KarenB]

Yes, I send home thank you notes with my students. I like to practice what I preach!! I have my students write thank you notes to visitors, speakers, helpers, etc.

I make my own DS that are 15 and 17 write them as well for gifts they receive. They now simply do it in their own. I hope it is something they will do well into adulthood!

 

[Grandma Bear]

Yes! Yes! Yes! There is no substitute for good manners. WE should practice what we preach. Ovewr the years I have gotten some unusual gifts and
some real surprises!

 

[bettyann29]

In past my kids have always gotten thank you notes from teachers and I always thought it was very thoughtful of them to take the time out to thank the kids.. This year my DD14 had a few teachers that she wanted to give a small something to and picked out a candle for them.. as far as I know she didnt get a thank you note, although her backpack is pretty scary and there could be one in there I know that both teachers though made her a small bag with candy in it for her, so maybe that was their way of thanking her.. she loved the bags of candy..