How Much Do You Spend on Teachers Gifts?

I know I am a high school teacher and the expectations are different, but I really don't want presents from my students. I love getting cards or homemade treats, but presents make me a little uncomfortable. If you feel like you really need to get something how about board markers or hand sanitizer! That is what we need. Really...teachers don't expect anything. Please don't stress about it.

$5 gift cards are appreciated. Get them each card for Starbucks or Du nkin donuts. It gives them a treat. If it's a shared teacher make it a little more. Stay away from stuff. Imagine if you had 30 children and they all brought you candles, mugs etc. Gift cards are the best.

First of all, teachers appreciate a hand made card of appreciation more than you ever know. A card with maybe a picture of the teacher with your child enclosed is appreciated.

Teachers do not expect gifts from all students, especially the teachers who are there for TA, PE, Music, language, etc.

If it hurts your budget, don't do it. You should never go into debt, spend money you don't have, or spend money that is earmarked for family obligations to get someone you hardly know a gift. It should not be a stressful situation and if it is, then you need to rethink what you are doing and why.

In the past when my daughter was still in school, we gave the main teachers a gift card, chocolates, movie tickets, etc. I did not buy for everyone she came in contact with at the school.

Best of luck to you.

Here is my response to two similar questions last week.

Below is part of my response to a similar question yesterday. As an additional note, today in our teacher lounge we had breakfast pizzas that a family bought for our entire staff. This is the 2nd year they have done it. Very much appreciated by the entire staff.

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I'm a teacher and in our district, we cannot accept a gift valued over $25. We are public employees and big gifts could be seen as "bribes" I guess. And personally, I've always felt uncomfortable with any gift more than that.

You don't need to buy for all of the special area teachers (art, music, etc.). I'm a reading specialist and I rarely get gifts from kids. Doesn't bother me at all. What some families at our school do is bring in treats for the teachers' lounge that everyone can enjoy. We really appreciate something that isn't sweet. Breads, fruit, veggie trays, or meat and cheese trays. But if that is more than you can afford, no one will think any less of you.

My kids have always had a para or teacher's aide in the classroom. I've never given anything to them because they have usually been 1-1 staff for a specific student (not my child). The one year my daughter rode the bus, I didn't give the driver anything.

I'm planning to give each of my kids' teachers a $20-25 gift card to Barnes and Noble. And maybe a loaf of bread if I get it made. For gymnastics coaches we spent about $5 a piece on fun socks. (They both wear fun socks around the gym.) For Sunday School teachers we will probably give $5 gift cards to our local bakery and maybe an ornament.

I would limit the gift for the teacher to $20-25 at the most. If you do want to give to the teacher's aide, I would give half that amount. Personally a gift card for cosmetics would go unused by me. I don't wear much makeup and don't buy expensive makeup ever. I would stick to book stores, craft stores, teacher supply stores, coffee shops, Target, etc. Definitely don't give the teacher coffee mugs, apple decorations, etc. We get tons of it and mine usually ends up in the garage sale box.

Teachers never expect gifts from any of their students. The thought is nice, but I've never felt any less for a child who didn't bring me a gift or any more for a student who brought a huge gift.

This year we're spending about $500 total on our kiddos teachers!

Now that you've snorted your coffee :-)
We homeschool so my husband & I are the teachers & we've been saving for a while for what we want.
Another reason to love educating at home. Teachers gifts are great quality & very much something that will be used & loved!
Hope you find a solution!

Sigh.
WHY do people think they HAVE to gift every person that has touched their lives in any sort of way?
If you want to,
if it gives you joy,
if you're not going into debt and not blowing your budget -
go right ahead - more power to you!
If you don't want to,
if it annoys you and feels like a chore,
if you're going into debt and blowing your budget -
then don't do it - and don't feel guilty for not doing it!
I do not give out gifts at the drop of a hat.
If people don't like that - well they are entitled to their opinions.
And if they want to put THEIR cash on the line so I can give to every one and his brother - FINE!
Get comfortable with saying 'No' - nicely and politely.
Trying to please everyone is an impossible task.

I spend my money for Christmas on the kids. I cannot afford to spend money on the teachers.

IF IF IF the kids want to give their teacher something we go to family fun magazine online and find some crafts or snacks they can make then give it to the teachers.

IF the class wants to take donations for a group gift I will give something IF we have it.

I was a PTA president at 2 different schools. When I used to ask teachers about gifts, they told me they loved hand written notes from the students and or parents.

I also helped the teachers hold a garage sale at one of the schools, they were raising money so that they could open a day crea center for their children.

We used 30 6 ft tables, and they were filled with candles,bath stuff, Apple, teacher, Scottie decorated stuff. Frames, book bags, jewelry, plaques with sayings.. Mugs, cups, tshirts....It was incredible. These items had never been used.

Keep in mind, teachers over all, do not expect gifts from their students.. A nice note is appreciated.

We give a $5 gift card to the class teachers. We give the music teacher a $5 gift card as well, but only because my boys sing in the choir and she gives them "extra" voice lessons. If I have time I will bake a dozen shortbread to go with the gift card.

Are the TA's there for your children or are they there to help special needs students in your children's class? I work as a TA, and maybe I will receive a gift from the families of the kids I am there to assist, but not from the other students in the classroom.

Snacks for the staffroom are always appreciated!

