Holiday Gift Limits MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of voluntary changes in our school each year, barely any teachers over age 30.

This is our very first year having a teacher with experience. What a difference!! She is phenomenal.

We have had good teachers before who were young, but there is no comparison. Experience makes a difference in my job and I thinknit’s The same for Teachers.

To the firSt PP with the young teachers—what school? I think we’re at the same one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of voluntary changes in our school each year, barely any teachers over age 30.

This is our very first year having a teacher with experience. What a difference!! She is phenomenal.

We have had good teachers before who were young, but there is no comparison. Experience makes a difference in my job and I thinknit’s The same for Teachers.

A teacher with less than five years of experience is considered "green".

Of course! The newer teachers seem to have a much tougher time with classroom managemanet. Plus, the county doesn’t provide textbooks/workbooks, so teachers are often supplying their own materials. Takes time to build up those resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of voluntary changes in our school each year, barely any teachers over age 30.

This is our very first year having a teacher with experience. What a difference!! She is phenomenal.

We have had good teachers before who were young, but there is no comparison. Experience makes a difference in my job and I thinknit’s The same for Teachers.

A teacher with less than five years of experience is considered "green".

Of course! The newer teachers seem to have a much tougher time with classroom managemanet. Plus, the county doesn’t provide textbooks/workbooks, so teachers are often supplying their own materials. Takes time to build up those resources.

I disagree with this. Yes, you probably don't want a teacher in her first year of teaching but I have a 3rd year teacher and she's been fabulous. Lots of energy and doing a lot of enrichment activities (extra science, class pet) and evidence based innovations (flexible seating arrangements like bouncy chairs etc). And some of the older teachers in my school are good but they have so much accrued vacation time that they're absent one day a week which is disruptive. You don't have this issue with newer teachers.

[Anonymous]

bouncy chairs for the ADHD kids and then lo and behold every 1st grader wants one. nice distraction from their 3-subject daily schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:bouncy chairs for the ADHD kids and then lo and behold every 1st grader wants one. nice distraction from their 3-subject daily schedule.

do you understand flexible seating? It's not bouncy chairs for just ADHD kids. It's bouncy chairs for anyone who wants to use one (and one is available). It's do your work on a bouncy chair, with a lap desk, on the floor with a clipboard, at a table, a desk away from others, wherever you work best. It's teaching kids to take responsibility for their own learning and environment. Not doing your work isn't an option, so figure out where you can get it done.

And 1st grade now involves a ton of age-inappropriate physical demands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:bouncy chairs for the ADHD kids and then lo and behold every 1st grader wants one. nice distraction from their 3-subject daily schedule.

do you understand flexible seating? It's not bouncy chairs for just ADHD kids. It's bouncy chairs for anyone who wants to use one (and one is available). It's do your work on a bouncy chair, with a lap desk, on the floor with a clipboard, at a table, a desk away from others, wherever you work best. It's teaching kids to take responsibility for their own learning and environment. Not doing your work isn't an option, so figure out where you can get it done.

And 1st grade now involves a ton of age-inappropriate physical demands.

+1. Not the PP, but my son has flexible seating in his K classroom (bouncy chairs, different types of stools, floor with clipboard etc) and it's great and the kids love it. His teacher says "the kids can focus on sitting still in the same types of chair or they can choose the seating arrangement that works best for them and focus on learning.'

[Anonymous]

I guess since the school did away with gym class except once a week and only had one 20 minute recess they can have bouncy chairs, fidget spinners, and roller foot boards!

[Anonymous]

Can you, people, find a thread about flexible seating and move your discussion there? This thread is about holiday gifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you, people, find a thread about flexible seating and move your discussion there? This thread is about holiday gifts.

What else is there to discuss? The question was, is there a limit? And the answer is $20. But some parents give a little more, others give less. Others give nothing. The end.

[Anonymous]

I like the group gift option organized by room parents. It allows me to give more then $20 and as the teacher doesn't know who gave what, it's not awkward to give more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you, people, find a thread about flexible seating and move your discussion there? This thread is about holiday gifts.

What else is there to discuss? The question was, is there a limit? And the answer is $20. But some parents give a little more, others give less. Others give nothing. The end.

+1. This is not a complex issue. I much prefer the flexible seating discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The limit is either $20 or $25?

Nobody really pays attention to that though at our school. We give $45 to the teachers who we really appreciate.

Always Target gift cards because then if they don’t want it for themselves, they can buy tissues for the classroom or whatever.

I feel weird giving cash so no cash.

It doesn't matter if nobody pays attention. it just takes one nutty parent or admin who for whatever reason has it out for the teacher to report that she/he accepts gifts beyond the limit and it looks bad and unethical for the teacher. Stay within the limit and give to a class gift too or make sure you write a letter of praise to the principal.

My husband is a government worker and can only accept gifts under something like $20. He will turn away anything more because it is not worth losing his job and he is pretty advanced. If you care about the teacher then don't create an ethics issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The limit is either $20 or $25?

Nobody really pays attention to that though at our school. We give $45 to the teachers who we really appreciate.

Always Target gift cards because then if they don’t want it for themselves, they can buy tissues for the classroom or whatever.

I feel weird giving cash so no cash.

It doesn't matter if nobody pays attention. it just takes one nutty parent or admin who for whatever reason has it out for the teacher to report that she/he accepts gifts beyond the limit and it looks bad and unethical for the teacher. Stay within the limit and give to a class gift too or make sure you write a letter of praise to the principal.

My husband is a government worker and can only accept gifts under something like $20. He will turn away anything more because it is not worth losing his job and he is pretty advanced. If you care about the teacher then don't create an ethics issue.

+ 1. You are putting the teacher in an uncomfortable position. If you want to give more, start a class gift collection. It’s one loophole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The limit is either $20 or $25?

Nobody really pays attention to that though at our school. We give $45 to the teachers who we really appreciate.

Always Target gift cards because then if they don’t want it for themselves, they can buy tissues for the classroom or whatever.

I feel weird giving cash so no cash.

It doesn't matter if nobody pays attention. it just takes one nutty parent or admin who for whatever reason has it out for the teacher to report that she/he accepts gifts beyond the limit and it looks bad and unethical for the teacher. Stay within the limit and give to a class gift too or make sure you write a letter of praise to the principal.

My husband is a government worker and can only accept gifts under something like $20. He will turn away anything more because it is not worth losing his job and he is pretty advanced. If you care about the teacher then don't create an ethics issue.

Who would know? It’s between me and the teacher.

If anyone asked, I would say it was for her to by supplies for the classroom.

Unclench. This is not the federal government. It is First Grade.

[Anonymous]

It's only between you and the teacher if you want credit and praise and kickbacks for giving your wonder gift.
If you are truly altruistic, you would not need nor want the recognition which you are clearly seeking.
If she figures it out, great, you are a thankful parent, but don't be on the other side where you're a manipulative, conceited parent.