Woman Who Says 'Teachers Don’t Want Your Junk For Christmas' Bashes The Gifts Parents & Kids Give To Show Their Appreciation
Many people strongly disagreed with her controversial take.
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A | Shutterstock Many teachers received gifts from their students this holiday season, yet not all of them were particularly grateful. Some took to TikTok to critique their students' chosen presents.
One woman said 'Teachers don’t want your junk for Christmas' and bashed the gifts parents and kids give to show their appreciation.
The teacher broke down the gifts shown in a parent's video — a Venti Starbucks cup, $7 chapstick, a bunch of fancy pens, and a Starbucks gift card.
“You could’ve just put another twenty or thirty dollars on the gift card," she said. "They would’ve loved it.”
She suggested the parents replace the "junk" pens and chapstick with some Hershey kisses and festive pompoms.
The teacher's video ruffled some feathers, sparking controversy and several video responses from other teachers.
People online argued that the teacher's opinion is not the sentiment of the season. One teacher, @teresakayenewman on TikTok, stitched the video, calling it the most “selfish and entitled” take she’s seen in a while.
“I never once expected anything from my students," the teacher said. "When I would get a gift, I would just be pleasantly surprised that anybody thought about me for long enough to buy me anything, much less some high-end gift that cost a certain amount of money."
It's inappropriate to expect and demand a particular gift from students and their families during the holidays. It can also be problematic and isolating for kids with families who can not afford gifts these teachers on TikTok approve of.
“I’ve received some pretty high-end gifts that I was blown away by but I've also received gifts where it was a Dollar Tree mug filled with Dollar Tree chocolates," she continued. "You know what? I was just as happy to get that as I was for getting a $40 Starbucks gift card."
Another TikTok teacher, @asianunplugged, stitched the original video expressing her disappointment and shock that any teacher would bash children’s gifts intended to show their appreciation.
“I think that she's missing the point of this very festive season,” she said. “Honestly, I know that all teachers would love anything that they received … Whether it's a Stanley Cup, whether It's some fuzzy slippers, whether it's just a handwritten note, they love it all. They love that you guys thought of them during this time of the year.”
Some parents also angrily responded, insisting teachers shouldn’t 'expect or demand' a gift during the holidays.
Shocked by the video from the teacher, one mom, known as @_badgramma78 on TikTok, was quick to respond with a video of her own.
“If I was a teacher and my student brought me an apple, I would praise them,” the woman said, insisting that teachers are “there to teach” and “shouldn't expect [or] demand certain things.”
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.