Gifts for teachers? Why?

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shecky

shecky

Just an old guy
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I don't mean to offend any teachers here. My wife is a part-time teacher, my SIL is a principal, FIL was a teacher for a long time. That said, why do people give Christmas gifts to their childrens' teachers?

I don't get it. Nobody gives me a gift for doing my job. I understand teachers have a tough job and I don't begrudge them anything. I couldn't do it. Still, I felt like an enormous dick when I dropped my daughter off at pre-school today sans gift. She has one teacher and three 'helpers' in that classroom. I'm sorry, but you're not getting a gift for spending 5 hours a week with my kid.:mad:

And did I mention you're doing your job.

Am I a dick for not understanding this whole thing?
 
My wife is a teacher- and just shakes her head when she gets gifts from students. Now that she teaches 7th grade, it happens less compared to when she was in the elementary schools.

My mom is a teacher's assistant- and comes home with a ton of crap from her students.
 
Meh. Whatever.

I bought my Daycare lady a X-Mas gift as a way of saying "Thanks for doing the job I pay you for and not killing my son".

I think it's more a psychological phenomenon to entice above equal treatment.
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
Meh. Whatever.

I bought my Daycare lady a X-Mas gift as a way of saying "Thanks for doing your job and not killing my son".
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We thought of doing this, but it's too much. Between my kids' teachers and their daycare providers (they go in the afternoons), we're talking gifts for another 8 people, minimum.

My thanks for them doing their job is saying thank you. Over and over. Nobody ever says that to me for doing my job or my wife for doing hers.

I don't tip the mail carrier or my newspaper delivery person, either. Maybe I'm just a jerk.:p
 
I always gave gifts to my teachers growing up. Usually it was just a bunch of cookies my mom baked (she's an amazing cook, so to ME that was a really good gift). Once I hit about 13, I stopped (one can only take so much "kiss ass!" and "brown-noser!" at this awkward age).

But by no means did ALL students give gifts. I honestly think my mom started because I was a pain in the ass student (not bad, just got in trouble a lot for talking and goofing off and generally being cheeky).

I wouldn't worry about it.
 
shecky said:
We thought of doing this, but it's too much. Between my kids' teachers and their daycare providers (they go in the afternoons), we're talking gifts for another 8 people, minimum.

My thanks for them doing their job is saying thank you. Over and over. Nobody ever says that to me for doing my job or my wife for doing hers.

I don't tip the mail carrier or my newspaper delivery person, either. Maybe I'm just a jerk.:p
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Ha.

My wife left the mail carrier cookies and a Happy Holidays card in the box.

We don;t take the paper.
 
I think we used to give my teachers gifts in elementary school, but once I got to middle school and had a different teacher for every class I think we stopped. Not really sure why people do this, I will say that my wife (works in retail) gives all of her staff gifts each year, typically something small, but still something. While my current workplace isn't much into the whole gift thing I have worked in other offices where it was customary for the supervisor to give a gift to each employee and for the employees to pool together and get something nice for the supervisor.

Personally I don't even really notice the holiday's anymore and it is all I can do to get presents for my own freaking family, let alone a bunch of other folks.
 
SWMBO, mom, an aunt & a cousin are teachers.

Everybody but SWMBO is elementary, so they rack up on useless stuff, SWMBO gets some good munchable stuff, but maybe from 5% of the kiddies.
 
I think it all depends on the relationship you have. If the person has gone out of their way to help you or gone above and beyond for you during the year then acknowledging that would be nice. Or if you've been a total PITA and want to thank them for putting up with you then give them something. Otherwise, no.
 
How about at least a card?... and enclosed within said card, a copy of your most recent property tax receipt highlighting how much you paid.:D

OK, maybe that's going too far. How about this... a card/donation to "The Human Fund"?
 