I sent two boxes of Harry's and David's pears to my son's teachers. The card includes the names of his classroom teacher, gifted team teachers and includes his music, art, Spanish teachers as well. I spent $50 but feel pretty good that all of his team will feel included. It does seem that the specials teachers get short shrift compared to the classroom teachers even though I think they work just as hard and are just as concerned about the kids. If I had two kids in the same school, I would send the same gift (same two boxes - 10 lbs of pears - the best pears in the entire world).

I try to avoid sweet things - my office gets bombarded with candy and popcorn this time of the year and I seriously don't need to eat that stuff. I also try to avoid small gift cards (what can you really buy with $5?) and large gift cards get either awkward or expensive ($25 towards a fairly nice restaurants obligates the teacher to pay another $25-50 unless she wants to eat alone) and I think spending $50 or more adds up fast and gets uncomfortable for the recipient.

Do you really live somewhere where movie tickets are still $7.50? Movies near me are $12.

I have 3 kids and only the main teacher gets a gift. I spend $10 per teacher. In K, that means they had two teachers so they both got $10.

Last year my daughter broke her foot and the nurse went above and beyond to help her out for the three months she was in a boot and used the wheel chair a lot, we gifted her $10 as well.

I sometimes gift the bus driver, but I don't know either of them this year and won't be doing it. We do not gift their other teachers.

Each year I make holiday earrings for all of my sons teachers. He has 10 ( I include Art, Music, etc.) and 1 male teacher- gym. So he gets an ornament that my son paints with his school picture in it. I pay $15-20 for earring stuff at Michaels, $10 in gift bags, and another $ 10 for candy. They all love it, and they collect them up. I do this for Christmas and the end of school year.

For my older son (2nd grade) we are only giving a gift card to his classroom teacher. My younger son is special needs, so we will be giving gift cards to his classroom teacher, speech teacher and the two aides that work with him. We will also give a card to the 3 daycare teachers in the afterschool program.

Most people don't do anything for specialty (art, PE, music, etc) or administration. If you can and want to, I think some bagels or something to share would be very appropriate and appreciated.

ETA - We get most teachers a $10 gift card.

My kids are in 2nd and 4th grades also. I only bought a gift for their main teachers. I spent $15. I got them each a gift card to starbucks and I ordered them a charm bracelet with a star on it that says "thanks for helping me shine". Nothing for art and PE and music and anyone else that they see at school. I don't think their class has assistants so I didn't have to worry about that.

How about candy/chocolate from See's Candies? They have a range of boxed candies and chocolates.

I did two gifts this year my daughters main teacher and the office secretary who does her insulin injections daily. I spent around 35 or so total. A 10 Starbucks git card a mug and chocolates in the mug for each.

A cute ornament in a pretty box for the assistants. You can find them for under $8.

Main teacher $20. Is the class planning on doing a group gift?

I don't. My oldest son is in high school - he has 7 teachers. My youngest son is in middle school and has a total of 10 teachers (there is a room that has co-teachers).

Sorry - but that's a boatload of money on teachers. I know their job is NOT easy - I just can't see spending $425 on people - that would be $25 each. Even getting them $10 gift cards to Starbucks would be $170.

I do end of year gifts. If I had been feeling better this weekend, I would have baked goodies for them. That's what I've done in the past. Baked cookies, etc for them and delivered the last day of school before Christmas Break.

Good luck! Merry Christmas to you!

Like Suzanne W., when I grew up, teachers were teachers, not friends or relatives, and we didn't buy them gifts. Guess I would spend on them comparable to what they spend on me or my kid. I really don't get why people think they have to buy a gift for every single person they come into contact with - mail delivery person, teachers, garbage collectors - ridiculous if you ask me.

$10 max. An ornament and homemade treats is usually what we do. 2 teachers and 1 day-care. We usually make one batch of something and split it up. along with a card.

10-15$ for my son's first grade teacher, I'll have him make a card and then buy a gift card to a local coffee shop. I am not buying for the aides or any of the specialists (art, music, pe, library, computer). It's not that I don't appreciate them but the gift giving can get out if hand and expensive, my own "family and friend list" is large enough. I will have him make a card, he's very artistic.

My kids also attend a daycare, and there are four wonderful teachers who work with my kids. I will probably give each some homemade cookies and a $5 gift card. So in total, I'll spend around 50.00 or less.

We only gave to the classroom teacher and aide, usually $5-10 each. The room mom pooled all the $ together and gave a gift card of some kind along with a card signed by all the kids in the class.
I think it's fine to give the other teachers a little something if you can but you shouldn't feel obligated. It also depends on your child's relationship with them. For example my daughter had reading intervention for a few years and she and I both felt we wanted to give her reading teacher a little something, because she was so sweet and spent a lot of one on one time really working with my daughter.

I grew up at a time when gifts were not the thing to do. A nice card or something handmade was nice. Christmas cookies or candy (fudge) and may be something at the end of the year.

I agree with B's post. If you feel it do it; if you don't then don't. We get this posts quite regularly on here.

Like the one woman stated they had a garage sale and there's were all your gifts went. Every teacher has a closet full of gifts that is stuff with things s/he will never use that parents thought were great. Give a gift card from Barnes and Noble, Michaels, or Hobby Lobby where they can get things they need for the classroom.

the other S.