Yeah, I guess. I just...well, all the other teachers gave gifts. This would have been helpful information to have. Well, actually, I don't think the other part-time teachers did, so I guess it's ok.
Woman - chill! (a) You are not a full time teacher anyway; (b) even if you were, it's still TOTALLY AT YOUR DISCRETION; (c) kids are generally MORE excited about playing a fun game/baking cookies/receiving praise and a sticker than they are about being handed a present. I know this, because I do do the present thing, and some years they've STILL all gone home grumpy and feeling ripped off just because one kid won a big present in pass-the-parcel. (Said present being a truly crappy kitsch jokey Secret Santa present I'd just been handed, and promptly rewrapped and given away. BAD call. All the kids resented the fact that one kid ended up with this huge thing.)
Are $10 Target gift cards too cheap and impersonal?
You can always add some homemade goodies.
But you don't need to! Honestly, I'd be delighted with the equivalent of a $10 Target gift card. It's always lovely to get
anything,
and when it's something actually nice and/or useful (rather than the gilt-edged ceramic clown picked out by a child, bless) then that's a definite bonus. If you feel like adding home made goodies, that's lovely - but, honestly, don't feel you need to go the domestic goddess route.
eta
Aaaand because I am still very excited about the lovely gold taffata skirt I found yesterday, but made the mistake of posting about it in the same post as the shministim thing, I am posting it again.
Isn't it pretty? And it was less than half price!
Are $10 Target gift cards too cheap and impersonal?
No. Absolutely not. I get a few gift cards from students and they're generally $5 for Starbucks or Panera. I love them. A free coffee or sandwich? Rocks.
I think I figured out why I've been so wiped past few days. Nose. It's mostly stuffed. I think I've come down with a cold. Blargh!
Aw, poor omnis. I wish you lots of chicken soup.
That skirt is lovely, Fay. Do you know what you'll be wearing it with? Would it be possible to find something backless to wear with it, so you could show off your peacock feather tattoo? Because that over the gold taffeta would be lux and delicious as hell.
Isn't it pretty? And it was less than half price!
Oh Fay, that skirt rocks. And is hot. And for less than half price?
::is jealous::
I got a few things from a student's mother in San Francisco but other than that no student presents. And I don't expect them, neither (for one thing, I've got boys, and the particular kind of boy who just isn't going to think of it*), so anything at all is wonderful and nice.
Speaking of, I just got presents from three other teachers, to all of whom (thank goodness) I gave something yesterday (I'm not getting everyone in my department this year, just the ones I work with regularly). One is a CD of Christmas music, one is some kind of unlabelled jelly, and the other is... a full basket with homemade salsa and apple butter, bunches of candy, and an ornament. What the heck? I mean, it's wonderful! But wow.
(*Or I could not get presents because I'm a crappy teacher. It's so hard to tell sometimes. Nevertheless, I feel I provide a valuable service by bonding over video games and postmodern books with otherwise-marginalized kids.)
Speaking as someone who has attended both urban public schools, and church schools in the same city, I never gave gifts to teachers, and never observed other students giving them at Christmas time. The first time I ever heard of the custom was watching an episode of Leave It To Beaver, where the poor kid was mortified because he thought his mother intended for him to give his teacher underwear, when in fact she had bought a nice handkerchief to give the teacher. I thought it was just an old fashioned custom even after that, until in college I rented a room from a woman who taught at a church school. She came home on the last day of school before Christmas, laden with books, trays of goodies, cute (and otherwise) knicknacks. One time I was going to take my car in for a repair later on in the day after she had come home with all this booty, so she had me take a plate of brownies to the mechanics... brilliant move. I mean, I've often had good luck with mechanics, and these guys were good and honest. But I'm pretty sure they vastly undercharged me for the repair that time, and were always kindly disposed to make my car a priority after that.
