End of Year Teacher Gifts?

[Anonymous]

No, and I am a teacher. I don’t need another Starbucks gift card. Write a nice note to them. Better yet, email their principal and AP about what they did for your kid that year and what you loved about them. Admin never gets to see when we are praised, they usually only hear from upset parents. It’s not like we go show them all the cards we get. CC the teacher too so they can see but gas them up to their leadership if they were awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, and I am a teacher. I don’t need another Starbucks gift card. Write a nice note to them. Better yet, email their principal and AP about what they did for your kid that year and what you loved about them. Admin never gets to see when we are praised, they usually only hear from upset parents. It’s not like we go show them all the cards we get. CC the teacher too so they can see but gas them up to their leadership if they were awesome!

That is a really great idea. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

We give gift cards to teachers at the holidays and at the end of the year. I make it a point to give gifts enclosed in hand-written cards from my kids to all the teachers (specials - art, music, library, PE, etc), not just the primary teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, and I am a teacher. I don’t need another Starbucks gift card. Write a nice note to them. Better yet, email their principal and AP about what they did for your kid that year and what you loved about them. Admin never gets to see when we are praised, they usually only hear from upset parents. It’s not like we go show them all the cards we get. CC the teacher too so they can see but gas them up to their leadership if they were awesome!

+1 Teacher here as well and this is the most desired gift I imagine for many teachers. Meaningful praise is tremendously motivational at the end of the year (and anytime)! Personally, I keep all handwritten parent notes. To the great point above, most stuff we get directly isn't shared with admin.
I must say also that as a teacher in a school that has grappled with financial challenges-- gift cards should be teacher request specific if possible or Visa/cash equivalent (think Amazon class wishlist, local/scholastic bookstore, TpT credits, etc.). I definitely wish more parents would often just ask what we/I need. And please no more Starbucks gift cards (maybe Peet's though )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, and I am a teacher. I don’t need another Starbucks gift card. Write a nice note to them. Better yet, email their principal and AP about what they did for your kid that year and what you loved about them. Admin never gets to see when we are praised, they usually only hear from upset parents. It’s not like we go show them all the cards we get. CC the teacher too so they can see but gas them up to their leadership if they were awesome!

DD had a really exemplary teacher in 1st, and I wrote a really nice letter to her. My nieces best friend is a para at our school, and overheard the teacher talking about how “weirded out” she was by the letter. She told my niece, and my niece asked me what I had written. So beware. Apparently teachers don’t like praise and accolades as much as you’d think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, and I am a teacher. I don’t need another Starbucks gift card. Write a nice note to them. Better yet, email their principal and AP about what they did for your kid that year and what you loved about them. Admin never gets to see when we are praised, they usually only hear from upset parents. It’s not like we go show them all the cards we get. CC the teacher too so they can see but gas them up to their leadership if they were awesome!

DD had a really exemplary teacher in 1st, and I wrote a really nice letter to her. My nieces best friend is a para at our school, and overheard the teacher talking about how “weirded out” she was by the letter. She told my niece, and my niece asked me what I had written. So beware. Apparently teachers don’t like praise and accolades as much as you’d think.

Maybe it came across as insincere. Effusive praise can make people uncomfortable. Haven’t you ever been put off by someone gushing about you?

[Anonymous]

I’m not a teacher but I’d be happy to take all of your Starbucks gift cards if you don’t care for them.

Seriously, I’d hope you’d be grateful that someone went out of their way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not a teacher but I’d be happy to take all of your Starbucks gift cards if you don’t care for them.

Seriously, I’d hope you’d be grateful that someone went out of their way.

Momg not this again

Of course I appreciate anything a parent or kid does. BUT IF PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR IDEAS, this is the way to go. It doesn’t mean I’m spitting on the Starbucks card. I would just prefer this and a parent genuinely asked.

[Anonymous]

I was tired of buying gift cards and bought monogrammed stationary for all my DC's teachers. It was between that and a really pretty umbrella. Something that everyone can use and can't get enough of. You can always use more notecards and you can never find an umbrella when you need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was tired of buying gift cards and bought monogrammed stationary for all my DC's teachers. It was between that and a really pretty umbrella. Something that everyone can use and can't get enough of. You can always use more notecards and you can never find an umbrella when you need it.

Omg. A flippin umbrella?! You can’t be serious. I’d be so pissed if that was my end of year gift!

- A teacher

[Anonymous]

We do $25 gift cards with hand written notes from the kids.

[Anonymous]

You people are nuts. When did "teacher gifts" even become a thing? They get paid, they hopefully did their job, and that's the end of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people are nuts. When did "teacher gifts" even become a thing? They get paid, they hopefully did their job, and that's the end of it.

As a former teacher, I can tell you that we do not get paid nearly enough.

But that’s not the point, the point is to thank them and show our appreciation. If you don’t want to give, don’t. I never expected it, but it sure made me feel appreciated.

[Anonymous]

There isn't much time at the end of the year for them to write a thank you note, so it seems better to let it go. Not that they aren't a good teacher, but we've been through the whole year. Let's move on. They've been appreciated enough. It's not like they aren't getting a gift card from the whole class. Nowadays is a note without a gift card appreciated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There isn't much time at the end of the year for them to write a thank you note, so it seems better to let it go. Not that they aren't a good teacher, but we've been through the whole year. Let's move on. They've been appreciated enough. It's not like they aren't getting a gift card from the whole class. Nowadays is a note without a gift card appreciated?

You realize that the point of gift giving is not to get a thank you note back. Some teachers above and on other threads have said that they cherish the notes, so, yes, at least some teachers appreciate them. My mother and a few aunts are teachers and they always were trying to give away the bounty of mugs, bath and body works lotions, and candles they received, but I know that they kept the hand written cards and letters. And generic gift cards out cash were also appreciated, but ones to specific shops were less useful, particularly like one family that gave $25 to Local clothing boutique where nothing really sells for under $50. But visa, amazon, or grocery store were helpful.