Teachers: What gifts did you receive?

[teacherforhi]

I have not said anything rude and I do not like you calling me rude. Isn't there a DIS law about name calling?

My husband is a cop. If he took "gifts" as thanks for his job he would be fired. As he should be. People in public service who accept gifts can be biased. Teachers are no different. My opinion.

Then I hope he never stops at any restaurant that gives discount to police officers and firefighters. I also hope he never uses his badge to get a discount at any store that offers it. Obviously, that would be wrong.

For the record, I received a hot chocolate gift set, a picture frame, and some chocolates. Each was appreciated, but it will in no way affect grades, I promise.

 

[dogluva]

No need for name calling. Just stating a fact.

Many kids go over and above as students but don't receive gifts from their teachers.

Yes, us teachers should pass out gifts to the good students and ignore the others! Really? I actually make up gift bags during the holidays and pass them out to all my students.

You are making it pretty clear how you feel about teachers. Your last post talked about how teachers how pass out assignments over break should "get a life". Did something happen to you as a kid at school to make you despise teachers so much? Your comments are very mean spirited and if you have kids, I hope you treat their teachers with some respect.

 

[Granny square]

I have not said anything rude and I do not like you calling me rude. Isn't there a DIS law about name calling?

My husband is a cop. If he took "gifts" as thanks for his job he would be fired. As he should be. People in public service who accept gifts can be biased. Teachers are no different. My opinion.

Working with a small group of people who count on the personal relationship is far different than protecting a town. We take gifts all the time to the fire department. Bad us!! And give gifts to our postal person. I've taken gifts to the social workers that I am in contact with.

Lol, just what kind of bias would your husband show for a pile of cookies, a cocoa mug, lol?

I'm not thinking the dis can make laws...

 

[LSmith]

Then I hope he never stops at any restaurant that gives discount to police officers and firefighters. I also hope he never uses his badge to get a discount at any store that offers it. Obviously, that would be wrong.

For the record, I received a hot chocolate gift set, a picture frame, and some chocolates. Each was appreciated, but it will in no way affect grades, I promise.

My husband is not allowed to get discounts at any restaurants. Never heard of it.

Bias happens. I promise.

 

[dogluva]

I have not said anything rude and I do not like you calling me rude. Isn't there a DIS law about name calling?

My husband is a cop. If he took "gifts" as thanks for his job he would be fired. As he should be. People in public service who accept gifts can be biased. Teachers are no different. My opinion.

You are really coming across like you don't like teachers. And rude is rude, no matter how you call it. I would like to know what you do for a living.

 

[LiveYourLife]

I have not said anything rude and I do not like you calling me rude. Isn't there a DIS law about name calling?

My husband is a cop. If he took "gifts" as thanks for his job he would be fired. As he should be. People in public service who accept gifts can be biased. Teachers are no different. My opinion.

Perhaps if you would have used your words to express your opinion as opposed to making comments that came off in a rude tone, other posters and myself wouldn't have been so quick to call you out.

 

[Minnie_me]

It's amazing to me how every single thread about teachers has a teacher-hater or two that just has to chime in.

Oh well.

Here's my two cents. I've been teaching for 26 years, in a rural community. I spend about $2,000 of my own money each year buying supplies for my classroom, from stickers to toys to furniture to books to craft materials. I am not unique in this fact. I don't know of any elementary level teacher who doesn't spend their own money. We all do it. No matter what our salary is. I happen to work in the lowest paying county in my area.

Each child in my classroom (30 students) receives a book on his/her birthday, from me. Each child in my classroom receives a book on Christmas, too, and another one for graduation. Some years, I can use my Scholastic bonus points to purchase these books. Some years I can't. But I still do it. And I do it because I want to. I do it because I absolutely adore the children, and I want to give them something that they can cherish and that will help them learn and grow.

On Christmas, I receive little tokens from 1/3 - 1/2 of my students. Mugs, ornaments, candles, etc. I usually have one or two parents who will give me gift cards. But the best gift (and I know that teachers will all agree with me) is the handwritten note. I love nothing more than hearing from a parent what I mean to their family. I have a "Smile File" where I keep such notes, and I love looking at them every August before school starts.



EDITED TO ADD: I thought that LSmith sounded familiar, and I looked back to find that she actually harassed me in July about a gift I'd received from a student! I ended up having her posts removed from the thread. Definitely someone with a grudge. :-(

 

[torinsmom]

I teach PreK/K and my gifts ranged from homemade cookies and candy to fancy soap to gift cards. I appreciate each one.

My assistant and I gave each child a stocking with their name written in glitter. Each had a pencil, 2 mini erasers, a bouncy ball, a candy cane and a teeny beanie baby I picked out to match their personality. The boys' stockings had a matchbox car and the girls' had a lip gloss. We also gave them a book. In addition, the last week of school, we made gingerbread houses, with supplies bought by us, and snowmen handprint ornaments for the parents, with supplies also bought by us.

 

[nursebetty]

I actually like hearing what others do. It's great for suggestions. I'm a nurse not a teacher and we are not allowed most gifts, but can accept goodies. It's always nice o be appreciated. Teachers have the same students day after day after day. You deserve a thank-you. And I'm sure those students can be a hand full.

