I remember walking into the staff lounge one day and found athank you gift for a teacher sitting on the table. I was a little taken back but for every one who may not appreciate it there are three or four who do. For future have the group pay for them or do little things like book marks, bags if candy that way the waste doesn't really matter. We have done the same planner for years...it was a PTA project from the 80's and one year I mentioned not doing the planners and you would have thought I shot someone! WE keep doing it because the teachers LOVE them...pratical even if we dont like them!
You did a nice thing that wasn't appreciated the way you'd hoped it would be. That stings. I bet you wouldn't feel quite so hurt if the items had been purchased with PTO money. Next time, build the token into the PTO budget and you won't feel personally hurt if the item is discarded so casually. Unfortunately, some teachers (like most humans) don't realize the cost of their little token gift was multiplied by 20 or 30 teachers and took some time and money to put together. Don't stop being nice, just stop being so personally generous.
We dicided to do teacher's week for 2 weeks this year. I am a Tupperware consultant and I can purchase mini Tupperware very cheaply (magnets, keycahins, etc). I have BOUGHT teacher gifts every year for 3 years now. With not much thank you by the way.
So this year I bought little clear Tupperware bowls(shot glass size) I filled them with red hots and put stickers on them saying 'you are a red hot teacher'. At the meeting tonight I found out that some teachers THREW AWAY the gifts!!!!
Before the meeting I had purchased lots of salt and pepper because I bought mini tupperware salt and pepper shakers for every teacher. ALWAYS OUT OF MY OWN POCKET!!!
I think I am going to just keep all the salt and pepper shakers for my friends.......When I went and checked the teachers mailboxes I even found a Tupperware from last year!!!
I am mad and don't think I should ever do teacher appreciation gifts again..........Is this right for me to think this way!!!
