Anonymous
04/15/2026 16:46
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please don’t do any more than a kind note. I feel awkward when I receive money. I usually ease the guilt by using the gift card on classroom supplies, but I’d rather just receive a note.
I’m a professional and it just feels… odd. I don’t give other professionals in my life gift cards.
Thank you for the thoughtfulness, but it isn’t necessary.
-high school teacher
NP. Totally disagree here. I'm a financial professional and my clients occasionally give me gifts, including gift cards. When it happens, I am surprised and happy. I make seven figures but man I still was touched and appreciative when a client for whom I'd gone above and beyond during her divorce gifted me with a note and a $50 Starbucks gift card - and gave $25 coffee cards to each of my staff. Everyone was thrilled. I don't typically go to Starbucks - all those years of reading personal finance books advising me not to succumb to the latte factor stuck - but I sure did enjoy hitting up the drive through with my gift card and every time I did, I thought of my client with affection.
I have never met a teacher who didn't appreciate a gift card. It's just a nice way to say thank you.
Well, you've "met" multiple now. I'm another one begging the gift cards to please stop. It's not appropriate, it's very possibly against regulations if it's more than a trivial ($25) amount, and it's uncomfortable if I'm ever going to be responsible for grading or recommending or evaluating your child in any way.
A cute little trinket worth <$2? (Pen, sticker, bottle of coke) Fine. A note of appreciation? PERFECT. But anything with monetary value attached to it is uncomfortable. If you're going to do it, please please please keep it under $25. I don't want to have to report it to admin and make it a thing.
Thank you!
I love notes and small tokens, but gift cards are unsettling. It feels extremely wrong to accept money for a recommendation.
I have received them in the past. If I can’t graciously give it back, I end up taking the time to find out what my department needs. Then I use the money to purchase that, which also takes time.
But I’d really rather just have the nice note. That actually appears to be the consensus on this thread.
Parents: most people do nothing. It’s rare that I receive even a verbal “thank you” for the recommendation letters. Trust me when I say the note itself already stands out.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 13:37
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
MY DH is a high school teacher. He appreciates the heartfelt thank you cards the most. A gift card is nice, but an actual card that says more than just "thank you" really means a lot to him.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 12:07
Subject: Re:Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Public or Independent school? I've taught at both and received a variety of gifts and cards over the years.
Notes from kids (and parents) are truly wonderful. A gift card to buy a cup of coffee is a bonus. A couple of families over the years gave me wonderful books (a coffee table book related to the subject I taught and a baking cookbook) - I felt like the families had taken the time to know me. One of the most amazing things was the family who made a donation to the school in my name. It felt like they were telling the administration that I had been wonderful for their kid.
Gift cards can be weird, just because it's a place you like doesn't mean it's somewhere the teacher likes.
Notes from kids (and parents) are truly wonderful. A gift card to buy a cup of coffee is a bonus. A couple of families over the years gave me wonderful books (a coffee table book related to the subject I taught and a baking cookbook) - I felt like the families had taken the time to know me. One of the most amazing things was the family who made a donation to the school in my name. It felt like they were telling the administration that I had been wonderful for their kid.
Gift cards can be weird, just because it's a place you like doesn't mean it's somewhere the teacher likes.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 11:33
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Anonymous wrote:DC wrote a nice card and we added $100 cash, after the recs were submitted. These letters take time to write so it felt fair.
Please don't do this in public school. It is so over the top inappropriate. Tell your child to stop by and tell the teacher thank you again when they make their decision, but that's enough.
--HS teacher
Anonymous
04/15/2026 11:30
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please don’t do any more than a kind note. I feel awkward when I receive money. I usually ease the guilt by using the gift card on classroom supplies, but I’d rather just receive a note.
I’m a professional and it just feels… odd. I don’t give other professionals in my life gift cards.
Thank you for the thoughtfulness, but it isn’t necessary.
