Question About Christmas & Teachers
Hey all!
SO! This was my son's first year in preschool. We've been SO incredibly blessed with the teacher, the aids and ALL of his therapists. He even started riding the bus (Such a big boy!)
My question is do you get the teachers in your children's lives gifts for the holidays? I really want to try to do something nice for them since they bless me every single day that they love my son. I was thinking about baking something, muffins, cookies, truffles...fudge....yummmm...and putting it in tins to give them but it almost doesn't seem like enough!
What do you do?
) Please tell this inexperienced mom!!!
SO! This was my son's first year in preschool. We've been SO incredibly blessed with the teacher, the aids and ALL of his therapists. He even started riding the bus (Such a big boy!)
My question is do you get the teachers in your children's lives gifts for the holidays? I really want to try to do something nice for them since they bless me every single day that they love my son. I was thinking about baking something, muffins, cookies, truffles...fudge....yummmm...and putting it in tins to give them but it almost doesn't seem like enough!
What do you do?
) Please tell this inexperienced mom!!! 0
Replies
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I've done it a few times, espcially if the teacher has been very helpful for my daughter (unlike her 3rd grade teacher GRR!). I've done gift cards to starbucks, Burts Bees gift packs, bath & body baskets, candles, and food certificates. It just depends on the teacher and what they seem to like.
A few of my friends are teachers and I know how difficult a job it is, so giving them a little something to show my gratitude for them is always nice.0 -
I don't know if ALL teachers do this, but my sister in law is a teacher and says she throws away any home made goods the kids give her.
I didn't ask her why, but I'm not sure if this is a common practice among teachers.
FYI: she's a total b**** so I do not hold her practices to be any kind of standard among teachers.
Charmagne0 -
:blushing:I don't know if ALL teachers do this, but my sister in law is a teacher and says she throws away any home made goods the kids give her.
I didn't ask her why, but I'm not sure if this is a common practice among teachers.
FYI: she's a total b**** so I do not hold her practices to be any kind of standard among teachers.
Charmagne
LMAO!! as I mentioned, some of my friends are teachers, and I kinda don't blame her. :blushing:0 -
#1 best gift -- a thank you card
#2 best gift -- a gift card to a coffee shop/donut shop/book chain/restaurant group
#3 best gift -- gift card for a spa treatment/night at the movies/video rentals
#4 best gift -- a gift for the classroom like a puzzle, book or board game for indoor recesses0 -
i am a speech-language pathologist working in an elementary school and my fiance is a teacher and homemade gifts are appreciated
however, to be truthful, it depends on the family whether they are eaten or just appreciated any of the things on the list you mentioned sounded great to me though yum!!!! gift cards for coffee, panera, etc are always good gifts as well...or gifts for the classroom...so are homemade cards decorated by the student...i have a collection of cards signed by kids that i have worked with in the past that i have kept 0 -
We always do teacher gifts. Baking is really dependent on if you are 1) good at it and 2) they know you are good and appreciate a delicious treat. Last year, I got an Old Navy deal for scarves for a $1. Everyone got a scarf. This year I am baking cookies. It is good to have your child present the teacher with a gift. It is gracious and also an important character trait. When your child sees the look on the receivers face, he will feel very special and important. It is also good to appreciate the people who are loving on your child all day.0
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I will be sending a card with a $10 gift card for each teacher and a card with a lotto ticket for each aide in their class. ALSO please don't forget the bus driver! :n) I totally
my kids' bus driver. She's just the best! I'll be giving her a gift card.
The one thing I can say is that I have a friend who is a teacher and when I mentioned this to her before, she asked me PLEASE not to give their teachers any mugs, because they always get like a zillion of them. lol0 -
Yes! Give the teachers in your life a gift!!! As a teacher who is currently working at a Head Start, anything is appreciated!!
The baked goods sound so yummy, but remember that most schools have lots of parties both with kids and just staff and there are usually lots of that being given out. But that doesnt mean that it is not appreciated. Something made from the student is also awesome!! Classroom gifts also rock!! What a fantastic parent you are for thinking of the teachers!! WOOHOOO!!0 -
This is AWESOME! And I mentioned him riding the bus but didn't finish that thought, LOVE HIS BUS DRIVER! There is like not one person at his school that doesn't shower Grady in love. I'm thinking I will bake, get like gift cards to a coffee shop that will cover 1-2 coffees and then have Grady help me with a project to put in the gift as well. I like to think I'm good at baking ha ha! When I baked muffins for the Halloween party they were gone before the party started so, I think that is a good sign!!) ) ) 0
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I like to buy a book for the classroom and also get the teacher a specail gift. If I know they love something special I'll get them that sort of gift. (like last year her teacher was wacko about frogs) This year I bought hand soap and lotion from Bath & Body. As a teacher, you can never have too much soap!0
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I am a school psychologist who works with preschoolers, and I know that the classroom teams very much appreciate gifts, especially just thank you cards! It's so nice to feel the love. I do know some teachers that won't eat home-baked goods because they are worried about food poisoning or something, but when one of the kids' parents gave me cookies last year, I ate them! I also think gift cards for coffee are just about the best things ever... 0
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As a former teacher (before our expat assignment), I always appreciated the hand written notes from the students. I still have a number of them! I did not always keep the baked goods......partly because I like to bake! If the teacher is fan of starbucks....then that is a good gift card. My best gift card was an american express card - I could use it at any store! In years past, I have given bottles of wine (I brought the wine in myself and my kids were in a private school), but I usually give gift cards. Be careful that it is something the teacher likes......if the teacher doesn't like massages then a gift card to a spa is not a good gift.
