Tacky or Just Me?

[DaveA]

I find them tacky. Did it come from the school or a parent's group? One center I worked at had a parent committee that sent out a letter to DCPs that went WAY over the top with "suggestions" for teacher gift ideas, volunteer "requests, etc.

[NightOwl]

TACKY. I bought a Perfectly Posh bath salts set and some scented sachets for my son's K teacher, but it's because I truly appreciate her. Not because someone told me I had to.

[Annalee]

All I put in the goodie bags for the teachers was a straw-cup filled with candy and a little poem I printed off of PINTEREST. But I have already received emails thanking me for working with them through the testing/tutoring/etc. I didn't give much and did not do everything listed in the hand-out but I have gotten close to these teachers and I guess I feel this testing/evaluation to them is like the QRIS ASSESSMENT for me so I like to give back because I know few will!

[Sunchimes]

We didn't have Teacher Appreciation day when I was kid. But at Christmas and end of the year, some kid would secretly pass around an envelope for a few days, and the kids would put in money. After a few days, the envelope would disappear, and at the appropriate time, a gift would appear from the class. It was usually embroidered hankies or sachet. I remember a vase one year. We didn't flood her desk with 30 things she already had 20 of--just one gift from everyone. The whole class signed the card and no one knew who gave a dime and who gave a dollar. No one felt bad if they couldn't spend much. Seems like a good way to do it.

The idea of a wish list horrifies me. If I was still teaching, I would refuse to participate.

[Annalee]

This is obviously a school board/across the states thing because I am hearing lots of these stories on the news and this forum. I know here they rarely have 5 people at PTO meetings or any other meeting that involves the school system. There is a surge to get parents involved which I think will never happen because most parents hate common core and the testing that goes with it. The requests in my boys' teacher letters asked for simple things like their favorite kind of candy, wear their favorite color shirt, highlighters, etc. I think the school board possibly come up with the request. BUT I give wish list to my clients for my daycare things I can use or are out of. I am just looking at it from my perspective because I think the principle is close to the same.