Saturday, May 9, 2009

How do you show your appreciation?

This week is Teacher Appreciation week and I really appreciate my kids teachers. Well, most of them anyway. As part of the PTO board we did stuff for the entire staff every day this week ~ donuts and coffee one morning. One day we had staff come in from a local spa and do 10 minutes treatments, nails, hair, massages. One day we catered lunch from a local italian restaurant. Something different everyday. I really do appreciate teachers. It's a job I know I could never do. I have very little patience for most monterous kids and I'd have to throttle the majority of them, landing me in jail, I'm sure. Knowing this about myself, I'm not a teacher but I believe those that do teach need to be able to better at it than me. I know we all have our bad days but teachers should be calmer and more patient than most. They need to be able to deal with all the junk that goes along with teaching (and need to be paid sufficiently as well). Most teachers I have encountered do this and do it well. Those teachers I try to help as much as possible. Need copies done? No problem. Need bulletin boards decorated? I'm your girl. I'm willing to do whatever is needed. For these teachers I made these to give them from the kids
DSC06231 DSC06233 These were for Nate's teachers, who I just love!
I naturally made one for Julianne's teacher as well. She picked out the fabric cause her teacher loves all things doggy. DSC06235
But then I started thinking... I really don't like Julianne's teacher. She is NOT a nice person..and she's a screamer too. Julianne went from loving school and getting straight A's to begging not to go to school and getting some B's, mostly C's and even a D! I've had meetings with the teacher, the school counselor and the principal. Things have improved a bit but it's still not great. Anyway... for Christmas I made all the teachers gifts seen here. Nate's teachers were sufficiently grateful and I received notes of thanks. Julianne's teacher, however, is another story. She did not open any of her gifts in front of the kids (and you know they love to see their teachers open gifts from them) and never once thanked either the kids or the parents or really even acknowledge that gifts were received. Remembering all this, I've decided that I am NOT going to give her this gift for teacher appreciation week cause I really don't appreciate her and she apparently doesn't appreciate receiving gifts.
Am I wrong? Should I give her a gift anyway? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

3 comments:

mom23boys said...

You know I'm with you on the helping teachers thing. Sadly, I'm also with you on the not giving a gift in appreciation when, not only do you not appreciate her (and it sounds as if that's deserved) but she also doesn't appreciate gifts received. I would have a hard time giving a second gift to a teacher -or anyone else- who couldn't be bothered to acknowledge the first one.

Dani said...

I love the little bags, they would make WONDERFUL make up bags!!!

Judy said...

Here is a formula for you to consider. E+R=O. That is "Event" (that we have no control over) plus "Response" (where we have at least two choices, yes-no)equals "Outcome" (which we fuel by the response choice).

I know...you didn't know you could work this out with algebra right? :) It's just a different way of looking at things to consider the outcome you would like to achieve first, and tailor your response (gift, no gift) by that. Once you do that analogy, and perhaps decide that the outcome isn't going to change...no matter *what* you do, you have discovered true freedom of choice without a second thought!:)
My son was, shall we say...a "teacher's challenge" when he was in school. Very bright, but he objected to homework. He frustrated every teacher (and me). I do remember one though, who seemed exceptionally abusive toward him. She was so angry at him when she graded his paper that the note she wrote on it had three misspelled words. I corrected HER spelling and sent it back to her. The outcome of that...only made her abuse him more. It came to a head at Christmas break when we got into that thing of gifts for the teachers. I sent her a "dammit doll" and a note that I could appreciate her frustration at my child, I was frustrated too. But I'd like to see her abuse the doll, and try to HELP my son. It was the turning point, and I actually became friends with that teacher. Obviously, the gift was one she could not ignore because it called her out. The other teachers thought it was hilarious and I had special requests for more "dammit dolls."