Christmas gifts for teachers

Just been reading a long argumentative thread about whether teachers should accept Christmas or end of year gifts from students.  What's your opinion? Have your children brought in gifts or cards for their teachers? Do some parents go overboard and make it too competitive? Should staff expect gifts?

I recall bringing small gifts to teachers in primary school but thinking the girl in my year that gave all her teachers gifts in high school was a brownnoser!

Jean attends the playgroup where I work and she brought in a little tin of apple cinnamon biscuits for her key worker.

I got some very small bits of chocolate, a small pointsettia etc. from the children, plus the staff as a whole got like five tins of Quality Street.

My little guy gave christmas cards to his classmates, and I reminded him to make one for his teachers and headmaster as well.  The way I see it is, teachers rarely get a thank you so why not at the very least wish them a happy holiday.
   
   Now as I think about it, I wish I had gotten them a little something.  Oh well, there is always next year!

We have a fair few competitive parents in the year my oldest is in.  They drive me bonkers!  We always did small gifts for the teachers that she really wanted to give to, not just gifts for gifts sake.  Now that she's older, it's different and with all the different teachers she has, she didn't really want to do any this year, but she did make cards for a couple.

I don't see anything wrong with teachers getting/accepting gifts, but we have seen instances where other parents take it to an extreme level that I've wondered if the teachers have questioned accepting a $50 gift.  If the parents have the money and are genuinely wanting to acknowledge the teacher, I see no harm in it. I just hate it when kids feel that their gift is less than good enough because of cost.

My first year there I got  a couple marshmallow snowmen that one of the boys had made (with help from Mum) - I thought they were fantastic!  I see it as the thought that counts, the genuine wish of child or parent to say "thank you for all you've been doing", whether that be verbally or in a card or with a small gift.

Speaking as a teacher, I think any token of appreciation is great!  Last year I got some chocolates from one student for Christmas, but just cards from other students.  The classic card was one that read, "You're not my favourite teacher but have a good Christmas anyway."  At least it made me laugh!

This year I have a year 7 form group and got Christmas cards from most, if not all, of them and I got them all Christmas cards as well.  The cards were all very sweet and very much appreciated.  As someone else has said, teachers don't often get thanked, and we do work very hard, so any token - gift or not, is very welcome.  I certainly don't think gifts are necessary, but I definitely appreciate the cards.  I suppose I would feel a bit awkward if someone had obviously spent a lot of money on a gift, but I wouldn't worry about giving teachers some chocolates or other similar gift.

I like giving the teachers gifts, my dad was a teacher and I remember really enjoying all the gifts he got at Christmas time, so long as it wasn't a mug.

This year I gave the teachers all homemade owl Christmas tree ornaments and bottles of wine I got at Costco. They all loved the hand sewn owls!

When our oldest was younger (she is in year 5 now) she made gifts for her SNA and others that helped her in school.  I would order some arty/crafty thing from Yellow Moon and she would do her best.  
This year both her and her little sister started a new school.   They just gave their teachers cards.  
When we had a bit of extra money I used to give the 9 year old's SNA a bottle of wine.  When money was tight, I would make some homemade goodies for the staff room.