Some schools have policies about giving the teachers gifts - as the gift can be seen as a bribe......especially if it is an excessive gift......
I agree with the previous poster - NO MUGS!
I also like the lotto ticket idea!!!0 -
Every single year my mom and I baked homemade candies, fudge, pinwheels, etc and put them in decorative tins. I then handed them out to my teachers. One of them was a chocolate fiend, and one of the best teachers I ever had, so she got a bigger tin than the rest....even when she was no longer my teacher.0
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I'm a high school English teacher and, although gifts are appreciated, we normally don't get them by this age. I think students are too concerned that their peers will think they are brown nosing.
Handmade gifts are nice, like ornaments, but decorative items can really accumulate over the years. I do like things like cookies, but there have been times that high school students have tampered with things, especially with teachers that they dislike. If I suspect it might be tampered with (which happened ONCE), I won't eat it.
Personally, I'd rather have a Staples card, spa gift card, or a gift certificate to a restaurant.:-) But a card with a heartful comment is something that I keep forever.
Shannon0 -
I'm a teacher and I agree with the sentiment that cutesy decorative (especially apple themed) knick knacks do tend to pile up. A sweet card hand written by the student is much more treasured than an apple shaped...whatever.
Gift cards to anyplace are a very nice gift, too.
One year I had a mom write me $50 check...I was very thankful and very surprised!! The kid already had straight A's so it def. wasn't a bribery thing. She told me later that teachers are underpaid so she wanted to give me $$. That is definitely not expected though.
It's just very nice that you would want to do something for her, so many don't....0 -
Oh my goodness! My oldest is in middle school this year and I know all the teachers gather for a team meeting in the afternoon. So today I've been working on my cake pops (you've seen pics of them and know how I work, Tara). Half of them are for a party tomorrow and the other half I planned to deliver myself to the team meeting on Monday with a hand written note from Austin. But now I'm a little worried! Cake pops are time consuming and tedious to make. Not to mention they certainly aren't cheap to make. I am doing it because I want to show appreciation and because people always tend to LOVE how cute and yummy they are. But I would be devastated to think they were thrown away. So after seeing some of the comments about home baked goods being tossed, I'm not so sure anymore. Hmmmmmmmmm......... I'll have to consider.
On a side note, a few years ago I had a teacher friend tell me that teachers of young kids enjoy getting gift bags with supplies they can use in the classroom. So one year I sent my son's teacher a cute gift bag full of goodies she could use and she LOVED it! 0 -
My daughter is a teacher to be (3 more semesters!) but she's already working in some classrooms. She has already thought about Christmas gifts because she is currently seeing kids bringing in gifts to the teachers she works with.
1) home baked goods are nice, but you never know about the hygiene of the person doing the baking, so she will be very leery of any home baked goods brought in (she also wont eat at potlucks or buffets). and some teachers are on special diets to consider too
2) knick knacks from some 30 kids per year can pile up
3) a lot of the classroom supplies have to be purchased by the teachers. with their already low salaries, this doesn't help. so a gift card to a teacher supply store or website would be great
4) the teachers in our schools put up a wishing tree. it's a tree with paper ornaments on it that the teacher puts her "wishes" on and the parents take the ornament and fulfill the wish. It's encouraged by the PTA, not by greedy teachers btw. it works similar to the angel tree. the teacher gets what she needs and you know your gift will be used and appreciated0 -
Oh my goodness! My oldest is in middle school this year and I know all the teachers gather for a team meeting in the afternoon. So today I've been working on my cake pops (you've seen pics of them and know how I work, Tara). Half of them are for a party tomorrow and the other half I planned to deliver myself to the team meeting on Monday with a hand written note from Austin. But now I'm a little worried! Cake pops are time consuming and tedious to make. Not to mention they certainly aren't cheap to make. I am doing it because I want to show appreciation and because people always tend to LOVE how cute and yummy they are. But I would be devastated to think they were thrown away. So after seeing some of the comments about home baked goods being tossed, I'm not so sure anymore. Hmmmmmmmmm......... I'll have to consider.
