Teachers Share Their Least Favourite End-of-Year Gifts
As pupils count down the days until the summer holidays, teachers are quietly hoping they won't receive the same thank-you present from 30 separate children. While teachers appreciate any gesture, some have highlighted one issue many parents fail to consider: how much space they have. This prompted one teacher to appeal to parents not to buy yet another 'Best Teacher' mug, revealing their home has been taken over by them.
Responding to a Reddit question: "Teachers, which end-of-year gifts are you fed up with receiving, and what makes a good gift? Specifically interested in primary school. How many 'Thank You for Helping Me Grow' gifts do you own?"
The Worst Gift: Mugs
One teacher said: "I've taught primary for many years now. The worst gift is mugs. Good lord, I have a lot of them. My wife (also a primary teacher) gets the same mugs. It's strange though because, according to the mugs, I'm the world's best teacher - I'm not sure how my wife can also claim that title."
Another user added: "As the partner of a primary teacher, for the love of God, please no more 'Best Teacher' mugs! My wife loves them all and I get the sentiment, but our cupboards can't take much more."
Other Unwanted Gifts
A teacher mentioned: "Mugs are the worst for me as I don't drink hot drinks. Wine is next, as I don't like wine." Another remarked: "Anything with 'Best Teacher Ever' plastered all over it. Especially if it's on a mug. I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm six years into my career and I average about five new mugs a year. I also hate Roses and Quality Street but, again, I appreciate someone thinking of me."
What Teachers Actually Want
Teachers prefer simple, thoughtful gifts. One said: "Amazon gift vouchers are the best thing I have ever received. Chocolate is next. That being said, I'm fine with (and actually prefer) absolutely nothing. I don't expect anything - I am merely doing my job!"
Another teacher added: "My favourite gifts are always the simple ones. A thoughtful message in a card is always number one. A bottle of wine always goes down a treat and I'm a sucker for a bunch of flowers. A parent recently made a snack box for me and my team to thank us for our work during lockdown, which was super sweet. I've had Starbucks vouchers too, which I loved. Did I mention wine?"
Sentimental Gifts Treasured Most
A final user shared: "In the last five years, we've had two family members pass away who were both teachers. I helped clear out both houses and I reckon I took more than 100 'Best Teacher' mugs to charity shops. Most of them were brand new. Keyrings and teddies featured heavily too. One of them had kept every single note and card they'd been given over the years, all in folders, along with pictures the children had drawn, bookmarks they'd made and even a tiny Play-Doh model that had gone hard. They meant an awful lot to her, and I hated throwing them away."
