Every December, the same question comes up in parents’ WhatsApp boxes: what gift to give the teacher this year? Good news, a little attention works every time.
At the end of the year, teachers expect nothing, but never forget what they are offered. Former professor Damon Culbert sees the same scenario every year. Parents looking for the right idea, children excited at the idea of participating, and teachers sometimes moved to receive attention that goes well beyond the value of the object. There’s nothing stopping you from aiming just right, but there’s no point devoting your holiday budget to it. According to him, a simple gesture can be enough to create a lasting memory.
The former teacher says that some gifts stood out to him for good reasons, others a little less so. Indeed, he recognizes that there are some false good ideas that often come up. Alcohol, for example, sometimes ends up in the back of a cupboard or re-offered to someone else, because not all teachers drink. Gourmet baskets, no matter how generous, can be a problem for those who have allergies or follow special diets. As for branded gifts, they make more than one teacher uncomfortable: the value that is too high generally triggers a feeling of guilt rather than real pleasure. Far from luxurious objects or impulsive purchases, Damon Culbert therefore defends an approach which focuses on the trace left.
In other words, a little note that tells of an improvement, a progress, a specific memory, can remind a teacher of the reason why he chose this profession. He insists on this strength of the personal message, more striking than any object, especially when he mentions an acquired skill or a key moment of the school year. He even sees it as a way to restore a little momentum in the midst of a period of general fatigue, when teachers complete their last notebooks before the holidays. He confides: “My favorite gift of all time, which I still cherish, was given to me by a child who recorded a thank you message. I treasure that video. It’s because of it that I continued to work in education for so long.”
As you will have understood, at the end of the day, it is neither an expensive object nor a sophisticated idea that achieves all the success. So, if you haven’t yet suggested ideas on parents’ Whatsapp, know that this little present will have the desired effect. A sweet word from your child or a DIY gift accompanied by a tender message will also have an effect…