-high school teacher
NP. Totally disagree here. I'm a financial professional and my clients occasionally give me gifts, including gift cards. When it happens, I am surprised and happy. I make seven figures but man I still was touched and appreciative when a client for whom I'd gone above and beyond during her divorce gifted me with a note and a $50 Starbucks gift card - and gave $25 coffee cards to each of my staff. Everyone was thrilled. I don't typically go to Starbucks - all those years of reading personal finance books advising me not to succumb to the latte factor stuck - but I sure did enjoy hitting up the drive through with my gift card and every time I did, I thought of my client with affection.
I have never met a teacher who didn't appreciate a gift card. It's just a nice way to say thank you.
Well, you've "met" multiple now. I'm another one begging the gift cards to please stop. It's not appropriate, it's very possibly against regulations if it's more than a trivial ($25) amount, and it's uncomfortable if I'm ever going to be responsible for grading or recommending or evaluating your child in any way.
A cute little trinket worth <$2? (Pen, sticker, bottle of coke) Fine. A note of appreciation? PERFECT. But anything with monetary value attached to it is uncomfortable. If you're going to do it, please please please keep it under $25. I don't want to have to report it to admin and make it a thing.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 11:17
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Anonymous wrote:Please don’t do any more than a kind note. I feel awkward when I receive money. I usually ease the guilt by using the gift card on classroom supplies, but I’d rather just receive a note.
I’m a professional and it just feels… odd. I don’t give other professionals in my life gift cards.
Thank you for the thoughtfulness, but it isn’t necessary.
-high school teacher
NP. Totally disagree here. I'm a financial professional and my clients occasionally give me gifts, including gift cards. When it happens, I am surprised and happy. I make seven figures but man I still was touched and appreciative when a client for whom I'd gone above and beyond during her divorce gifted me with a note and a $50 Starbucks gift card - and gave $25 coffee cards to each of my staff. Everyone was thrilled. I don't typically go to Starbucks - all those years of reading personal finance books advising me not to succumb to the latte factor stuck - but I sure did enjoy hitting up the drive through with my gift card and every time I did, I thought of my client with affection.
I have never met a teacher who didn't appreciate a gift card. It's just a nice way to say thank you.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 10:35
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Anonymous wrote:What if the recommender is a grad student at a university? This is for a transfer rec. The person is making a small grad student stipend.
It’s not a great idea to ask a grad student for a letter
Anonymous
04/15/2026 10:19
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
What if the recommender is a grad student at a university? This is for a transfer rec. The person is making a small grad student stipend.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 09:56
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DC wrote a nice card and we added $100 cash, after the recs were submitted. These letters take time to write so it felt fair.
How much before the recs were submitted?
None - that's why you wait until after the LORs are submitted.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 06:06
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:A nice hand written card and my daughter did small gifts that she thought each teacher would really appreciate based on their personality
I’m one of the teachers who posted above, saying that I would **really** prefer just a card. I feel extremely inappropriate taking money, and then I have to spend time (I don’t have) finding a way to use it that won’t leave me feeling guilty.
Small, thoughtful gifts, however… that doesn’t bother me as much. One student wrote me a lovely note and attached a pen from her chosen university. I loved that! And I still have the pen in my desk at work.
I’m the other teacher who said the same thing and agree. I have a small item, made in an art advanced art class, that was given to me by a senior as a thank you. I love that and will never get rid of it. It is my classroom.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 05:41
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Anonymous wrote:A nice hand written card and my daughter did small gifts that she thought each teacher would really appreciate based on their personality
I’m one of the teachers who posted above, saying that I would **really** prefer just a card. I feel extremely inappropriate taking money, and then I have to spend time (I don’t have) finding a way to use it that won’t leave me feeling guilty.
Small, thoughtful gifts, however… that doesn’t bother me as much. One student wrote me a lovely note and attached a pen from her chosen university. I loved that! And I still have the pen in my desk at work.
Anonymous
04/14/2026 20:59
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Not chocolate.
Anonymous
04/14/2026 20:52
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
A nice hand written card and my daughter did small gifts that she thought each teacher would really appreciate based on their personality
Anonymous
04/14/2026 20:22
Subject: Thank you gift for teachers who wrote letter of recommendation?
Gift cards are the best, with a nice note. Amount depends on your school's custom.