Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

I am a teacher as well, and I think that accepting a $100 gift from my students would be VERY uncomfortable for me. I don't know how I'd feel about accepting a gift like that.

Usually what I get from my students is little knick/knacks/trinkets from the dollar store. They are usually half broken from them wrapping them up in tissues and bringing them to school in their bookbags. But I do keep many of them, because so many of the students have been so special to me.

The absolute best gift I ever recieved (this was when I was working in a private catholic school on LI) was a smock/apron made by my class mother with the students. She painted each of the kids hands in fabric paint and put a handprint on a plain white apron. She had them write their names underneath their hands with sharpie markers, and wrote the class name & year in the middle. It was so special and I wear it now in my new school.

I can't imagine a teacher being upset if they recieved a gift that was less then $100, and I can't even imagine reciving that much in the first place.
I hope you work something out that everyone can be happy about.

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

In our district the parents pay for all parties (drinks, crafts, goodies) We collect the $20 and also ask for things from the party throughout the year. This year one of my kids is in 5th gr. and we have to pay for the lunch being servied at their picnic, thats why we spent more. Usually there is money left and we buy the kids a little something. Also, on our class supply list we supply the classroom with soap, wipes, paper towels, tissues, hand sanitizer. I always send in extra stuff. I also buy a little something extra on top of giving money/gift card from class to the teacher. I love my daughters teacher, but i feel that it is excessive to have to give a hundred dollar gift.

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

I don't think the teacher would be upset. However, I'm a DANCE teacher and I receive MUCH more than that. I only see the kids once a week(some more). To me...it is an appreciation. I go above and beyond for my students(as most teachers do). These teachers are with your children almost as many hours as you are. $5 per child is not that much money. Think about how much your teachers meant to you when you were little and how much they affected your life. This person is influencing your child. What's $5 to say thank you...now go enjoy something for yourself from the class you have worked so hard with. JMO. Ask all the parents to bake something for the party and spend the money on the teacher. As a teacher, it's nice to know that someone notices and appreciates me!

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

I have gotten gifts over the years and many of my students come from limited means. Over the course of the years, I have received:

Century 21 Gift Cards
A Kipling Knapsack
A bathrobe
Scarves
Pins
Costume Jewelry
Cash (Which I did not want to take but parents forced it)
Candy
Vera Bradley Products
Cards
An alarm clock from Pottery Barn
Mugs
Mugs
and more mugs

and a lot more than I cannot remember.

I don't expect gifts, but it is actually nice to know that a parent thinks of us. I too work in special ed- psych day treatment and if anything, it shows a child to appreciate the jobs that teachers do. My students actually enjoy giving gifts, but it doesnt matter to me if they do or if they do not. And my students do not just give to us. they give to teachers assistants, speech therapists, occupational therapists, counselors and specialists like art, music and gym. They are just giving people.

I was also told that teachers can no longer write off the $250 for supplies that they lay out. If that is the case, it is sinful. Teachers take more out of their pockets for work-related items than any other profession I know. It is usually because budgets do not allow for supplies they so desperately need.

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

In my district we are not allowed to get ANY gifts. I literally had to return a $40 GC to Macy's that I got during the holidays. THAT was awkward.

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

I worked as a nyc teacher for years and during that time I got maybe 3-4 gift cards which I really appreciated. My gifts were often something a child made or unfortunately stole from a parent or a sibling. They were usually something that was silly or unusable. I loved getting them though. Some made me feel proud, some made me lausgh and some made me cry. It's the thought that counts and I never expected anything from my students...they had very little. And I spent plenty on them.

I think it is a nice idea to help out with expenses with a gc to an educational store. Supplies are nice too, but sometimes it is hard to know what the distrit is supplying. In the city we were lucky to get paper.

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

Teachers can no longer write off what they spend. I tried to this year and was told that this was the first year we were not allowed to.

That said, yes, I spend a LOT of money on my kids every year. Now, I'm hoping it goes down a bit after my first few years - but for my first two years I've probably spent almost $750 on my class, out of pocket.

But I agree, one of the best gifts is a kind letter, or a letter to the principal to put in their file. That, and school supplies and books for their classroom library.

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

Posted by Vanessa123

no one collects anything
no one pays for our events
no one gives me elaborate gifts
[/QUOTE

me neither- but I am in a middle school so I think it is different than elementary...not sure


either way 100 is a lot and you should feel fine about lowering the amount to maybe 50 or a GC to a teacher store, restaurant, somewhere else

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

My class always collects $10 in the beginning of the year and then separate collections are done at the holidays and end of year. Usually they collect $5 a kid each time. So my parents give a total of $20 a year...ten towards class funds and ten towards a gift for me. I think it is very thoughtful.

ETA: I also spend a lot of my own money of class parties etc...and I always give my class parents nice gifts at the holidays and the end of year as well as my students. So I basically get back what I spend.

Message edited 6/9/2007 1:34:20 PM.

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

I am assuming the whole class goes in on th $100. RIGHT?

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

For my dd's class, they collected $20 from each for a holiday gift (about $200 for teacher and the other $200 split between 2 asst's/1 aide if all contributed). They are doing it again this month. Parents were asked to purchase a few school supplies throughout the year. I don't mind but it's all the the other papers that come home(fundraisers and such) that get to be a bit much.

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

My kids got to catholic school and you would not beleive what the teacher sget, but we also want to give it since weknow their slaries are not too great!! I think $100 for holiday and end of the year is average. I also get a gift from my kids' to their teachers, this year I got the teacvhers and and teacher's aide really pretty braceles from a small boutique in our town, they were $50 per braceelt, I had to buy 6 of them

Re: Teachers Gifts, When is to much??

As a music teacher, I get 100 dollars cash for the holidays and 100 cash at the end of the year. The classroom teachers get three times that, plus we all get little gifts from the kids. I alway felt very weird about accepting it, but it's a school-wide appreciation of the teachers and the parents do it. I think it's really nice, but if I didn't receive it, I wouldn't think anything of it.
$50 is more than generous, and I know how much it costs to be a parent, so having some money leftover for an end of year party would be nice since parents shell out so much all year long. And I am someone who has spent 1200 dollars of my own money on my music program this year, and I still don't think that entitles me to a gift.