 

[Jennasis]

If schools wish to make a policy forbidding teachers from accepting gifts then so be it (like LSmith's husband's police dept.) Until such time, feel free to accept gifts from your students and ignore people whose opinions you disagree with.

 

[nursebetty]

I think giving a police officer a gift is called bribery. Probably not a smart move.

 

[dogluva]

I also spend tons of my own money on my students. I participate in buying gifts and food for our students who come from low income homes. I have brought in clothes and coats for students who needed them. I could go on but I am not trying to toot my own horn. I do pretty much what all the teachers I work with do. That is how teachers usually are. They care about their students and it is not about a paycheck. I would have chosen a different profession if it was. I do it because I love it and the kids make it all worth while. I can't imagine retiring even after 24 years of it.

Many of my students parents appreciate the hard work we do for their kids so they have their children bring us gifts (or make them, even better). What is the problem with that? My own children LOVED to pick out gifts for their teachers. I really don't know why we have to explain ourselves. I don't have my own classroom so I do not get as many gifts. However, the ones I get, I love regardless of what it is because it means they thought of me! That makes all we do worth it.

I am saddened after everything that has happened in CT that there are still people out there that dislike teachers and continue to bash them.

 

[LSmith]

It's amazing to me how every single thread about teachers has a teacher-hater or two that just has to chime in.

Oh well.

Here's my two cents. I've been teaching for 26 years, in a rural community. I spend about $2,000 of my own money each year buying supplies for my classroom, from stickers to toys to furniture to books to craft materials. I am not unique in this fact. I don't know of any elementary level teacher who doesn't spend their own money. We all do it. No matter what our salary is. I happen to work in the lowest paying county in my area.

Each child in my classroom (30 students) receives a book on his/her birthday, from me. Each child in my classroom receives a book on Christmas, too, and another one for graduation. Some years, I can use my Scholastic bonus points to purchase these books. Some years I can't. But I still do it. And I do it because I want to. I do it because I absolutely adore the children, and I want to give them something that they can cherish and that will help them learn and grow.

On Christmas, I receive little tokens from 1/3 - 1/2 of my students. Mugs, ornaments, candles, etc. I usually have one or two parents who will give me gift cards. But the best gift (and I know that teachers will all agree with me) is the handwritten note. I love nothing more than hearing from a parent what I mean to their family. I have a "Smile File" where I keep such notes, and I love looking at them every August before school starts.



EDITED TO ADD: I thought that LSmith sounded familiar, and I looked back to find that she actually harassed me in July about a gift I'd received from a student! I ended up having her posts removed from the thread. Definitely someone with a grudge. :-(

Oh you tattled to a mod? Yes, I remember. Harassed you? Hilarious! Lots of people disagreed with you on that thread.

 

[handinpocket]

I have not said anything rude and I do not like you calling me rude. Isn't there a DIS law about name calling?

My husband is a cop. If he took "gifts" as thanks for his job he would be fired. As he should be. People in public service who accept gifts can be biased. Teachers are no different. My opinion.

Well, Merry Christmas to you! I see teachers as highly valued members of our society.....entrusted with our most treasured children. Teachers are not servants, but rather instrumental in shaping our children. I couldn't give a monetary gift that would suffice. My children's teachers are PRICELESS!

 

[Granny square]

Oh you tattled to a mod? Yes, I remember. Harassed you? Hilarious! Lots of people disagreed with you on that thread.

Lol, but if the comments were removed you must ha token a dis law.... That being your big concern and all

 

[Minnie_me]

Oh you tattled to a mod? Yes, I remember. Harassed you? Hilarious! Lots of people disagreed with you on that thread.

Others disagreed, yes, but you were downright nasty. You flat out accused me of misappropriating funds meant for my classroom, as well as accepting "bribes" and giving children better grades based on what their parents gifted me. You didn't suggest or hint at it, you stated it as if it were fact. And while I did report you, the mod told me that other people had already reported you and she was already in the process of removing your posts. You seem to have trouble with teachers, and I don't know why. Most of us (myself included) love what we do, and have our students' best interests at heart.

 

[dogluva]

Well, Merry Christmas to you! I see teachers as highly valued members of our society.....entrusted with our most treasured children. Teachers are not servants, but rather instrumental in shaping our children. I couldn't give a monetary gift that would suffice. My children's teachers are PRICELESS!

WOW this is really nice. Thank you. I think I needed that after reading some other comments.

 

[LiveYourLife]

I am enjoying all of the stories from you of what your Students have given you. I especially like the one about the student who told his Teacher he was going to work harder for the rest of the school year.

There are a couple of things that a few of my Teachers taught me that have stuck with me my entire life. I think of those Teachers often. It's a thankless profession and I see no harm in Teachers accepting small gifts from their Students during the Holiday season.

 

[LiveYourLife]

Well, Merry Christmas to you! I see teachers as highly valued members of our society.....entrusted with our most treasured children. Teachers are not servants, but rather instrumental in shaping our children. I couldn't give a monetary gift that would suffice. My children's teachers are PRICELESS!

Very well said!

 

[handinpocket]

WOW this is really nice. Thank you. I think I needed that after reading some other comments.

Thank you for what YOU do! We have been so blessed with such lovely and caring teachers. When your children tell you they can't wait till Monday to see Mrs."insert name". It makes your heart smile.