Gift card policy for teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

+1. Yes, little Larlo needs high GBRS and high grades, so here’s a $200 gift card, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

+1. Yes, little Larlo needs high GBRS and high grades, so here’s a $200 gift card, etc.

It’s rarely that blatant, but grading is often extremely objective, as is the criteria teachers use to decide whether or not to write a letter of recommendation (and/or how much time they’ll spend on one). Little things like gifts can help to create a positive association in the teacher’s mind with a student and subconsciously lead to more favorable decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

Oh please 🙄 people in other professions go out for opulent lunches that are written off on taxes. Huge holiday parties. I have friends who work for the government who barely work. Teachers work so hard (I'm not even a teacher but I work in schools and I see it first hand). I don't get gifts from students usually, but I definitely don't begrudge teachers who get more than $20. They truly spend their own money on their classrooms all the time to make them look nice or to have extra projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

+1. Yes, little Larlo needs high GBRS and high grades, so here’s a $200 gift card, etc.

It’s rarely that blatant, but grading is often extremely objective, as is the criteria teachers use to decide whether or not to write a letter of recommendation (and/or how much time they’ll spend on one). Little things like gifts can help to create a positive association in the teacher’s mind with a student and subconsciously lead to more favorable decisions.

Except it doesn’t work that way. When I sit down to grade, I use a rubric. I don’t think “Well, Larla A gave me a $20 Target card AND a 5Below mug, but Larla B. only gave me a $10 Starbucks card and Larla C. gave nothing.” TBH, I have to write my thank you cards immediately because within a few hours, I forgot who sent what. Five years ago, I went home on the last day before break to find our cat very ill. I put the bag with student gifts down to rush to the vet. When I came back, a family member had moved it. I didn’t notice. The bag turned up two years later, which was a nice surprise. Meanwhile, I graded essays over break and never even thought about gifts, period.

When teachers grade, we don’t consider gifts. Not unless a parent was gross enough to hint that it was a quid pro quo. In which case, I’d return the gift and email my principal.

If there’s any subjective moments that I experience while grading, it’s remembering that a student plagiarized previously, tempting me to give their present work extra scrutiny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

+1. Yes, little Larlo needs high GBRS and high grades, so here’s a $200 gift card, etc.

It’s rarely that blatant, but grading is often extremely objective, as is the criteria teachers use to decide whether or not to write a letter of recommendation (and/or how much time they’ll spend on one). Little things like gifts can help to create a positive association in the teacher’s mind with a student and subconsciously lead to more favorable decisions.

Except it doesn’t work that way. When I sit down to grade, I use a rubric. I don’t think “Well, Larla A gave me a $20 Target card AND a 5Below mug, but Larla B. only gave me a $10 Starbucks card and Larla C. gave nothing.” TBH, I have to write my thank you cards immediately because within a few hours, I forgot who sent what. Five years ago, I went home on the last day before break to find our cat very ill. I put the bag with student gifts down to rush to the vet. When I came back, a family member had moved it. I didn’t notice. The bag turned up two years later, which was a nice surprise. Meanwhile, I graded essays over break and never even thought about gifts, period.

When teachers grade, we don’t consider gifts. Not unless a parent was gross enough to hint that it was a quid pro quo. In which case, I’d return the gift and email my principal.

If there’s any subjective moments that I experience while grading, it’s remembering that a student plagiarized previously, tempting me to give their present work extra scrutiny.

Your rubric doesn’t remove subjectivity. You know that. And you can’t forget who your favorite students are when you’re grading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, $25 or$30 is fine. Nobody is going to audit a teacher over gift cards.

They’re just ethics rules in the employment agreement, after all.

Ethical is increasing the gift card amount insight of the number of years it has been stuck at $20 and the cost of living increased since the $20 max was established
Rule following an archaic dollar amount .

These gifts aren’t supposed to be compensation. Unless, of course, you’re selling grades. $20 is more than sufficient for a token of appreciation.

And MCPS isn’t unique with the number— federal employees have a $20 limit, too.

