I searched for a thread like this and the last one was from 2006. Given that things like this can change, I want to start a fresh one.
Through elementary and middle school we always given a small gift to our daughter’s teachers and club leaders at Christmas (“small” meaning no more than $10 or so to each one). I am told that gifts are not customary at the high school level anymore, with the exception of a thank you note and gift after a teacher writes a LOR. Still, after all these years it actually feels weird not planning anything for the teachers (I’m a creative person, mostly find it fun to think up creative ways to package things like gift cards at that price point). She has some great teachers who go “above and beyond” in many small ways such as bringing donuts to an early morning test study session. I’m no less grateful to these folks than I was to the earlier teachers. I’m holding off so far, but wondering if I should change my mind before it is too late.
So is this a local custom kind of thing? What is done in terms of Christmas or holiday gifts in your high school?
I see nothing wrong with giving a gift to whomever you want to give to. I do come from a family of teachers and know that they can get tired of getting the same coffee mugs, cookies, and candies every year. If you are going to give a teacher a gift, then think outside the box and give something different than everyone else.
Some years, I took a large tray of cookies to the faculty room with a nice note. I waited until January, because believe me… in December, there is already an over abundance of food in those faculty rooms.
We never gave individual holiday gifts to the middle or high school teachers.
The difference between grade school and high school can be the number of teachers. For grade school, my kids had a and we might have given to the art and music teachers too, and the after school workers. For high school, they each had 7+ teachers, coaches, drama director, etc. It just became too much. Plus my kids wanted to exchange gifts with their friends.
The teachers do appreciate it. My sister teaches 4th grade and loves all the gifts, but won’t eat a lot of the homemade stuff.
I used to give a Starbucks gift card. My daughter is now a high school math teacher. I think she has something like 150 students and she receives maybe one or two gifts each year.
We would donate books to the library in the teachers name. In HS we would ask the teacher what book they would like donated and buy a “library edition” copy of that book.
A lovely family that we knew all through elementary, middle, and high school never had money to give the expensive gifts that a lot of families gave in elementary school. So every year, they made those oranges studded with cloves for every single teacher that their kids had, regardless of age. The teachers loved them! It was the thoughtfulness, as well as the awesome smell, that counted!
At our high school there was always a holiday luncheon for the faculty and staff organized by the PTA. Parents were asked to donate items like food and drinks for the luncheon. There was always an online sign up sheet as many events took place at school and it gave an opportunity for the parents to support and get involved. Later in the year there was a Teacher appreciation luncheon and we all did the same thing. Though a public school it gave a chance for parents and teachers to get to know each other and helped to form a close knit community.
my dad is a potter and retired art teacher. he’s made mugs for the kids to give to their teachers the last several years. A few years ago - we gave 48 of them when all 4 kids were in school. His rule – each kid had to give one to every teacher and not just their favorites. (because chances are, those favorites are probably everybodies, and got lots of gifts, and the others probably never do . . so it was all or nothing ). I think last year my son’s HS teachers all seemed to be pleased to be remembered. I know, mugs are cliche, but it works for us. and keeps my dad busy! two teachers have contacted us about the mugs and turned around and bought several mugs from my dad, so he liked that.
Our S only wanted to give gifts to one teacher who was always feeding the kids (unbeknownst to us). I told him to choose whatever he wanted. It turned into a case of microwave popcorn, case of microwave kettle corn and case of something else.
I was grateful to that teacher who helped our S and others feel they had a place to hang out.
Others have given teachers we know an assortment of things—home baked/made goodies, packaged edibles, gift cards to Starbucks, Jamba Juice or similar, ornaments, mugs, jewelry (mostly costume), etc.
My kids’ teachers liked the $25 Costco gift cards; they gave them to the teachers who: stored sports equipment, sponsored clubs, supervised events, etc.
The kids told me the teachers then bought lysol wipes, cases of paper, sharpies, etc. from Costco.
Our HS would send a request for people to make things for a luncheon, and to send in gift cards to be given out across the school. I usually took the food myself or gave it to another parent, but more than once I found the GCs in backpacks months later.
I generally don’t gift each teacher, however, last year there were a couple of standouts and i wanted to acknowledge them What I did was look at their online bio (on school website); I discovered that the Calculus teacher was also a Fine Art major - for her, I was able to find a mathematical art book ‘Mathematics and Art: A Cultural History’ She loved it! For another, a Walking Dead fan, I gave him a Walking Dead Trivia game ‘The Walking Dead Trivial Pursuit Game’
etc. I try to give what I think they’ll love, not just another mug or Starbucks card!