Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yes, with as many cards as you must have to write, it must feel like you are getting married every year. I do not envy that. At all.
I know how you feel about a mass produced thank you. I would feel the same way. But if it's that much of a chore (I get your pain), save your sanity.
Is that true about the district limitations?!! I did not know that. I wonder if we have that here? I never heard any of my teacher family or friends mention it. I need to ask. Well, I suppose the upside is that even if you use it for the classroom, that is less money coming out of your pocket because we know you teachers give so much to your rooms out of your own pay.
I no longer get that many gifts, I now only teach seniors. And while having each one for three hours a day is both a blessing and a curse, it does mean I only have 40 students this year and thus only 30 or so gifts. My colleagues are not so lucky. We actually bought thank you notes online in bulk this year, it was only $30 per person and should cover the whole year.
I do get more inappropriate presents though with parents frequently going way beyond the maximum amount guidelines. A few years ago one gave me a $250 Amex gift card and when I donated it to the PTA gift auction they noticed and were super mad. I can't win.
I no longer get that many gifts, I now only teach seniors. And while having each one for three hours a day is both a blessing and a curse, it does mean I only have 40 students this year and thus only 30 or so gifts. My colleagues are not so lucky. We actually bought thank you notes online in bulk this year, it was only $30 per person and should cover the whole year.
I do get more inappropriate presents though with parents frequently going way beyond the maximum amount guidelines. A few years ago one gave me a $250 Amex gift card and when I donated it to the PTA gift auction they noticed and were super mad. I can't win.
Did they know about the limit? I didn't until you mentioned it.
Thirty to forty notes is still a ton more than I'd want to write. I lament over writing thank you notes after my son's birthday, and I can assure you, since I keep his party to VIP only, it's nowhere near 40 cards.
As a child, I don't recall buying presents for any of my teachers, to be honest. If we did, I was too young to remember. We certainly didn't in late elem, middle, or high school. We were also very poor then. I wonder if this is a new thing, because I don't remember classmates giving teacher gifts either in those grades. Maybe a few in elem. school after we'd go to that Christmas shopping thing they had in the cafeteria for us, but once we were too old for that, I don't remember any teacher gifts from classmates to our teachers.
But I do buy my son's pre-k teachers gifts. They are very young, and I'm sure they can use it. But even at $30/per teacher x 3 teachers, that adds up fast. But I can tell you one thing, once he has more than one teacher all day, I won't be buying multiple gifts for all those teachers I can't possibly know what they want (especially if there are gift card limitations ). In that case, if my son really wanted to do something, I'd suggest something for all of them in the breakroom.
Gosh, now that I think of it, one of the kids bought my son's swim teacher a gift and mom presented it in the pool in front of everyone. I didn't think it was appropriate. Where do we draw the line? I do get teachers (because as a single mom, in some ways I feel like I'm co-parenting more with the teachers than the ex that's 3,000 miles away), but now we're getting into out of school athletics too? Golly. And no, sorry FedEx guy, but I'm never buying you a gift.
Last edited by UserName14289; 12-18-2015 at 06:46 PM..
in this highly charged easily offended world,,,,,,keep in my social inertia,,,IF one child gives a gift, or 10 children gives a gift,,,,
the opposite can be extremely misinterpreted,,,maybe other kids would love to give their teacher a gift,,but cant afford it,,,,,,,so now they think, and feel even more poor/insulted
because when young,,they will think the teacher will notice they didn't give them a gift and think the teacher may think they don't like them..
Eta this posted the wrong quote. What ever, I'm sure it will all come out in the wash.
just stop with the gifts to the teacher
if you truly insist,,make sure the parent does it one one on,,,,,,so no social stigmas
Could you let me know what school you teach at. I want to make 100% sure you will never cross paths with me my children.
My iPad is acting up...a lot. Almost out of juice. If this posts right...I didn't mean to quote this person.
in this highly charged easily offended world,,,,,,keep in my social inertia,,,IF one child gives a gift, or 10 children gives a gift,,,,
the opposite can be extremely misinterpreted,,,maybe other kids would love to give their teacher a gift,,but cant afford it,,,,,,,so now they think, and feel even more poor/insulted
because when young,,they will think the teacher will notice they didn't give them a gift and think the teacher may think they don't like them..
just stop with the gifts to the teacher
if you truly insist,,make sure the parent does it one one on,,,,,,so no social stigmas
A poor kid can draw a card. And teachers don't open in front of the class and gush about it. It's a small wrapped thing.