Cool, cool. My grandma also still gives the bell hop 25 cents and makes a huge show of her appreciation. I'm sure larlos teachers appreciate your crumpled 20 and the "#1teacher" mug just as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

If you think a teacher is going to bump a students grade over 50 dollars, you and my twenty five cent tipping grandma should get together and go bowling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

If you think a teacher is going to bump a students grade over 50 dollars, you and my twenty five cent tipping grandma should get together and go bowling.

So true! Who is going to risk their job over $50?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

+1. Yes, little Larlo needs high GBRS and high grades, so here’s a $200 gift card, etc.

It’s rarely that blatant, but grading is often extremely objective, as is the criteria teachers use to decide whether or not to write a letter of recommendation (and/or how much time they’ll spend on one). Little things like gifts can help to create a positive association in the teacher’s mind with a student and subconsciously lead to more favorable decisions.

Except it doesn’t work that way. When I sit down to grade, I use a rubric. I don’t think “Well, Larla A gave me a $20 Target card AND a 5Below mug, but Larla B. only gave me a $10 Starbucks card and Larla C. gave nothing.” TBH, I have to write my thank you cards immediately because within a few hours, I forgot who sent what. Five years ago, I went home on the last day before break to find our cat very ill. I put the bag with student gifts down to rush to the vet. When I came back, a family member had moved it. I didn’t notice. The bag turned up two years later, which was a nice surprise. Meanwhile, I graded essays over break and never even thought about gifts, period.

When teachers grade, we don’t consider gifts. Not unless a parent was gross enough to hint that it was a quid pro quo. In which case, I’d return the gift and email my principal.

If there’s any subjective moments that I experience while grading, it’s remembering that a student plagiarized previously, tempting me to give their present work extra scrutiny.

Your rubric doesn’t remove subjectivity. You know that. And you can’t forget who your favorite students are when you’re grading.

Do you know what a rubric is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

+1. Yes, little Larlo needs high GBRS and high grades, so here’s a $200 gift card, etc.

It’s rarely that blatant, but grading is often extremely objective, as is the criteria teachers use to decide whether or not to write a letter of recommendation (and/or how much time they’ll spend on one). Little things like gifts can help to create a positive association in the teacher’s mind with a student and subconsciously lead to more favorable decisions.

Except it doesn’t work that way. When I sit down to grade, I use a rubric. I don’t think “Well, Larla A gave me a $20 Target card AND a 5Below mug, but Larla B. only gave me a $10 Starbucks card and Larla C. gave nothing.” TBH, I have to write my thank you cards immediately because within a few hours, I forgot who sent what. Five years ago, I went home on the last day before break to find our cat very ill. I put the bag with student gifts down to rush to the vet. When I came back, a family member had moved it. I didn’t notice. The bag turned up two years later, which was a nice surprise. Meanwhile, I graded essays over break and never even thought about gifts, period.

When teachers grade, we don’t consider gifts. Not unless a parent was gross enough to hint that it was a quid pro quo. In which case, I’d return the gift and email my principal.

If there’s any subjective moments that I experience while grading, it’s remembering that a student plagiarized previously, tempting me to give their present work extra scrutiny.

Your rubric doesn’t remove subjectivity. You know that. And you can’t forget who your favorite students are when you’re grading.

Do you know what a rubric is?

You’re not being honest with yourself if you can’t acknowledge grading essays is inherently subjective. Assuming you’re actually grading for content and not just mechanics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

+1. Yes, little Larlo needs high GBRS and high grades, so here’s a $200 gift card, etc.

It’s rarely that blatant, but grading is often extremely objective, as is the criteria teachers use to decide whether or not to write a letter of recommendation (and/or how much time they’ll spend on one). Little things like gifts can help to create a positive association in the teacher’s mind with a student and subconsciously lead to more favorable decisions.

Except it doesn’t work that way. When I sit down to grade, I use a rubric. I don’t think “Well, Larla A gave me a $20 Target card AND a 5Below mug, but Larla B. only gave me a $10 Starbucks card and Larla C. gave nothing.” TBH, I have to write my thank you cards immediately because within a few hours, I forgot who sent what. Five years ago, I went home on the last day before break to find our cat very ill. I put the bag with student gifts down to rush to the vet. When I came back, a family member had moved it. I didn’t notice. The bag turned up two years later, which was a nice surprise. Meanwhile, I graded essays over break and never even thought about gifts, period.