To answer your question why gifts, basically a token of appreciation. My wife is a 1st grade teacher and a damn good one to boot. She really has a knack with kids. Even the difficult ones like Autistic kids. I'd say gifting is certainly not necessary but something you do if you feel like it. I understand if you don't want to give the teachers aides a gift due to their limited interaction with your children. I know, it is a ****ty feeling to give a gift because you feel like you have to.
 
my kids in second grade and she adores her teacher. she made her a tree ornament. it cost two dollars and an hour of time. it was her idea, not mine.
 
I always saw it as more for the kid than the teacher. Teachers make an emotional connection with the kids in their classes (at least in the earlier grades) and so the kids like to give them a gift. That's all I think it is IMHO.
 
jmulligan said:
I always gave gifts to my teachers growing up. Usually it was just a bunch of cookies my mom baked
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Well yeah, but let's face it, you were a little girl doing that girly girl bullcrap. Man them schoolgirls know how to suck up!! It's a shame they seem to lose that ability when it becomes important. :(

Oh wait, I somehow went down the wrong path there.....

No person should EVER give a present to a teacher!! Ever since my daughter started school I told her to never trust a teacher just because they are her teacher. Too often they have their own agenda, and it does not involve the welfare of the children. She is now an assistant teacher herself, and studying to become a full time qualified teacher.....And she tells me that she still agrees with my "advice" and keeps it in mind at all times when at work.

I have never punched a teacher in the face. That is my gift to them. Merry Christmas Miss Pickersgill ;) (I chose Miss Pickersgill from my past, because she had fantastic tits)

Edit: just checking, this is the drunken ramblings thread? Oh yeah...It is. OK, carry on :)
 
we gave each of my boys primary daycare teachers a gift this year. They are very good with our boys and spend alot of time with them and I think it's a nice gesture. They send gifts home with them and I know they get paid absolute crap for a very hard job. We usually get them gift certificates, it's fairly generic but atleast they can get something they like.
 
uglygoat said:
my kids in second grade and she adores her teacher. she made her a tree ornament. it cost two dollars and an hour of time. it was her idea, not mine.
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I'm all for this if it was my daughter's idea. She is constantly drawing pictures for her teacher, whom she adores. Trust me, I really appreciate the teachers. It's often a thankless job. I'd just feel better giving gifts at the end of a school year rather than now just because it's Christmas.

My wife works in a female-dominated office. They do Secret Santa and the supervisors give each other gifts. The three supervisors also cook a Christmas meal for 27 people in the office. That took up about 5 hours of my wife's time over two days. It was ridiculous.

I love teachers. Really. I have a lot of admiration for them. But they're still doing their jobs. And to do it really well, well isn't that the goal for all of us?
 
Kids, especially young kids become emotionally attached to some of their teachers when they are younger, so of course it is on the kids mind to get the teacher a present. Teacher presents don't have to be much though, just something small.
 
My opinion is that if a student wants to give a gift, fine. Let the kid buy it.
I could not be a teacher today. They practically raise some of the children they teach, due to lack of parenting. And at 35 yrs old, I see a change in todays kids. My parents taught me to respect authority, and anyone older.
If I had kids, I would not buy teachers gifts.

In my town, some get paid way too much.

Public Employees Search
 
nuns6.jpg


Sh%T you say!
 
i had a teachers ass ;) in middle school that had HUGE knockers. she wore shirts that would show them if she bent over, so that was always a goal. you'd get her to your desk with a question and then peer down her shirt while she leaned over. the only bad part was that she had terrible breath, so you had to deal with that while you got your glimpse.

i also had a teacher (a dude) in high school that was really creepy. he would always would put his hand over yours on the mouse and move it around while he exhaled his foul breath over your shoulder and into your face. i kept a stick of gum in my shirt pocket so i could offer it to him on those occasions. he never took it and i wonder if he actually knew what i was doing. what a *******.

i think brushing your teeth twice per schoolday should be mandatory for all teachers. oh, and big knockers, too.
 

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