Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a teacher and a parent, we don't expect or want gifts. We want your child to be on time, prepared to learn, present every day possible, and supported at home.
If you really feel called to give a gift, write a kind note about how I've impacted your child. If you absolutely must put in a gift card, $5 or $10 is plenty.
More than that often comes off as a bribe--seriously.
My understanding is that $20-30 is a totally normal amount for an elementary teacher holiday gift card in our district. I can't imagine it being viewed as a bribe.
I also don't write a note to the teacher because, frankly, I don't know them that well. My kid writes a note.
NP:
This forum is so odd.
Teacher: "This" is what we want. Please don't do "that".
Parent: No, you're wrong, I'm going to do "that".
Every year teachers ask for notes, not money. Just write the damn note and forgo the money.
What interactions have I had with the teacher?
"Thank you for sending home a weekly email update about what is being taught and for selecting appropriate autogenerated comments about my kid on their report card."
No graded work is sent home since everything is on Canvas and they don't even write a comments on the report card anymore. The main teacher didn't do conferences this fall. My kid doesn't report on their day beyond "fine", so I know almost nothing about what happens in class.
My kid can write a thoughtful note.
Not a teacher, but maybe try,
"Larlo is so excited about math class this year! Thank you for making it so engaging for him, it has been a wonderful shift from prior years."
or
"Larla has grown so much this year with regards to public speaking! I'm sure it's a ton of work to organize 30 4th graders into a semblance of organized presentation day, but it really has made a difference in Larla's confidence with speaking in front of others. I appreciate how you guided her at the beginning of the year to get to this point."
or "
Larlo raves about your class! It's a testament to your skills that he is excited to go to school. Our family is grateful for your influence in his academic career."
or
"We are so appreciative of your willingness to stay after school to help Larla catch up after she was out with the flu. It is always so stressful to catch up, but you made it a smooth process so she wasn't overwhelmed."
If you can't write a single one of those things, why are you giving a gift? Out of obligation because they're a teacher?
A note from your child is probably equally lovely, but I feel like you can probably come up with something. Especially in the lower grades, a kid isn't going to write more than, "From, Larla" in a card.
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