When teachers grade, we don’t consider gifts. Not unless a parent was gross enough to hint that it was a quid pro quo. In which case, I’d return the gift and email my principal.

If there’s any subjective moments that I experience while grading, it’s remembering that a student plagiarized previously, tempting me to give their present work extra scrutiny.

Your rubric doesn’t remove subjectivity. You know that. And you can’t forget who your favorite students are when you’re grading.

Do you know what a rubric is?

You’re not being honest with yourself if you can’t acknowledge grading essays is inherently subjective. Assuming you’re actually grading for content and not just mechanics.

In MCPS, essays aren’t the only assignments graded with rubrics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

+1. Yes, little Larlo needs high GBRS and high grades, so here’s a $200 gift card, etc.

It’s rarely that blatant, but grading is often extremely objective, as is the criteria teachers use to decide whether or not to write a letter of recommendation (and/or how much time they’ll spend on one). Little things like gifts can help to create a positive association in the teacher’s mind with a student and subconsciously lead to more favorable decisions.

Except it doesn’t work that way. When I sit down to grade, I use a rubric. I don’t think “Well, Larla A gave me a $20 Target card AND a 5Below mug, but Larla B. only gave me a $10 Starbucks card and Larla C. gave nothing.” TBH, I have to write my thank you cards immediately because within a few hours, I forgot who sent what. Five years ago, I went home on the last day before break to find our cat very ill. I put the bag with student gifts down to rush to the vet. When I came back, a family member had moved it. I didn’t notice. The bag turned up two years later, which was a nice surprise. Meanwhile, I graded essays over break and never even thought about gifts, period.

When teachers grade, we don’t consider gifts. Not unless a parent was gross enough to hint that it was a quid pro quo. In which case, I’d return the gift and email my principal.

If there’s any subjective moments that I experience while grading, it’s remembering that a student plagiarized previously, tempting me to give their present work extra scrutiny.

Your rubric doesn’t remove subjectivity. You know that. And you can’t forget who your favorite students are when you’re grading.

Do you know what a rubric is?

You’re not being honest with yourself if you can’t acknowledge grading essays is inherently subjective. Assuming you’re actually grading for content and not just mechanics.

In MCPS, essays aren’t the only assignments graded with rubrics.

Yes, but the pp said she graded essays.

And long-form essays aren’t even the only thing with subjectivity. Almost any time you’re giving partial credit based on the accuracy of content there's going to be a subjective component.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

+1. Yes, little Larlo needs high GBRS and high grades, so here’s a $200 gift card, etc.

It’s rarely that blatant, but grading is often extremely objective, as is the criteria teachers use to decide whether or not to write a letter of recommendation (and/or how much time they’ll spend on one). Little things like gifts can help to create a positive association in the teacher’s mind with a student and subconsciously lead to more favorable decisions.

maybe in the higher grades but in ES there aren't even tests or a gradebook that I've ever seen my sense is it's mostly just made up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give cash. Seriously. Put it in an envelope and don't make a big deal of it.

But be reasonable. The year a few Tilden families gave $100 bills tucked in cards, I was really freaked out. I ended up plowing it back into classroom materials because ai was worried it would get me in trouble.

I teach elementary and have received many, many gifts over $20 in my 25 years.
i have never reported them, why would I? It’s a nice gesture from the family. I thank them and move along. Mcps has much bigger issues to deal with.

Why would you? Because your employment agreement says you have to.

I guess rules don’t apply to you.

My employment agreement also says that my duty day begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:50. I work beyond those hours all the time. I have not known a single colleague who has reported a gift over $20. As an mcps parent, I don’t adhere to the limit either. Sorry not sorry.

No wonder people have lost respect for teachers.

I know, people who regularly work extra hours and give generous gifts are the worst.

Most people agree professionals shouldn’t accept anything that gives the appearance of a bribe, which explicitly includes the kinds of gifts being discussed in this thread.

Do you think the gift rules are just there to punish teachers? What about all the other people with jobs that limit gifts?

If you think a teacher is going to bump a students grade over 50 dollars, you and my twenty five cent tipping grandma should get together and go bowling.

So true! Who is going to risk their job over $50?

It sounds like a lot of teachers do, based on this thread.