Gift card amount for teacher vs. instructional aide

[american_mama]

Ok, the gifts for teacher is making me at least consider putting some energy towards a group gift card for DS' kindergarten class. What is the common practice for gifting the teacher vs. the instructional aide? The aide works all day, every day with all the kids in this class, but does not do lesson planning, homework grading, conferences, etc. So do teacher and aide get the same amount of a gift card, or does the teacher get more? Despite my years as a parent at this school, group class gifts are completely new to me.

[JustMe]

I don't know if there is a particular way to do that or not. I have seen that a lot of people tend to give the teacher more than the aide. IMHO, if both were good with my child, I would give the same amount. Yes, the teacher has more responsibilities, but that is b/c she has a different job and is paid accordingly. I think a good aide should get the same amount b/c they are with the children and can make a very positive or negative difference...the fact that they make less money that the teacher also makes me lean towards not giving them less.

If the aide were not full time, was not in the classroom as much as the teacher, or something like that, then I might not give as much.

JMHO, though.

[azzeps]

I got the teacher and the aide $50 gift cards to Barnes & Noble. I figured they're with my daughter equal time and even though it's not likely I thought "what if they compare???" Isn't that silly??? I'm not sure what others do so I hope I got it right!

[AnnieW625]

I give them the same amount, $15 contributed towards the class gift.

[larig]

I always give them the same.

[tina-t]

I give the same amount to the teacher and aide.

[wellyes]

Planning to give the same. The aide does a whole lot of hands-on stuff with the kids, including shaping how they related to one another---- in terms of balancing letting kids figure things out vs. not allowing cliques or bullying. I'm doing $15 each Amazon gift card each.

[dhano923]

I got the teacher and the aide $50 gift cards to Barnes & Noble. I figured they're with my daughter equal time and even though it's not likely I thought "what if they compare???" Isn't that silly??? I'm not sure what others do so I hope I got it right!

$50 each?? Or total? I usually do $10-15 each... Am I way low????

[fedoragirl]

$10-15 for intern/aide who's there 2 days of the week.
$25 for the main teacher.
DH thinks that's high. LOL

[wellyes]

$50 each?? Or total? I usually do $10-15 each... Am I way low????

No, I think that's pretty standard in most part of the country. Private schools, very HCOL areas may be different. And there is nothing wrong with being extra generous!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Just ask your families to chip in $3-10, or whatever amount they are comfortable with. Take what you collect and divvy it up. Who knows what you'll get. Though, tbh, I wouldn't be trying to organize a group gift now. I think you are too late. But, you know your crowd.

[indigo99]

Oh darnit. I hadn't even thought about giving something to DS's language group teacher until you mentioned the aide because this teacher has one. I'll need to give them both something I guess. He only goes 2x week for a total of 5hr/wk. Is a $5 gc to Starbucks and a Christmas card from DS adequate?

[ang79]

Last year DD1 was in kindy. She had a regular classroom teacher and an aide, but the aide wasn't always in the classroom (helped in other classrooms, did recess and lunch duty, etc.) I did slightly less on the end of year GCs I gave. This year in 1st grade, she has 2 part time aides and a classroom teacher. I got each a VB lanyard and was going to do small amount Dunkin Donut GC to go with, was thinking $5 for the aides and $10 for the teacher......The seem to float the aides from class to class as needed at our school, so I don't think any aide is a full time aide for one specific classroom. They work the full day, but often are in several rooms throughout the day, so see a much larger bunch of kids than the classroom teacher who is w/ the class all day long (minus lunch and recess and specials).

The $50 per teacher GC seems high to me too! I did $20 or $25 last year when it was my only gift (not attached to anything else), though I did a Christmas and end of year gift. When I taught (10 years ago, wow!) I often just got small things like candy, flowers, etc., The only GC I ever got was for a nail salon for a manicure.

[KrisM]

Just ask your families to chip in $3-10, or whatever amount they are comfortable with. Take what you collect and divvy it up. Who knows what you'll get. Though, tbh, I wouldn't be trying to organize a group gift now. I think you are too late. But, you know your crowd.

I think it's pretty late to start organizing a group gift as well. We were asked in Nov. for DD's teacher and then on Dec. 3 for DS2's. I thought Dec. 3 was really late as I was done because I knew I had super busy weeks in December and didn't have time to do more. We finally finished the card Monday morning, just before it was due in. They asked for $10 each and I thought it was high.

[Dream]

Our public school collected $7 from each kid, $5 went towards the teacher and $2 for the assistant. Its not mandatory to send these amounts. Apart from contributing to the class gift I also got a small gift each and I feel its not enough. I would love to give a GC too but I'm scared that it'll be frowned upon, as another parent said its against the rules to give big gifts.

When DD was in Private Prek I gave Amex GC $50 each, same amounts as I see both the teacher and assistant interacting the same amount. And I felt good about the gift but this year I feel its not enough and I feel bad I can't give more.

DD2 is in Montessori school and they collected $60 from each child and will be divided among the teacher and assistant.

[squimp]

Are you in Europe? I have heard the custom on giving teacher gifts is very different there, and might explain why you haven't seen it done before. Not saying you shouldn't do it, but it might be worth asking around.