On a side note, a few years ago I had a teacher friend tell me that teachers of young kids enjoy getting gift bags with supplies they can use in the classroom. So one year I sent my son's teacher a cute gift bag full of goodies she could use and she LOVED it!
The younger the children, the more likely I would enjoy the home made goodies. If it's 6th grade or above, I'm not gonna chance that I'm getting ex-lax brownies. Especially if it comes from the kid. But if Mom delivered it to me, I'd know that it was likely fine.0 -
Oh my goodness! My oldest is in middle school this year and I know all the teachers gather for a team meeting in the afternoon. So today I've been working on my cake pops (you've seen pics of them and know how I work, Tara). Half of them are for a party tomorrow and the other half I planned to deliver myself to the team meeting on Monday with a hand written note from Austin. But now I'm a little worried! Cake pops are time consuming and tedious to make. Not to mention they certainly aren't cheap to make. I am doing it because I want to show appreciation and because people always tend to LOVE how cute and yummy they are. But I would be devastated to think they were thrown away. So after seeing some of the comments about home baked goods being tossed, I'm not so sure anymore. Hmmmmmmmmm......... I'll have to consider.
On a side note, a few years ago I had a teacher friend tell me that teachers of young kids enjoy getting gift bags with supplies they can use in the classroom. So one year I sent my son's teacher a cute gift bag full of goodies she could use and she LOVED it!
The younger the children, the more likely I would enjoy the home made goodies. If it's 6th grade or above, I'm not gonna chance that I'm getting ex-lax brownies. Especially if it comes from the kid. But if Mom delivered it to me, I'd know that it was likely fine.
I understand completely! I just never thought about it that way before. But yes, my plan was to deliver it myself. I actually wanted to pop in and thank them myself as well......they all met with me on Monday to help me with my son (he's slacking this year) and I sincerely appreciate them.
Also, my work is very professional. I make cake balls to deliver to parties as well. Still, I do understand the points I've read here. I'm just considering........ 0 -
As a teacher, I concur:
If Mom delivers, that's different than food from a student. Moms that are known around the school are much different than my random jr. high school student bringing me a cupcake with smudges on the top or a cookie wrapped in a napkin. 0 -
As a special education teacher at an elementary school, I often have students and parents that want to show their appreciation. I find that the things I enjoy the most are pictures or letters from my students, and thank you cards from the parents. These are easily kept, and don't take up much space. Also, when I do have a rough day, it is nice to pull them out and reread them to get that boost that I need to make it through the rough patch.
If you are sure you want to buy something, then I recommend doing things for the classrom. A donated book, supplies like erasers, and pencils, or tissues and hand sanitizer. Teachers often have to purchase these things with their own money and it is helpful.0 -
I agree, if you brought the treats in, I'm sure it would be fine. I, myself, wouldn't have a probablem receiving a gift like that from a parent or a student that I've gotten to know really well. It's not that teachers think the worst of students, it's just a matter of self-preservation. I know when my dad was in high school a whole group of his friends put ex-lax in the teachers' cookies. One faculty member got so sick she had to be hospitalized. True story! Of course, on the whole, I'm sure the students are honest, it's just you have to be on the lookout for that one that just might not like you...;-) I wouldn't toss our your goodies if you're going to deliver them.
Shannon0 -
I agree, if you brought the treats in, I'm sure it would be fine. I, myself, wouldn't have a probablem receiving a gift like that from a parent or a student that I've gotten to know really well. It's not that teachers think the worst of students, it's just a matter of self-preservation. I know when my dad was in high school a whole group of his friends put ex-lax in the teachers' cookies. One faculty member got so sick she had to be hospitalized. True story! Of course, on the whole, I'm sure the students are honest, it's just you have to be on the lookout for that one that just might not like you...;-) I wouldn't toss our your goodies if you're going to deliver them.
Shannon
I have never heard of something like that before. I'm not shocked really (some kids are just so bad) but I AM horrified. Scary stuff. This is why I need not be a teacher....not to middle school or high school aged kids at least....I'm far too gullible. :P
Well I made the Christmas tree cake pops tonight. Its my first try at this particular shape and style. These are for a party I'm attending tomorrow. They were so time consuming that I've decided that for my group of teachers I will stick with cake balls. And YES..... they will be hand delivered.
Kudos to all you teachers out there! Teachers and nurses bear their own set of wings.......no doubt!0 -
#1 best gift -- a thank you card
#2 best gift -- a gift card to a coffee shop/donut shop/book chain/restaurant group
#3 best gift -- gift card for a spa treatment/night at the movies/video rentals
#4 best gift -- a gift for the classroom like a puzzle, book or board game for indoor recesses
#4... I vote for this one! I actually work as a nanny for a teacher. She gets all kinds of gifts, but her most appreciated are the gift certificates to the teacher's supply stores. Office Depot, Staples, Office Max are some of the bigger chains, but don't overlook those parent/teacher stores that are small businesses.0
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