Classroom Teachers Giving Gifts to E.S. Principal & Other Staff

[Anonymous]

I'm an elementary school teacher and every year my grade-level team puts in money to purchase gifts for the following people:
1) principal
2)assistant principal
3) secretaries (there are two)
4) para-educator that works with our grade-level
5) building services staff.
This year there are six of us that each put in $40. I'm curious to hear from other teachers regarding giving Christmas/holiday gifts. Does this happen at your school as well?

[Anonymous]

yeah, I think we did that too since those were the people who parents/students usually forgot to gift individually. As a classroom teacher, I always came home loaded with loot!

[Anonymous]

not to that extent - But then again, I'm HS. We do things by department instead. So we'll collect for our department secretary. (And not all departments have one, by the way.) And if we work with paras or special educators, we usually buy them individual gifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yeah, I think we did that too since those were the people who parents/students usually forgot to gift individually. As a classroom teacher, I always came home loaded with loot!

That's interesting, it never would have occurred to me to give something to the principal at the holidays. Also, it seems unusual for teachers to be gifting their boss. (Note: I'm not saying principals don't deserve recognition, just not sure how it should happen.)

[Anonymous]

I think the general rule in other workplaces is you don't give gifts to the boss. It's an etiquette thing I always read about in women't magazines, but perhaps it's different in schools. You do give to peers and you generously recognize support staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I think the general rule in other workplaces is you don't give gifts to the boss. It's an etiquette thing I always read about in women't magazines, but perhaps it's different in schools. You do give to peers and you generously recognize support staff.

Yeah, I agree with this. I don't know about schools but gift-giving to the boss in my workplace is prohibited. Not only "etiquette" but such a policy avoids appearances of improper influence.