I was very poor growing up. Bottom on the bottom for American classes. I still won't use that as a ruler for what I do with my kids now. I will teach my kids manners about talking about gifts, etc. But I won't refuse to let them buy their teacher a $15 box of their favorite tea because Jonny is poor and can't afford that. It's silly to suggest.
We never gave gifts to teacher once they passed having one primary teacher. It wouldn't even occur to me and hasn't been the custom in the places I've lived with kids.
Honestly, if you feel you must write thank you notes (trust me, you don't. No one is sitting by the mail box waiting for one), and it's such a hardship...mass produce them.
Did they know about the limit? I didn't until you mentioned it.
Thirty to forty notes is still a ton more than I'd want to write. I lament over writing thank you notes after my son's birthday, and I can assure you, since I keep his party to VIP only, it's nowhere near 40 cards.
As a child, I don't recall buying presents for any of my teachers, to be honest. If we did, I was too young to remember. We certainly didn't in late elem, middle, or high school. We were also very poor then. I wonder if this is a new thing, because I don't remember classmates giving teacher gifts either in those grades. Maybe a few in elem. school after we'd go to that Christmas shopping thing they had in the cafeteria for us, but once we were too old for that, I don't remember any teacher gifts from classmates to our teachers.
But I do buy my son's pre-k teachers gifts. They are very young, and I'm sure they can use it. But even at $30/per teacher x 3 teachers, that adds up fast.
Gosh, now that I think of it, one of the kids bought my son's swim teacher a gift and mom presented it in the pool in front of everyone. I didn't think it was appropriate. Where do we draw the line? I do get teachers, but now we're getting into out of school athletics too? Golly. And no, sorry FedEx guy, but I'm never buying you a gift.
It's getting out of hand which is why for those who really do want to somethig for the teachers, group/staff gifts can be a great gift. Last year one family who has three kids in the school (unusual at a magnet) bought one of those trays of honey bells oranges. They were delicious, everybody got one (or two in my case since I talked the calc teacher out of his) and they got to be thoughtful to the staff. Individual gifts, even at $5-10 a pop, their kids have 7 teachers each, that would be a large amount of money, the staff gift was much more reasonable choice.
I think part of it, especially with the obvious (like the swim teacher) and extravagant is the parents working out some issues between other parent. Yet another case of the gifts being about the parents and not the teachers.
Oh and our limits are in our school handbook, and our principal reposted it to the top of the school webpage but it gets ignore more often than not.
We never gave gifts to teacher once they passed having one primary teacher. It wouldn't even occur to me and hasn't been the custom in the places I've lived with kids.
We didn't here either, but I grew up in a very poor part of town. I wonder if this happens more in the wealthier areas. My son is still young, so I can't speak from experience. How about those ultra wealthy in private schools? My cousin attends a high school that costs more than my entire college tuition. If I were a teacher, I can't imagine you could pay me enough to deal with the entitlement that must be floating around those halls.
It's getting out of hand which is why for those who really do want to somethig for the teachers, group/staff gifts can be a great gift. Last year one family who has three kids in the school (unusual at a magnet) bought one of those trays of honey bells oranges. They were delicious, everybody got one (or two in my case since I talked the calc teacher out of his) and they got to be thoughtful to the staff. Individual gifts, even at $5-10 a pop, their kids have 7 teachers each, that would be a large amount of money, the staff gift was much more reasonable choice.
I think part of it, especially with the obvious (like the swim teacher) and extravagant is the parents working out some issues between other parent. Yet another case of the gifts being about the parents and not the teachers.
Oh and our limits are in our school handbook, and our principal reposted it to the top of the school webpage but it gets ignore more often than not.
Clearly you work in a very affluent school, get paid well and teach not so cute kids. I'd never gift a highschool teacher unless they did something amazing. Even then, not likely.
Come on, you jumped on a thread about little kids in school with a jaded high school outlook. Yep, when my kids are little...gift giving is about them. I may not love the ugly frame they pick out for my birthday, but I will proudly display it and thank them in spades. You don't work with (or have?) little ones. I don't expect you to understand.
We didn't here either, but I grew up in a very poor part of town. I wonder if this happens more in the wealthier areas. My son is still young, so I can't speak from experience. How about those ultra wealthy in private schools? My cousin attends a high school that costs more than my entire college tuition. If I were a teacher, I can't imagine you could pay me enough to deal with the entitlement that must be floating around those halls.
You read my mind.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
