Gifts for teachers

[jackie011]

This is a different sort of question-
When giving an end of the year teacher appreciation gift, do you expect to receive a thank you note? Is this a generationally biased question?

ETA: I wanted to see some responses before I further explained the situation. I was a classroom teacher for 11 years before moving to the administration side of things. In thst capacity, I always wrote a note for a variety of reasons, including some mentioned below. I currently manage a large childcare center. We have very generous parents who give nice gifts to teachers, assistant teachers, floaters, etc. My own child also attends this center. There is a wide range of responses to gifts ranging from nothing, to a verbal thank you, to pre-printed class notecards thanking everyone for a group gift.

It was brought to my attention that some parents were disappointed that they had not received a written TY for their gifts. My boss (a baby boomer) and I agreed that there should be some acknowledgment of gifts. We both said that WE would send a written TY note, but that we know we're of a different generation than a portion of our staff. I was curious if my age and my mother's expectation that every gift deserves a written TY note was clouding my judgement. (FWIW, staff of various ages have not been responding with written notes)

[imimahoney]

As a teacher, I can tell you that I never write ty notes. If I receive a gift it is at the end of the year when things are hectic, I just don't have time to write them.

I thank the child when I receive the gift and I would hope that they pass along my ty to their parents.

[cricketwife]

I taught for 12 years and always wrote thank you notes for every single gift. I think it is just polite and it's modeling gratitude.

[starburst]

I always write thank you notes when students give me gifts at Christmas and the end of the year. So far DS's daycare teacher has written me thank you notes when I've given her gifts. The assistant teacher has not.

[lala]

We have often received thank you notes but not always. I don't give it a second thought in this particular situation. Teachers have enough to do.

[sunshineandpinot]

I give gifts near the last day of school and I do not expect a TY note. Sometimes I get one but more often than not, I do not. The teachers have enough on their plate. (I am a former teacher.) I do quiz my child to make sure the teacher actually received their gift.

[wakka]

I don't expect one, but most of DS's teachers have given them. Most had generic preprinted ones made up in advance.

[imojoebunny]

We mostly get a group email thank you, non-specific to the gift, unless it was a class gift. I have had a couple of teachers, out of dozens, who wrote a note, but I do not expect one.

[Jalapeñomel]

I always write a thank you note for any gift I receive.

[sju1982]

I have received a thank you card every time, but I feel like it's not necessary. I'm usually handing the gifts directly to the teacher and they thank me in person. It's not like their huge gifts - usually just a $25 gift card with chocolate.

[Pilsy]

So far, I've received a TY note for every gift I've given anyone at DD1's daycare. This includes big gift cards for FT teachers down to modest gift cards and candy to support staff and floaters.

But that's not really your question. Do I expect one? I often leave gifts without seeing the recipient, and in that situation, I guess I do expect a note or at least for someone to say thanks at some point. I want to be breezy and say I don't care, but when I'm left to wonder whether the gift ever reached the right person, it bothers me. A verbal thanks is completely fine by me, and a note is extra impressive. The other thing about a note is, DD1 enjoys seeing it, and I appreciate it even more because of that. For what it's worth, our family writes notes for all gifts received.

I should note, we're at the center year-round, so "end of year" gifts are really teacher appreciation day/month/whatever gifts in May, and then it's not like there's a scramble to get us the note before we're gone for the summer. We keep coming back. If we were in a setting such that we gave a gift on the last day of school and then didn't see the teacher for months/ever again, I wouldn't expect a note, as I wouldn't assume the teacher would have access to our home address. If she were to find it online and mail a note, I'd be impressed.

[sju1982]

May 24, 2017 7:47:20 GMT -5 Pilsy said:

Do I expect one? I often leave gifts without seeing the recipient, and in that situation, I guess I do expect a note or at least for someone to say thanks at some point. I want to be breezy and say I don't care, but when I'm left to wonder whether the gift ever reached the right person, it bothers me. A verbal thanks is completely fine by me, and a note is extra impressive. The other thing about a note is, DD1 enjoys seeing it, and I appreciate it even more because of that. For what it's worth, our family writes notes for all gifts received.

I couldn't have said it better!

[vamoose]

My son gave his kindergarten teacher a card with a $50 target gift card inside a couple weeks ago during teacher appreciation. She usually writes thank you notes, but I haven't heard anything so far. I am a little worried it could have gotten lost or thrown out on accident? Or maybe she is just busy with the end of the year? Who knows. But I do hate the wondering when you have small kids giving gifts to a busy teacher.